Two days before the conclusion of the thirty-day mourning period following the passing of Moses on Adar 7 (see Jewish History for the 7th of Nissan), Joshua dispatched two scouts--Caleb and Pinchas--across the Jordan River to Jericho, to gather intelligence in preparation of the Israelites' battle with the first city in their conquest of the Holy Land. In Jericho, they were assisted and hidden by Rahab, a woman who lived inside the city walls. (Rahab later married Joshua).
Link:
The Two Spies
R. Avraham Yehoshua Heshel was one of the leading Rebbes of his day, serving as rabbi and spiritual leader first in Apta (presently called Opatow), then in Iasi, and finally in Mezhibuzh. He was known for his great love of his fellow Jews, and is commonly known as “the Ohev Yisroel [lover of Jews] of Apta.”
Link: Special Powers
In today's "Nasi" reading (see "Nasi of the Day" in Nissan 1), we read of the gift bought by the nasi of the tribe of Shimon, Shlumiel ben Tzurishadai, for the inauguration of the Mishkan.
Why must you see every downturn as a punishment? Perhaps, on the contrary, it became time for you to receive greater things from Above.
Only that, like a metal spring, you must first become small before you can unleash your power.
Like an olive, you must allow yourself to be crushed to discover your oil.
Like a seed, you must first come down from your tree and lose yourself within the earth so you can sprout and grow into a mighty oak.
Perhaps all these troubles of yours are G-d's way of helping you along that path, helping you become small.
And if so, the remedy is obvious: Make yourself small on your own and relieve Him of the task.
Truth be told, you can do the job much better on your own—far less painfully and with faster results.