By the Eigel, in Ki Sissa Sh'mos, 33:4 the Torah wrote "Vayishma ha'Am ... Vayis'abalu". Why here, does the Torah add the word "Me'od"?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because, whereas there, Hashem forgave them and granted them the right to go to Eretz Cana'an, only an angel would accompany them and not Himself, here, He decreed that they would all die in the desert.
Why did the Ma'apilim ascend the mountain?
Rashi: Because it was en route to Eretz Yisrael.
Bearing in mind that they were contravening the word of Hashem, as Moshe is about to tell them, what did the Ma'apilim mean when they said "El ha'Makom asher Amar Hashem"?
Rashi: They meant that were going up to the land that Hashem had promised to give them.
Which sin were the Ma'apilim referring to?
Rashi: To their statement "ha'Lo Tov lanu Shuv Mitzraymah". 1
Rashbam: The sin of listening to the report of the spies.
In Pasuk #3.
Initially, they said that they would return to Egypt. Now that Hashem decreed that they will die in the desert, all the more so they should want to return to Egypt! Why did they decide to ascend to Eretz Cana'an?
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Rosh): From the time that they saw the Egyptians dead after Keri'as Yam Suf, they thought 'Why should we conquer giants in Eretz Cana'an? We can return to Egypt, where only women and children remain! Also, the place one grew up in is dear to a person. This is why Moshe needed to force them to leave the Yam Suf. All the complaints in the Midbar were to find an excuse to return to Egypt. They sent spies, thinking that perhaps Hashem will consent that they return. When the spies told about the Cana'anim, they said "Nitnah Rosh?" ? not to rebel, rather, to ask permission to return. 1 Only when Hashem refused, they said 'We will ascend!'
If so, why did they want to stone Moshe and Aharon?? Perhaps they considered them like Rodfim, for they were trying to persuade Yisrael to enter a dangerous war, and not ask Hashem to return ? (PF)
Since they regretted their sin, why were they punished?
Seforno #1 (on 13:2): Because of the Chilul Hashem that they had caused. 1
Seforno #2 (in Devarim, 45): Because it was a decree accompanied by a Shevu'ah which Teshuvah cannot remove.
Seforno #3 (Ibid.) and Moshav Zekenim (citing R. Yehudah ha'Chasid): Because their belated Teshuvah 2 was based purely on their fear of punishment, 3 it was insufficient to have the decree repealed in this world.
Because they were now guilty of the same sin as before - When Hashem told them to go, they contravened His word and decided not to go, and now that Hashem told them not to go, they decided to go! Teshuvah entails subjugating oneself to the Will of Hashem and doing whatever He says. 4
Seforno: For which only death can atone - in spite of their Tefilos - See Devarim, 1:45. Refer also to 15:30:3:1.
Seforno: Bearing in mind that they ignored all the initial efforts of Moshe, Yehoshua and Calev to bring them to their senses.
Because they witnessed the horrible death of the ten spies.
Charatah (regret) is one stage of Teshuvah, but it must be followed by leaving behind the sin and an undertaking not to sin again.
