Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 13

1The Lord spoke to Moses saying,   אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
2"Send out for yourself men who will scout the Land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send one man each for his father's tribe; each one shall be a chieftain in their midst."   בשְׁלַח לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֨רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם:
Send for yourself men Why is the section dealing with the spies juxtaposed with the section dealing with Miriam? Because she was punished over matters of slander, for speaking against her brother, and these wicked people witnessed [it], but did not learn their lesson. — [Midrash Tanchuma Shelach 5]   שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים  לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשַׁת מְרַגְּלִים לְפָרָשַׁת מִרְיָם? לְפִי שֶׁלָּקְתָה עַל עִסְקֵי דִבָּה, שֶׁדִּבְּרָה בְאָחִיהָ, וּרְשָׁעִים הַלָּלוּ רָאוּ וְלֹא לָקְחוּ מוּסָר (תנחומא):
Send for yourself According to your own understanding. I am not commanding you, but if you wish, you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moses] and said, “Let us send men ahead of us,” as it says, “All of you approached me…” (Deut. 1:22), Moses took counsel with the Shechinah . He [God] said, “I told them that it is good, as it says, ‘I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt…’ (Exod. 3:17). By their lives! Now I will give them the opportunity to err through the words of the spies, so that they will not inherit it.” - [Midrash Tanchuma 5]   שְׁלַח לְךָ  לְדַעְתְּךָ, אֲנִי אֵינִי מְצַוֶּה לְךָ, אִם תִּרְצֶה שְׁלַח; לְפִי שֶׁבָּאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמְרוּ נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כֻּלְּכֶם" וְגוֹ' (דברים א'), וּמֹשֶׁה נִמְלַךְ בִּשְׁכִינָה, אָמַר, אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם שֶׁהִיא טוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מֵעֳנִי מִצְרַיִם" וְגוֹ' (שמות ג'), חַיֵּיהֶם שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹתֵן לָהֶם מָקוֹם לִטְעוֹת בְּדִבְרֵי מְרַגְּלִים, לְמַעַן לֹא יִירָשׁוּהָ (תנחומא):
3So Moses sent them from the desert of Paran by the word of the Lord. All of them were men of distinction; they were the heads of the children of Israel.   גוַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם משֶׁ֛ה מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן עַל־פִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כֻּלָּ֣ם אֲנָשִׁ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽמָּה:
by the word of the Lord With his consent; He did not stop him.   עַל־פִּי ה'  בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא עִכֵּב עַל יָדוֹ:
All of them were men of distinction Whenever [the word] אִנָשִׁים [is used] in Scripture, it denotes importance. At that time, they were virtuous. — [Mid. Tanchuma 4]   כֻּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים  כָּל אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן חֲשִׁיבוּת, וְאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה כְּשֵׁרִים הָיוּ:
4These are their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zakkur.   דוְאֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֑ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֔ן שַׁמּ֖וּעַ בֶּן־זַכּֽוּר:
5For the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.   הלְמַטֵּ֣ה שִׁמְע֔וֹן שָׁפָ֖ט בֶּן־חוֹרִֽי:
6For the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jepphunneh.   ולְמַטֵּ֣ה יְהוּדָ֔ה כָּלֵ֖ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּֽה:
7For the tribe of Issachar, Yigal the son of Joseph.   זלְמַטֵּ֣ה יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר יִגְאָ֖ל בֶּן־יוֹסֵֽף:
8For the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.   חלְמַטֵּ֥ה אֶפְרָ֖יִם הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נֽוּן:
9For the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.   טלְמַטֵּ֣ה בִנְיָמִ֔ן פַּלְטִ֖י בֶּן־רָפֽוּא:
10For the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.   ילְמַטֵּ֣ה זְבוּלֻ֔ן גַּדִּיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־סוֹדִֽי:
11For the tribe of Joseph, for the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.   יאלְמַטֵּ֥ה יוֹסֵ֖ף לְמַטֵּ֣ה מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה גַּדִּ֖י בֶּן־סוּסִֽי:
12For the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.   יבלְמַטֵּ֣ה דָ֔ן עַמִּיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־גְּמַלִּֽי:
13For the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.   יגלְמַטֵּ֣ה אָשֵׁ֔ר סְת֖וּר בֶּן־מִֽיכָאֵֽל:
