(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֙רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם׃ (ג) וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן עַל־פִּ֣י ה' כֻּלָּ֣ם אֲנָשִׁ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽמָּה׃ (ד) וְאֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֑ם ... (יז) וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֹתָם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָת֖וּר אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵקֶ֗ם עֲל֥וּ זֶה֙ בַּנֶּ֔גֶב וַעֲלִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־הָהָֽר׃ (יח) וּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־הָעָם֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ הֶחָזָ֥ק הוּא֙ הֲרָפֶ֔ה הַמְעַ֥ט ה֖וּא אִם־רָֽב׃ (יט) וּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטוֹבָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים׃ ... (כה) וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃ (כו) וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן קָדֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּשִׁ֨יבוּ אוֹתָ֤ם דָּבָר֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּרְא֖וּם אֶת־פְּרִ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ (כח) אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃ (כט) עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (ל) וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃ (לא) וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (לב) וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃ (לג) וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
(1) Ad-nai spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people; send one man from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a chieftain among them.” (3) So Moses, by Ad-nai’s command, sent them out from the wilderness of Paran, all the men being leaders of the Israelites. (4) And these were their names.... (17) When Moses sent them to scout the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb and on into the hill country, (18) and see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many? ... (25) At the end of forty days they returned from scouting the land. (26) They went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, and they made their report to them and to the whole community, as they showed them the fruit of the land. (27) This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.” (32) Thus they spread calumnies among the Israelites about the land they had scouted, saying, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are men of great size; (33) we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we were like grasshoppers to our eyes, and so we were to their eyes.”
~ What is the function of spying?
~ What is the connection between seeing and scouting/spying?
~ In 33 verses, there are 12 mentions of either seeing, spying or eyes. What do you make of it?
(י) וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ כׇּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה לִרְגּ֥וֹם אֹתָ֖ם בָּאֲבָנִ֑ים וּכְב֣וֹד ה' נִרְאָה֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד אֶֽל־כׇּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ} (יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַד־אָ֥נָה יְנַאֲצֻ֖נִי הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְעַד־אָ֙נָה֙ לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ בִ֔י בְּכֹל֙ הָֽאֹת֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (יב) אַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַדֶּ֖בֶר וְאוֹרִשֶׁ֑נּוּ וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֹֽתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־גָּד֥וֹל וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־ה' וְשָׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּֽי־הֶעֱלִ֧יתָ בְכֹחֲךָ֛ אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה מִקִּרְבּֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְאָמְר֗וּ אֶל־יוֹשֵׁב֮ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּאת֒ שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה ה' בְּקֶ֖רֶב הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־עַ֨יִן בְּעַ֜יִן נִרְאָ֣ה ׀ אַתָּ֣ה ה' וַעֲנָֽנְךָ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עֲלֵהֶ֔ם וּבְעַמֻּ֣ד עָנָ֗ן אַתָּ֨ה הֹלֵ֤ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וּבְעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לָֽיְלָה׃ (טו) וְהֵמַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְע֥וּ אֶֽת־שִׁמְעֲךָ֖ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (טז) מִבִּלְתִּ֞י יְכֹ֣לֶת ה' לְהָבִיא֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לָהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (יז) וְעַתָּ֕ה יִגְדַּל־נָ֖א כֹּ֣חַ אדושם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יח) ה' אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֖ן וָפָ֑שַׁע וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֞ד עֲוֺ֤ן אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃ (יט) סְלַֽח־נָ֗א לַעֲוֺ֛ן הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּגֹ֣דֶל חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם וְעַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' סָלַ֖חְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ (כא) וְאוּלָ֖ם חַי־אָ֑נִי וְיִמָּלֵ֥א כְבוֹד־ה' אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כב) כִּ֣י כׇל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָרֹאִ֤ים אֶת־כְּבֹדִי֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣תֹתַ֔י אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֥יתִי בְמִצְרַ֖יִם וּבַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיְנַסּ֣וּ אֹתִ֗י זֶ֚ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּעָמִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּקוֹלִֽי׃ (כג) אִם־יִרְאוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָ֑ם וְכׇל־מְנַאֲצַ֖י לֹ֥א יִרְאֽוּהָ׃ (כד) וְעַבְדִּ֣י כָלֵ֗ב עֵ֣קֶב הָֽיְתָ֞ה ר֤וּחַ אַחֶ֙רֶת֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וַיְמַלֵּ֖א אַחֲרָ֑י וַהֲבִֽיאֹתִ֗יו אֶל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣א שָׁ֔מָּה וְזַרְע֖וֹ יוֹרִשֶֽׁנָּה׃
(10) As the whole community threatened to pelt them with stones, the Presence of Ad-nai appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. (11) And Ad-nai said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? (12) I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a nation far more numerous than they!” (13) But Moses said to Ad-nai, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You brought up this people in Your might, hear the news, (14) they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land. Now they have heard that You, O Ad-nai, are in the midst of this people; that You, O Ad-nai, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them and when You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. (15) If then You slay this people to a man, the nations who have heard Your fame will say, (16) ‘It must be because Ad-nai was powerless to bring that people into the land He had promised them on oath that He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ (17) At this moment may the strength of the Lord be great, as You have declared, saying, (18) ‘Ad-nai! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’ (19) Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.” (20) And the Ad-nai said, “I pardon, as you have asked. (21) Nevertheless, as I live and as the Ad-nai’s Presence fills the whole world, (22) none of the men who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many times and have disobeyed Me, (23) shall see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers; none of those who spurn Me shall see it. ...
