Why does the Torah juxtapose the Parshah of spies to that of Miriam?
Rashi: Because Miriam was punished for speaking derogatively about her brother, and these Resha'im saw and did not learn a lesson from her. 1
See also Ba'al ha'Turim.
How can one expect spies to have learned not to speak Lashon ha'Ra about Eretz Yisrael - which is merely earth - from Miri'am, who spoke about Moshe.
On whose initiative were the spies sent?
Rashi (citing Devarim, 1:22): It was the people themselves who approached Moshe and asked to send spies, and Moshe consulted Hashem 1 .
Refer to 13:2:3:2**.
Why did Yisrael want to send spies?
Rashi: Because they did not believe Hashem when He said that the land was good. 1 In fact, they should have followed the Cloud blindly.
Ramban: Yisrael merely applied the necessary Hishtadlus (endeavors) that an army needs, 2 to work out the routes, the layout of the cities and other basic strategies that are required before going into battle. 3
Se Sh'mos, 3:17.
Ramban: Based on the principle 'Ein Somchin al ha'Nes' (One does not rely on mitacles).
Ramban: Moshe did not consult Hashem, since sending spies was the obvious thing to do, and there was nothing sinful about it. Indeed, Moshe himself would later send spies - See 21:32, and so would Yehoshua - See Yehoshua, chapter 1.
How did Hashem react to the people's request?
Rashi: Hashem said 'I told them that the land is good (Sh'mos, 3:17). 1 Since they doubt My words, I will give them an opportunity to err, and not inherit it. 2
Ramban: B'nei Yisrael decided by themselves to send them. Hashem instructed Moshe to send twelve princes, one from each tribe, because, based on what He knew would transpire, He wanted all the tribes to be on an equal footing - either to do Teshuvah, or to sin and suffer the consequences - together. 3
See Torah Temimah, note 2, as to why Hashem did not want Yisrael to send spies.
Rosh: This can be compared to a king who arranged for his son to marry the most beautiful woman, of good lineage, and told him so. When his son asked he asked to see her, the king thought to himself 'If I don't let him see her, he will think that she is ugly; so he replied 'Go and see her ? but because you did not trust me, I will not give her to you, but to your sons!' Refer also to 13:2:152:1.
Ramban: Which explains why He ordered Moshe to send twelve spies and not just two, like Yehoshua did.
What are the implications of the (otherwise superfluous) word "Sh'lach l'cha Anashim"?
Rashi: It implies that Hashem did not issue a command to send spies. 1 He merely allowed Moshe to send them, should he so wish.
Seforno: Hashem was telling Moshe that he should pick the spies, and not allow the people to pick them, 2 as they intended. 3
Rosh: It can be compared to a king who appointed a share-cropper over his vineyard. When it produced good wine, he said 'Bring it to my house'; But when it produced bad wine, he said 'Bring it to your houses.' That is why, by the spies Hashem said "Sh'lach l'cha Anashim." 4
Moshav Zekenim (based on Rashi in Lech-l'cha) 5 : 'It is for your (Moshe's) benefit and good' - inasmuch as it was already decreed that he would not enter the land. B'nei Yisrael should have entered it after forty days, only, due to the episode of the spies, they were delayed by forty years - granting Moshe another forty years of life. 6
Refer to 13:2:152:2.
Torah Temimah, note 2, ciqting Sotah, 34b: Because ?Would anyone choose something bad for oneself?? ? If Hashem chose Eretz Cana?an, it must be good! So why send spies?
Seforno: Because they might send ordinary spies who would speak derogatively about Eretz Yisrael, in a way that would create the impression that Hashem had erred, in which case they would sin and not do Teshuvah - as opposed to the spies that Moshe sent, who were Tzadikim, and who, despite their sin, perceived the goodness of the land - See Devarim, 1:25 - as a result of which the people did Teshuvah after initially sinning - as the Pasuk relates in Devarim 1:41, 45. Refer also to 13:3:2:2.