14For the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.   ידלְמַטֵּ֣ה נַפְתָּלִ֔י נַחְבִּ֖י בֶּן־וָפְסִֽי:
15For the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.   טולְמַטֵּ֣ה גָ֔ד גְּאוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־מָכִֽי:
16These are the names of the men Moses sent to scout the Land, and Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.   טזאֵ֚לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח משֶׁ֖ה לָת֣וּר אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ:
And Moses called Hoshea… He prayed on his behalf, “May God save you from the counsel of the spies.” [The name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ is a compounded form of יָהּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ, May God save you.]- [Sotah 34b]   וַיִּקְרָא משֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ וגו'  הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלָיו יָהּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵעֲצַת מְרַגְּלִים (סוטה ל"ד):
17Moses sent them to scout the Land of Canaan, and he said to them, "Go up this way in the south and climb up the mountain.   יזוַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֹתָם֙ משֶׁ֔ה לָת֖וּר אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם עֲל֥וּ זֶה֙ בַּנֶּ֔גֶב וַֽעֲלִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־הָהָֽר:
Go up this way in the south This was the inferior part of the Land of Israel. This is the custom of merchants; they show their inferior goods first and afterward display their best. — [Midrash Tanchuma 6]   עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב  הוּא הָיָה הַפְּסֹלֶת שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכֵּן דֶּרֶךְ הַתַּגָּרִים מַרְאִין אֶת הַפְּסֹלֶת תְּחִלָּה, וְאֲחַר כַּךְ מַרְאִים אֶת הַשֶּׁבַח (תנחומא):
18You shall see what [kind of] land it is, and the people who inhabit it; are they strong or weak? Are there few or many?   יחוּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־הָעָם֙ הַיּשֵׁ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ הֶֽחָזָ֥ק הוּא֙ הֲרָפֶ֔ה הַמְעַ֥ט ה֖וּא אִם־רָֽב:
what [kind of] land it is Some countries rear strong people, and some countries rear weak [people]; some produce large populations and some small populations. — [Mid. Tanchuma 6]   אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא  יֵשׁ אֶרֶץ מְגַדֶּלֶת גִּבּוֹרִים וְיֵשׁ אֶרֶץ מְגַדֶּלֶת חַלָּשִׁים, יֵשׁ מְגַדֶּלֶת אֻכְלוּסִין וְיֵשׁ מְמַעֶטֶת אֻכְלוּסִין:
are they strong or weak He gave them a sign. If they live in open cities [it is a sign that] they are strong, since they rely on their might. And if they live in fortified cities [it is a sign that] they are weak. — [Mid. Tanchuma 6]   הֶֽחָזָק הִוא הֲרָפֶה  סִימָן מָסַר לָהֶם: אִם בִּפְרָזִים יוֹשְׁבִין, חֲזָקִים הֵם, שֶׁסּוֹמְכִין עַל גְּבוּרָתָם, וְאִם בְּעָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת הֵם יוֹשְׁבִין חַלָּשִׁים הֵם (שם):
19And 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?   יטוּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ ישֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטוֹבָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַֽבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים:
are they in camps Heb. הַבְּמַחֲנִים, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders, הַבְּפַצְחִין, cities which are exposed and open, unwalled.   הַֽבְּמַֽחֲנִים  תַּרְגּוּמוֹ "הַבְפַצְחִין", כְּרַכִּין פְּצוּחִין וּפְתוּחִין מֵאֵין חוֹמָה:
is it good possessing springs and other good and healthy water sources.   הֲטוֹבָה הוּא  בְּמַעְיָנוֹת וּתְהוֹמוֹת טוֹבִים וּבְרִיאִים:
20What 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.   כוּמָ֣ה הָ֠אָ֠רֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָ֨ה הִ֜וא אִם־רָזָ֗ה הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּ֥הּ עֵץ֙ אִם־אַ֔יִן וְהִ֨תְחַזַּקְתֶּ֔ם וּלְקַחְתֶּ֖ם מִפְּרִ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהַ֨יָּמִ֔ים יְמֵ֖י בִּכּוּרֵ֥י עֲנָבִֽים:
does it have trees Heb. הִיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ, lit,. does it have a tree. Does it have a worthy man who will protect them with his merit. - [B.B. 15a]   הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ  אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם אָדָם כָּשֵׁר שֶׁיָּגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם בִּזְכוּתוֹ (עי' בבא בתרא ט"ו):
when the first grapes begin to ripen The season in which the grapes begin to ripen, in their first stage of growth.   בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִֽים  יָמִים שֶׁהָעֲנָבִים מִתְבַּשְּׁלִין בְּבִכּוּר: