After the incident of the spies, G‑d comforted the Jewish people by reminding them that their children would eventually enter and possess the Land of Israel. He did this by giving them some laws that would only apply once they would enter the land. The first of these laws was that their animal sacrifices would have to be accompanied by offerings of grain, oil, and wine.
Rectifying the Desire to Shirk Responsibility
כַּמִּסְפָּר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּכָה תַּעֲשׂוּ לָאֶחָד כְּמִסְפָּרָם: (במדבר טו:יב)
[G‑d instructed Moses to tell the Jewish people,] “In accordance with the number [of animals] you offer up, so must you present [offerings of grain, wine, and oil] for each one.” Numbers 15:12

G‑d gave the Jewish people specifically these laws because they counter the mistake of the spies. The spies wished to remain in the desert, studying the Torah without the distractions of material life. This one-sided focus on spirituality was similar to animal sacrifices, which ascended in smoke. In contrast, the oil and wine were poured down.

Thus, by instructing the Jewish people regarding the oil and wine offerings, G‑d was telling them that the period of their spiritual “incubation” in the desert would eventually come to an end. Their children’s entry into the Land of Israel would mark the Jewish people’s descent into the physical world, in order to fulfill the purpose of creation by transforming it into G‑d’s home.

Similarly, whenever we feel unprepared or reluctant to tackle life’s challenges, we should remind ourselves that our lives need to balance the need to rise above the world and the devotion to descend into it in order to refine and elevate it.1