Seforno: As the Pasuk indicates in Devarim, 1:22. 3. 4
Rosh: As opposed to appointing the Sanhedrin, where He said - in Beha'aloscha, 11:16 "Esfah Li Shiv'im Ish".
Refer to Bereishis, 12:12:2:1.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Sh'lach-l'cha 2.
Bearing in mind the ongoing miracles that Yisrael had experienced since leaving Egypt, and having followed Moshe faithfully up to this point, what made the people lose their faith in him?
Oznayim la'Torah: They did not lose faith in Moshe. What bothered them was the fact that, at the end of Beha'aloscha, Eldad and Meidad prophesied that Moshe would die, leaving them in the hands of the young and inexperienced Yehoshua to lead them into Eretz Yisrael, 1 a prophecy which Yisrael understood was about to come true, when Moshe said in Devarim, 1:21, immediately prior to the episode of the spies, "Re'ei Nasan Hashem Elokecha es ha'Aretz, Alei Reish kasher Diber Hashem Elokecha lach!" 2
When sending spies to spy out the land, why did Yehoshua succeed whereas Moshe failed?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because whereas the people had a direct hand in sending the spies in the time of Moshe, and when they returned, they reported to them, the spies that Yehoshua sent were sent by him, and returned word of their mission to him alone. 1
Refer to 13:3:2:1.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Sh'lach-l'cha Anashim' 5.
What are the connotations of the word "Anashim"?
Rashi (in Pasuk #3) and Targum Yonasan: It means 'important men'. 1
Targum Yonasan #2 (in Devarim, 1:23): It means 'chosen men'.
Refer to 13:3:2:1.
See Peirush Yonasan. See also Ba'al ha'Turim.
Since Yisrael - in Devarim, 1:22 - said "Veyachp'ru lanu ... ", why did Hashem change the Lashon to "Veyasuru ... "?
Sotah, 34b: Refer to Devarim, 1:22:5:2.
Ha'amek Davar (in Devarim - based on the Ramban): Because Yisrael, to avoid relying on open miracles, asked to search all the secret places, thereby facilitating the defeat of the Cana'anim, 1 whereas Hashem, who intended them to take over Eretz Cana'an without raising a sword, wanted them to explore the land superficially, in the way that the Torah goes on to describe. 2
How could they expect to hide twelve spies from the Cana'anim without being discovered - particularly bearing in mind the prohibition of entering a location of danger - even for a D'var Mitzvah?
Oznayim la'Torah (citing the Zohar): Moshe handed them his staff, with which he performed miracles which prevented them from being discovered - or, acording to others, he taught them the secret Name of Hashem. 1
See Oznayim la'Torah.
Why does the Torah use the double expression ?Ish Echad Ish Echad la?Shavet??
Yerushalmi Sotah, 7:5 #1 (according to R. Akiva): It means that Moshe sent, not twelve spies, but twenty-four - two from each tribe. 1
Yerushalmi Sotah, 7:5 #1 (according to R. Yishmael: Such is the way of the Torah to use a double expression (?Dibrah Torah ki?Leshon B?nei Adam?).
Whenever the Torah uses a double expression, it comes to include something. See Torah Temimah, note 3.
Bearing in mind that the spies were not the twelve leaders of the tribes, what is the meaning of "Kol Nasi bahem"?
Ramban: It means that Moshe should pick leaders - officers of ten or of fifty. 1
Seforno: It means that Moshe should pick the person in each tribe who was the most conversant with issues concerning land.
Rashbam: Seeing as what was needed was men to spy in a foreign country, Moshe obviously had to ask for volunteers, 2 strong, brave men who were not afraid to undertake such a mission and to bring back with them fruit from the land. And from them he had to choose the twelve most worthy candidates. 3
Riva (in Pasuk 4): It means 'All whose heart inspired them' (to volunteer). 4
See Yisro Sh'mos, 18:25. See also Ba'al ha'Turim on Pasuk 3. The Chizkuni explains that they were officers of a thousand.
See also Oznayim la'Torah, 'Kol Nasi bahem' #1.