~ What other moment does this moment remind you of? What are similar reverberations? What is different?
~ Does this remind you of any prayerful moment?
~ How does this story end? Why?
~ Can you pinpoint precisely what the sin of the spies is, according to the Torah text? What the sin of the Israelites is?
~ Compare that with the Golden Calf. Which sin is more serious, in Jewish thought? How does that story end?
(לג) וכן היינו בעיניהם. שָׁמַעְנוּ אוֹמְרִים זֶה לָזֶה, נְמָלִים יֵשׁ בַּכְּרָמִים כַּאֲנָשִׁים (סוטה ל"ה):
SO WE WERE IN THEIR EYES—We heard them say one to another; “There are ants in the vineyards that look like human beings" (Sota 35a).
(לג) כחגבים - הנמוך נראה לגבוה ממנו הרבה כחגבים, שהם נמוכים מאד. וזה מוכיח: היושב על חוג הארץ ויושביה כחגבים.
כחגבים, anything low considers itself as like a grasshopper when compared to something much taller. We find proof of this in Is. 40:22, “compared to the One Who is enthroned above the vault of the earth views its inhabitants as if they were grasshoppers.”
(לג) הנפילים. שכל הרואה אותם מתפלא עליהם. ד"א שכל הרואה אותם מתיירא שלא יפלו עליו:
The Nephilim - anyone who took a look at these people would feel wonder [phele]. Another interpretation: whoever saw them would feel scared that they would attack [yipolu] him.
~ How reasonable is the self-description of the spies, according to Rashi and his grandson, Rashbam?
~ How does the Da'at Zekenim (Rashi's other grandchildren) answer the same question?
~ What three different strategies does each commentator use to address the question?
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב (במדבר יג, יז), עִם שֶׁהֵם עוֹלִים אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה הַכֹּהֵן בְּרַבִּי מָצְאוּ שְׁלשָׁה בְּנֵי עֲנָקִים (במדבר יג, כב): וְשָׁם אֲחִימִָן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי, לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אֲחִימָן, שֶׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר אַחַי מַן יָבוֹא עָלַי. שֵׁשַׁי, שֶׁהָיָה בָּרִיא כְּשַׁיִּשׁ. תַּלְמַי, שֶׁהָיָה עוֹשֶׂה תְּלָמִים בָּאָרֶץ (, כב): יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק, שֶׁרָאוּהוּ שֶׁהָיָה עוֹנֵק אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. כְּשֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתָן מְרַגְּלִים, נִתְיָרְאוּ, לְפִיכָךְ אָמְרוּ (במדבר יג, לא): כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ הֵטִיחוּ דְבָרִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, וּבְאוֹתוֹ עָוֹן נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם גְּזֵרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לְיִרְמְיָה לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶן אֵין אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִים מָה הוֹצֵאתֶם מִפִּיכֶם, (ירמיה יא, טז): לְקוֹל הֲמוּלָּה גְדֹלָה, שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם מַה גְּרַמְתֶּם לְעַצְמְכֶם הִצִּיתֶם אֵשׁ עֲלֵיכֶם, (במדבר יד, לד): יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם. אָמְרוּ (במדבר יג, לג): וַנְהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וִתַּרְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם, אֶלָּא (במדבר יג, לג): וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם. יוֹדְעִים הֱיִיתֶם מֶה עָשִׂיתִי אֶתְכֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם, מִי יֹאמַר שֶׁלֹא הֱיִיתֶם בְּעֵינֵיהֶם כְּמַלְאָכִים. מַה גְּרַמְתֶּם לְעַצְמְכֶם (במדבר יד, לד): בְּמִסְפַּר הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר תַּרְתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ, לֹא דַיָּם כָּךְ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹא נִכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁלוּחֵי בָּשָׂר וָדָם נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹא יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ לָכֶם מַלְאָכִי פִּתְאוֹם וִיפַנֶּה אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, א): הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָכִי וּפִנָּה דֶרֶךְ לְפָנָי וּפִתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֶל הֵיכָלוֹ.
