YOU SHALL SEE WHAT [KIND OF] LAND IT IS, AND THE PEOPLE WHO INHABIT IT; ARE THEY STRONG OR WEAK? ARE THERE FEW OR MANY? AND WHAT OF THE LAND THEY INHABIT? IS IT GOOD OR BAD? AND WHAT OF THE CITIES IN WHICH THEY RESIDE ARE THEY IN CAMPS OR IN FORTRESSES? WHAT IS THE SOIL LIKE IS IT FAT OR LEAN? ARE THERE ANY TREES IN IT OR NOT? YOU SHALL BE COURAGEOUS AND TAKE FROM THE FRUIT OF THE LAND." IT WAS THE SEASON WHEN THE FIRST GRAPES BEGIN TO RIPEN.

(Bamidbar 13:18-20)

 

What is the soil like is it fat or lean?

Now he commands them regarding [reporting on] the land in general, and this does not relate to the primary goal of their mission, nor did Israel request it, for they were embarrassed to make such inquiries after God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. Rather, our Rabbi Moses knew that they would not be pleased to hear about the nature of the warriors living in the Land of Israel. He knew that giants dwelt there and that their conquest would be burdensome. That is why he wanted to satisfy their eyes with the land's bounty so that they would be strongly motivated to risk their lives for it. There is no comparison between seeing things with one's own eyes and [mere] belief, so much so that the midrash on parashat Ki Tavo states that Moses did not break the tablets until he saw the calf and the dancing with his own eyes, since hearing cannot be compared to seeing. That is why Moses wanted them to deal with the Land's bounty in detail in order to capture the hearts of Israel.

(HaNeTziV MiVolozhin Ha'Amek Davar Bamidbar 13:20)

 

And what of the land they inhabit? We find that he is dealing with the Land's populace, he is asking how the Land's particular qualities affect its inhabitants and shapes their character; what is the land's virtue as a place for national development, is it good or bad from this perspective, does it advance or retard a people's spiritual and moral cultural life? We shall recount the Sages' dictum: "The air of the Land of Israel promotes wisdom" (Bava Batra 158b).

(Rabbi S.R. Hirsch on Bamidbar 13:19)

 

The meaning of You shall be courageous and take [from the fruit of the land] - that they should not be afraid that people will realize they are spies when they take some fruits of the Land.

(RaMBaN Bamidbar 13:20)

 

Hoshea - Yehoshua: Emissary and Sender, Viewer and Hearer

Shlomo Fox

Twelve men - each one a prince in their midst - are sent to scout out the land and after forty days they return and make their report: They went, and they came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the desert of Paran, to Kadesh. They brought them back a report, as well as to the entire congregation, and they showed them the fruits of the land (Bamidbar 13:27).

Scripture mentions that the report was given before the leaders and before all the congregation of the children of Israel, and that the original report set forth information regarding the fruit of the land and its inhabitants. However, it seems that the people immediately read something between the lines of the debriefing and concluded that it was impossible to conquer the Land, and so we read: Caleb silenced the people to [hear about] Moses, and he said, "We can surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it." But the men who went up with him said, "We are unable to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. In the following chapter (14) we also read: Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had scouted the land, tore their clothes. They spoke to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "The land we passed through to scout is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. But you shall not rebel against the Lord, and you will not fear the people of that land for they are [as] our bread. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not be fear them."

There is no argument over the facts reported by the spies. The question is rather what should be done in the light of those facts, how the information should be analyzed. The ten spies and the people got cold feet and concluded that they were unable to rise up and conquer the Land, whereas Caleb and Joshua chose a faith-based argument: they had succeeded up to that point thanks to the help of the Creator - why should they now doubt His power? Regarding this it may be asked: "Why were the men sent to begin with? After all they wanted to discover and consider all the possibilities." It seems that the mission was itself another trial intended to test the Israelites' faith. The Gemara (Sotah 35a) puts harsh words into the mouths of the spies: "Hanina bar Papa said: They made a grievous statement at that moment, viz. For they are stronger than we - read not than we but than He; as it were even the master of the house cannot remove his furniture from there."

