Why does the Torah write "Yom le'Shanah" and not "Shanah le'Yom"!
R. Bachye: With reference to 13:25:1:1 ? the Torah switches the order a hint at Hashem?s Mercy, inasmuch as He shortened the spies? journey to forty days ? ?Yom le?Shanah? - because He knew that they would sin and cause Yisrael to remain in the desert for as many years as the days that hey spied the land.
Seforno (citing Ta'anis, 29a) and Moshav Zekenim : It refers to Tish'ah be'Av - the day every year that we mourn for the Churban Beis-Hamikdash.
Oznayim la'Torah: It refers to Tish'ah be'Av, the day on which fifteen thousand people died each year in the desert. 1
Refer to 14:29:0.1:1*.
Seeing as they only sinned for forty dys, why were they punished for forty years?
Chagigah, 5b: This teaches us that when somebody sins one day in the year, it is as if he sinned the entire year. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 22.
If the spies took forty days to spy out the land, why should the whole of Yisrael spend another forty years in thhe desert?
Seforno: Because since the spies went following the command of the people, they were their Sheluchim. 1
The correct text in the Seforno reads 'be'Mispar ha'Yamim she'He'erichu be'Mitzvaschem Lir'os Im Sfshar liChbosh es ha'Aratez'.
What is the meaning of "vi'Yeda'atem es Tenu'asi"?
Rashi #1: It means 'You will know that you moved your hearts away from Me'. 1
Rashi #2 (Hagahos K'sav Yad): It is an expression of 'excuse' (To'einah) - Because they were looking for an excuse to move away from Hashem.
Seforno: 'You will realize what a terrible thing you did by moving away from what I planned for you', and you will suffer the consequences. 2
Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means 'You will know (suffer the consequences) for having complained against Me'.