(Numb. 13:17) “Then he said to them, ‘Go up here into the Negev’”: “Go up,” since [they are] a people who go up. R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said: “They found the three sons of Anak there, ‘Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai.’ Why was his name called Ahiman? Because he said, ‘My brother (ahi), who (man) will come against me?’ [Why] Sheshai (shyshy)? Because he was as strong as marble (shysh). [Why] Talmai? Because he went and made furrows (telamim) in the earth.” “The children of the Anak ('nk)”: [He was called that] because he wore ('nk) the sun around his neck. When the spies saw them they were afraid. Immediately they went and said (in vs. 31), “for they are stronger than we (which can also be read as, than He).” Resh Lakish said, “They hurled those words to Above, and because of this transgression harsh decrees were issued against them. What did the Holy One of Blessing say to Jeremiah? 'Go, tell them: 'you do not know what you have brought out from your mouth, as stated (Jer. 11:16), “with the sound of a great tumult you have lit fire to it, and you have broken its boughs.” What did you cause to yourselves “with the sound of a great tumult”? That you said, “you have lit fire to it” [so,] “you will carry your sins one day for each year"' (Num. 14:34). They said (in Num. 13:33), “And in our own eyes we were like grasshoppers.” The Holy One of Blessing said, “I forgave them for that [remark]; but I was exacting [when they said] ‘And so we were in their eyes.’ The Holy One of Blessing said, “How did you know what I made you in their eyes? Who would say that you were not like angels in their eyes?” What had they brought upon themselves? (Num. 14:34,) “According to the number of days that you explored the land” - not only that, but also that they won't enter the land. The Holy One of Blessing said to Israel, “In this world, because the representatives (literally, those sent) were of flesh and blood, it has been decreed over them that they should not enter the land; but in the world to come I will suddenly send My angel (mal'akh), and he shall clear a way.” It is so stated (in Mal. 3:1), “Behold, I am sending My messenger (mal'akh) to clear a way before Me, and [the Lord whom you seek] shall suddenly come to the Temple.”
~ How do the way the spies see themselves impact how they come to believe or not believe in their ability to conquer the land?
~ What is the spies' and Israel's main sin, according to Resh Lakish, in this midrash?
~ What is the main problem of the spies, according to this piece in the Talmud?
~ What is the problem with the spies that the Sh’lach is highlighting?
הכלל העולה, יושבי הארץ צריכין להיותן בהכנע וכמו גרים, לא יעשו העיקר להתישב באיתן מושבו. וזה שאמרו רז"ל (ב"ר פד, א,) וישב יעקב [בארץ מגורי אביו] בארץ כנען (בראשית לז, א), בקש לישב בשלוה, אמר הקב"ה לא דיין לצדיקים כו', רק יהיה בארץ מגורי, גר אנכי, ויהיה ארץ כנען, ויהיה מגורי אביו סוד פחד יצחק הוא מדת הדין מגור מסביב וסביביו נשערה מאוד (תהלים נ, ג). וזהו (ויקרא כה, כג) כי גרים ותושבים אתם עמדי, בשעה שאתם רוצים לישב בשלום, תהיו גרים. וסימנך, (במדבר יג, לב) ארץ אוכלת יושביה, היא מכלה הרוצים לישב בה בשלוה ובתוקף לאכול פירותיה ולהנות בה לבד. ואף שהמרגלים דברו זה הפסוק, הם דברו לרעה והוציאו דברי קדושה לחולין, חולין הוא להם:
The general idea that comes from this is that those who settle the land must do so as sojourners, humbly, and not make the central part of their lives to settle strongly and purposelessly. When our sages criticize Jacob of whom the Torah said: "Jacob settled down in the land of Canaan, in the land of the sojournings of his father" (Gen. 37:1) he wanted to dwell in tranquility the Holy One said isn't it enough that the tzadikim [will enjoy the world-to come? The problems of Yosef happened to him] (Bereshit Rabbah 84:3). He could only be in the land of sojourning - "I am but a sojourner" (Gen. 23:4) and it was the land of Cnaan, and "sojournings [megurei] of his father" is the secret of "Fear of Isaac", which is the characteristic of Judgment, "terror [magor] all around" (Jer. 20:10) and "around Him a fierce fire" (Psalms 50:3). And this is (Lev. 25:23) "For you are sojourners and settlers with Me" - the moment you want to settle in peace, you will be sojourners. And your sign is "It is a land that consumes those who settle in it" (Numbers 13:32) - the land consumes those who want to settle in contentment, and simply want to eat its fruit and just feel pleasure from the land. And even if the spies said this verse [with this understanding] they did so to speak for evil, they profaned something sacred and so it was profane for them.