Since the Spies' deed is taken to be a serious sin it is fascinating to see how the Sages refer to this group of ten "unbelievers" in order to explain the origin and nature of the power of the minyan [prayer quorum]. We read in the Mishna (Sanhedrin 1:6): "From whence do we know that and edah [community] consists of [at least] ten members? Because it is written: How long will this evil edah (Bamidbar 14). [There were twelve princes] Joshua and Caleb had left [the group leaving ten]"

Regarding this the Gemara says:

Whence these rules [that a quorum of ten is required for the sacred sections of prayer]? R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Yohanan: Because Scripture says, But I will be hallowed among the children of Israel (Vaykira 22): every act of sanctification requires not less than ten. How does the verse denote this? - As R. Hiyya taught: We explain the word among [betokh] here by reference to its use in another place. It is written here, But I will be hallowed among the children of Israel, and it is written elsewhere, Separate yourselves from among this congregation (Bamidbar 16); and we further explain the word edah here by reference to what is written in another place, How long shall I bear with this evil edah (Bamidbar 14). Just as ten are indicated there, so too here. (Megillah 13b, Talmudic quotes based on Soncino translation)

The idea that an edah consists of ten men is learned from the edah of the spies; why was this learned from an edah of sinners? It would appear to have been possible to learn from Joshua and Caleb that a minyan includes at least two men.

Midrash Tanhuma (Miketz 6) cites an additional example: the ten brothers of Joseph, who also did not exactly use their power for constructive ends - rather they sold their brother into slavery. This is the language of the midrash:

Joseph's brothers went down, ten [of them]; and why ten?

Because they [as a group of ten] had the power to ward off troubles, since when the Holy One, blessed be he, came to destroy Sodom and our Father Abraham asked for mercy from Heaven for them, he began counting [down] from fifty until ten, as it says, Perhaps ten can be found there (Bereishit 18:32). This is because ten constitutes an edah, for it is said, How long shall I bear with this evil edah (Bamidbar 14). That is why it is said, Joseph's brothers went down, ten, since also in the case of Sodom he said [counted down] until ten.

These drashot seem to imply more generally that an edah as a community, can act for good or for evil, and therefore when assembling to perform an act of sanctification we must clarify our direction: is it for good, or, God forbid, for evil.

Let us move along and consider how Joshua is depicted forty years later, when we find him leading the people and sending out two spies to survey the Land in general and Jericho in particular (Joshua 2:1). He chooses anonymous spies; neither their names nor their tribal affiliations are mentioned. The spies return to report good news: And the two men returned and descended from the mountain, and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. And they said to Joshua, -For the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land; and also the inhabitants of the country have melted away because of us (Joshua 2:23-24).

 

Does Joshua listen to the spies' report?

When Joshua had spied out the land for forty days he and his comrades were strongly impressed by the power of its inhabitants, so much so that they saw themselves as tiny grasshoppers. Based on what they had seen, his comrades came to the conclusion that they should give up: Let us set up a leader and return to Egypt (Bamidbar 14:4), while he and Caleb had faith in God's ability to fulfill His promise. Now that Joshua stands before the power of that promise's fulfillment he could say - and perhaps he did say: "I told you so!"

Instead of a disheartening report, he receives an encouraging report.

How should he react; did he listen to what the spies had to say?

The end of Devarim (27:2-4) tells us about a command that must be fulfilled upon entering the Land: And it will be, on the day that you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, that you shall set up for yourself huge stones, and plaster them with lime…when you cross the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, [regarding] which I command you this day on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with lime. That is to say: after crossing the Jordan, the people must continue on to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim in order to perform the ceremony of the blessing and the curse. Joshua is aware of this command, but only obeys it after fighting at Jericho and Ai, as it is written: Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, upon which no (man) has lifted up any iron. And they offered upon it burnt-offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace-offerings (Joshua 8:30-31).

Why does Joshua tarry in carrying out his orders? Why does he first turn towards Jericho and begin conquering the Land? Why doesn't Joshua listen to the spies?

The spies had heard Rahab's analysis of the situation (Joshua 2:9-11): And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed. And as soon as we heard, our hearts melted, nor did there remain anymore spirit in any man because of you, for the Lord your God He is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Her statement was included in their report. Did Joshua's apprehensions get the better of his faith?

Let us try to imagine what would have happened had Joshua continued northwest after crossing the Jordan, setting up camp for 600,000 Israelites on the ridge by Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, knowing that the land's inhabitants had completely lost their courage. There would have been no need to fight - was that God's intention?

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 44a) expounds upon the case of Achan taking booty for himself, and then the discussion continues: "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get you up (Joshua 7). R. Shila expounded this: The Holy One blessed be He, said to him: Your [transgression] is greater than theirs, for I commanded, when you cross the Jordan, that you shall set up [these stones]; but you advanced sixty mils however, [into the country before setting them up]."

According to R. Shila, Joshua was responsible for the sin that led to the defeat at Ai! The Gemara continues: "But when he [R. Shila] had gone out, Rav responded to what he had said: As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses (Joshua 11)." In other words, this verse demonstrates that Joshua fulfilled everything Moses had commanded - if so, he did not sin!

