This week’s Torah portion begins with the incident of the spies. God commands Moses to select one member of each tribe to go into the Land of Cana’an to scout it out. They return from their mission and report that the land is beautiful but inhabited by giants in great walled cities. “We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves…” (Numbers 13:32). Lacking faith, the people refuse to obey God’s command to conquer the land. They are afraid they will fail. After God tells them they will wander for 40 years until the generation of slaves dies off, in desperation they decide to attack and, of course, they are defeated. The portion ends with the command to put tzitzit (fringes) on the “corners” of their garments. “Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God.” (Numbers 14:40) Lacking faith, either in God or themselves, the people are given a tool to help them grow in faith and spirit—to become holy. Faith and fear are two sides of the same coin. In faith we can do the impossible. In fear we wander the aimlessly in the wilderness.