~ How were the spies right in what they said, according to the Sh’lach? What are the difficulties with his commentary, for you?
Written by Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horovitz (c.1555-1630), Shney Luchot HaBrit (Shelah) is a commentary on the Torah composed in Ottoman Palestine (c.1611 - c.1631 CE).
(לט) וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת ה' וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
That shall be your tzitzit; and you will see it and remember all the mitzvot of Ad-nai and observe them, so that you do not scout after your heart and eyes since you lust after them.
(לט) ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם. כְּמוֹ "מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ" (במדבר י"ג); הַלֵּב וְהָעֵינַיִם הֵם מְרַגְּלִים לַגּוּף, מְסַרְסְרִים לוֹ אֶת הָעֲבֵרוֹת, הָעַיִן רוֹאָה וְהַלֵּב חוֹמֵד וְהַגּוּף עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָעֲבֵרָה (תנחומא):
The verb תתרו has the same meaning as in (Num. 13:25), “and they returned from searching (מתור) the land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YOU SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (cf. Berakhot 1:8; Tanchuma).
(לט) וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה' תזכרו שאתם עבדים לאל יתברך ושקבלתם מצותיו באלה ובשבועה וזה בראותם הציצית שהוא כחותם המלך בעבדיו ובזה תחדלו מתור אחרי לבבכם להשיג שרירות לבכם כעושר וכבוד אפילו בגזל:
(מ) ואחרי עיניכם להשיג תאוות שנתתם עיניכם בהן:
(מא) אשר אתם זונים אחריהם מטים נפשכם השכלית בהן מדרכי חיי עולם לדרכי אבדון ומות:
You will see it, and you will remember all the mitzvot - you will be reminded that you are God’s servants whose commandments you have accepted reinforced by oaths known as אלה (alah) and (shevuah) שבועה. This reminder will be due to your looking at the “fringes” that may be viewed as if their king had placed a stamp on your bodies confirming that the wearer is one of his subjects and with this you will refrain from scouting after your hearts to attain the base desires of your heart, such as fortune, honor - some attain these only through stealing.
After your eyes - to object to the urge of which you put your eyes on.
That you lust after them - it diverts your rational souls from the paths of life eternal to the paths of destruction and death.
Rabbi Ovadiah ben Jacob Sforno, a 16th-century Italian rabbi and physician wrote his commentary between 1500 and 1550 CE in Bologna.
It seems that this sidrah is all about seeing--what we choose to see, and what we ignore.
Caleb and Joshua saw the beauty of the land. The remaining spies could see only obstacles that stood in the way of the Israelites taking possession of the land. And the Israelites themselves, who heard the spies' reports, were blinded by their fear of the unknown, rather than being open to the opportunities that would be afforded to them as they enjoyed freedom in the land that had been promised to their ancestors.
By contrast, the tzitzit require us to have our eyes open to appreciate them, and in so doing we are reminded of God's mitzvot and of the kindness that God showed to us in redeeming us from Egypt.
We can go through our lives with blinders before our eyes, refusing to bear witness to God's graciousness toward us. Or, we can open eyes that have previously been blind and proclaim, Ashreinu, "How greatly have we been blessed!"
(by Alan Cook, 2006, in Voices of Torah page 402-403)
Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen Kagan zt”l of Radin, asks a straightforward question. He says: this verse is truly amazing. The person who brought the Jewish people out of Egypt, who split the sea for them, and received the Torah from Heaven — how could he possibly consider himself smaller than everyone else?
The answer is: true greatness is measured not in the eyes of other people, but in the eyes of G-d. We cannot judge people by absolute standards of measure. A person’s obligation, in the Service of G-d, is based upon how well he or she understands our obligation. Precisely because Moshe had ascended to Heaven, he believed that he had not fulfilled his obligations. He could not judge himself against the people “on the face of the earth,” for he alone had ascended to Heaven with the angels, and was required to be that much more like an angel than an ordinary man. We are not judged based upon where we are, but upon what we have accomplished with the “tools” we are given.
The generations of the ten spies were former slaves, who lacked the confidence in themselves, the bitachon atzmi, to embark on a journey of settlement that seemed daunting and challenging. (Lara Rodin)