"What then do the words, Get thee up, teach us? - The Lord said to him, You have brought [guilt] upon them, and for that reason He said to him with reference to Ai: And thou shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, [only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall you take for a prey] (Joshua 8)."

The Talmudic discussion clarifies the cause for the misstep, why Achan took booty and all the Israelites were treated as embezzlers. One act of embezzlement led to failure in the battle at Ai and thirty-six deaths. The discussion clarifies the nature of Joshua's mistake and points to the failure to sacrifice the daily offering or to learn Torah. From here we learn that it is important to ensure that we do not forget our main mission even - or perhaps particularly - at time of war. We must think about why and for the sake of what we participate in war.

To summarize: The story of the spies teaches us as a community about the power of an edah; how much we should be aware of the danger of analysis of facts leading to the forgetting of goals. Therefore, every time we join together in a minyan to perform an act of sanctification we must count ten men and thus remind ourselves of those ten who erred and caused others to err; we must examine the goal of our gathering together.

This parasha teaches us how, as a spy, Joshua knew how to see further and escape the error of the majority. However, as a leader forty years later, even he did not necessarily know how to listen and how to glean as much information as possible from the report. He wondered and erred and thought that he must conquer. Regarding this it is said: He is lead on the path upon which he wants to walk until he understands his mistake.

Let us hope to learn not only to supply the needed information, but also and chiefly to analyze it properly.

Shlomo Fox teaches in Hebrew Union College, in Beit Shemuel, and in Kolot.

 

An Attitude of respect for the Land requires an Attitude of Respect for People

It has been taught, Said Rabbi Elazar ben Parta: Come and see, from the story of the spies, how great is the power of slander. If [such was the punishment] for the spies who slandered only trees and stones, then libel of one's fellow, all the more so!! As is written: The men died, those bringing a report of the land, an ill one- because of the slander of the land which they spoke.

(Yalkut Shimoni, Vayikra 14, 659)

 

And if Moses had Sent Women to Scout the Land?

He specifically mentioned [that] men [would be sent to scout the Land] because the Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni Pinhas 5773: 27) that the men hated the Land and [this is evident since the men] said let us make a leader and return to Egypt (Bamidbar 14:4), while the women loved the Land and said, give us a holding (27:4). And so, God said: To my mind, I see from future events that it would be better to send women who love the Land, for they would not speak badly of it. But [God told Moses]: [Send ] yourself [men] - that is, in accordance with your own opinion, for you think that they are fit and that they love the Land. [Go ahead!] Send men! That is why [it says] yourself, i.e., according to your opinion, but in My opinion, it would be better to send women.

(Kli Yakar Bamidbar 13:2)

 

The entire community lifted up and let out their voice, and the people wept on that night - Rava said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: That night was the ninth of Av. The Holy One, Blessed be He said to them: You cried for no good reason - I shall give you reason to weep for generations to come.

(Ta'anit 79a)

 

It is almost impossible to fully exhaust the significance of the fact that the people which merited that which no generation before and no generation thereafter merited - for the giving of the Torah was a one-time, never to re-occur event - that this generation in particular should fail totally, bringing about the nullification of the divine plan which included the promise to bring the nation to the promised land.

From this we derive that man, through his actions, can ruin the world, even notwithstanding the divine plan. The entire story of the generation which exited Egypt is replete with signs, omens, and revelation, yet all of these were unable to change man's nature, unable to bring him to faith, and certainly not to the reform of the entire nation. One incapable of recognizing his status before God and its ensuing commitments from within himself will never achieve this awareness through any external agent. This conclusion is valid not only with regard to the distant past, but also to the present and future; Divine supervision and all that is humanly perceived to be "the finger of God" cannot bring men to find their way even in political, national or social matters ... the correct path in management of the world, the state and society or the determination of historical courses of events. All these flow from human understanding, the reaching of conclusions and the making of decisions. Paths of action are never given man as a free-gift, through the medium of wondrous revelation, by supernatural means.

We do not belong to the generation of the desert which merited divine revelation; we belong to the generation of the wilderness which has no divine revelation. We do not know - we cannot know - what event or act has elements of "the finger of God" in the sense of divine intervention in historical processes. We cannot know which of these phenomena belong in the category of Olam k'minhago noheg - "the world acts in its usual way." We must beware the great and terrible danger of dependence upon that which seems to be "the finger of God", a dependence with potential for casting off responsibility from the shoulders of man and nation - the responsibility of determining their way according to their understanding and their accountability.

(Y. Leibowitz: Sheva Shanim Shel Sihot al Parshiyot haShavua, pp. 665-666)

 

 

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