What the Pasuk therefore means is that each spy should be a volunteer to represent his tribe - similar to the Pasuk in Tehilim, 8:7 "Kol Shatah Tachas Raglav".
Like in Vayakhel Sh'mos, 35:21) "Kol asher Nesa'o Libo"
Why was no spy sent from the tribe of Levi?
Da'as Zekenim, Moshav Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim (in Pasuk 16): Because Levi did not receive a portion in Eretz Yisrael (and the sending of the spies was connected to the twelve tribes inheriting a portion in Eretz Yisrael - Oznayim la'Torah).
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes 'I told them that the land is good. Since they are in doubt, I will give them an opportunity to err, and not inherit it'. If so, how could Moshe find favor with their request (Devarim, 1:23), given that Hashem did not?
Rashi in Devarim 1:23) and Mizrachi: Moshe agreed 1 , assuming that, when Yisrael see that he consents, they will realize that the land is good and there is no need to send spies.
Gur Aryeh: B'nei Yisrael said only to send spies to know the way to go to conquer the land. In Devarim (1:22), it says only "Let us send men". Hashem knew their intention ? to see whether the land was good, and whether they would be afraid of the people. He told Moshe "Sh'lach-l'cha" ? as you want; He led them in the path they wanted, and gave them the opportunity to sin. Moshe suggested sending to see whether it was good, and the strength of the residents, hoping that B'nei Yisrael would retract (Rashi in Devarim, 1:23). 2
Gur Aryeh: In fact, Rashi writes there that 'It was good in my eyes, but not in Hashem's,' implying that Moshe truly consented!
We find that Moshe told only the spies to see if the land was good, and whether the people werre strong? if so, the spies themselves should have protested! Why didn't at least Yehoshua and Calev say that it was not necessary? (PF)
Rashi writes 'I told them that the land is good. Since they are in doubt, I will give them an opportunity to err, and not inherit it.' If so, why does the Torah write in the next Pasuk that Moshe sent them "Al-Pi Hashem"?
Refer to 13:2:42:2.
R. Chaim Paltiel: "Al Pi Hashem" means with His permission.
R. Bachye: Hashem did not want to send them. He commanded Moshe to do so only to fulfill Yisrael's wishes. 1
Alshich: Because Moshe asked Hashem about every spy, and Hashem replied 'He is a Tzadik!'
Or ha'Chayim: Because it was Hashem who selected the spies. 2
Similarly, Hashem, who did not want to appoint a king, commanded Shmuel to appoint Sha'ul only in order [to fulfill Yisrael's wishes] out of anger (Hoshe'a 13:11).
This is unlike Ramban, who says that the Nesi'im for the census were "Nikve'u be'Sheimos" (1:17), but Hashem did not specify which Meraglim to take.
Rashi writes that the Torah put the Parshah of the Meraglim next to that of Miriam, because they should have learned from her. Why did he explain this Semichus?
Mizrachi (in Devarim 1:1): Rashi cites Midrashim only close to the simple meaning. He explains Semichus only when a Pasuk is out of place. Here Rashi explains according to the opinion that he cites in Devarim 1:1, that Korach's rebellion was in Chatzeros. 1 The episode with the Meraglim occurred after that, but the Torah taught it here in order to juxtapose it to the Parshah of Miriam, 2
Gur Aryeh (in Devarim 1:1): Because, since we know that Yisrael were in Chatzeros, the Torah could have written (12:16) 've'Nas'u ha'Am.' It added "me'Chatzeros" in order to Darshen Semichus.
Later, in Korach, 16:4, Rashi explains that the episode with Korach occurred after that of the Meraglim; He often explains two Pesukim in different places according to different Midrashim.
Gur Aryeh: If so, Korach should be placed next to the Parshah of Miriam, and afterwards the Meraglim, since he spoke against Moshe and Aharon (16:3), and did not learn from Miriam, and the Meraglim did not learn from Miriam or Korach! Rather, the rebellion was in Paran, after the Meraglim. The Torah could not write Paran twice to hint to both sins. It wrote Chatzeros, which was nearby.
