| 1God spoke to Moses, saying, |
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אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: |
| 2“Send out men, if you wish, who will inspect Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You must send each man as a representative of his fathers’ tribe; every prince among them.” |
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בשְׁלַח לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֨רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם: |
| שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים - Send out men, if you wish. Why is the passage regarding the spies stated following the passage regarding Miriam, indicating a similarity in their offenses? Because she was punished for engaging in unnecessary speech about her brother instead of discussing the matter with him privately, and these wicked people saw this but did not take a lesson from it, publicly relating the conclusions of their mission to the entire nation. |
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שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים.
לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשַׁת מְרַגְּלִים לְפָרָשַׁת מִרְיָם? לְפִי שֶׁלָּקְתָה עַל עִסְקֵי דִבָּה, שֶׁדִּבְּרָה בְאָחִיהָ, וּרְשָׁעִים הַלָּלוּ רָאוּ וְלֹא לָקְחוּ מוּסָר (תנחומא):
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| שְׁלַח לְךָ - (lit.) Send for yourself - i.e., at your discretion; I am not commanding you, but if you wish, send. God said this because the Israelites came to Moses and said: “Let us send men ahead of us,” as it says: “All of you approached me….” Moses then consulted with the Divine Presence and He told him: “I already told them that the land is good, as it says: ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt…to a land flowing with milk and honey.’ By their lives, I swear that I will allow them to err because of the spies’ report, so they not inherit it.” |
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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):
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| 3Moses sent them out from the Paran desert with God’s permission. All of them were men of distinction; they were leaders of the Israelites. |
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גוַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם משֶׁ֛ה מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן עַל־פִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כֻּלָּ֣ם אֲנָשִׁ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽמָּה: |
| עַל־פִּי ה' - (lit.) According to God’s word - means here with His permission, that He did not stop him from doing so. |
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עַל־פִּי ה'.
בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא עִכֵּב עַל יָדוֹ:
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| כֻּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים - All of them were men of distinction. Wherever אֲנָשִׁים is stated in Scripture it denotes men of importance, for at that time, they were virtuous. |
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כֻּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים.
כָּל אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן חֲשִׁיבוּת, וְאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה כְּשֵׁרִים הָיוּ:
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| 4These were their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shamu’a son of Zakur. |
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דוְאֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֑ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֔ן שַׁמּ֖וּעַ בֶּן־זַכּֽוּר: |
| 5For the tribe of Simeon, Shafat son of Chori. |
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הלְמַטֵּ֣ה שִׁמְע֔וֹן שָׁפָ֖ט בֶּן־חוֹרִֽי: |
| 6For the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Yefuneh. |
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ולְמַטֵּ֣ה יְהוּדָ֔ה כָּלֵ֖ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּֽה: |
| 7For the tribe of Issachar, Yig’al son of Joseph. |
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זלְמַטֵּ֣ה יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר יִגְאָ֖ל בֶּן־יוֹסֵֽף: |
| 8For the tribe of Ephraim, Hosea son of Nun. |
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חלְמַטֵּ֥ה אֶפְרָ֖יִם הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נֽוּן: |
| 9For the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Rafu. |
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טלְמַטֵּ֣ה בִנְיָמִ֔ן פַּלְטִ֖י בֶּן־רָפֽוּא: |
| 10For the tribe of Zebulun, Gadi’el son of Sodi. |
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ילְמַטֵּ֣ה זְבוּלֻ֔ן גַּדִּיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־סוֹדִֽי: |
| 11For the other tribe of Joseph, the tribe of Manasseh, Gadi son of Susi. |
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יאלְמַטֵּ֥ה יוֹסֵ֖ף לְמַטֵּ֣ה מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה גַּדִּ֖י בֶּן־סוּסִֽי: |
| 12For the tribe of Dan, Ami’el son of Gemali. |
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יבלְמַטֵּ֣ה דָ֔ן עַמִּיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־גְּמַלִּֽי: |
| 13For the tribe of Asher, Setur son of Michael. |
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יגלְמַטֵּ֣ה אָשֵׁ֔ר סְת֖וּר בֶּן־מִֽיכָאֵֽל: |
| 14For the tribe of Naphtali, Nachbi son of Vofsi. |
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ידלְמַטֵּ֣ה נַפְתָּלִ֔י נַחְבִּ֖י בֶּן־וָפְסִֽי: |
| 15For the tribe of Gad, Ge’u’el son of Machi. |
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טולְמַטֵּ֣ה גָ֔ד גְּאוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־מָכִֽי: |
| 16These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to inspect the land, but Moses now formally changed the name of Hosea son of Nun to Joshua. |
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טזאֵ֚לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח משֶׁ֖ה לָת֣וּר אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ: |
| וַיִּקְרָא משֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ וגו' - Moses changed the name of Hosea…. i.e., Moses prayed for him: “May God save you (יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ) from the plan of the spies.” |
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וַיִּקְרָא משֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ וגו'.
הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלָיו יָהּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵעֲצַת מְרַגְּלִים (סוטה ל"ד):
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| 17Moses sent them to inspect Canaan, and he said to them, “Go up this way to the south, and climb up the mountain. |
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יזוַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֹתָם֙ משֶׁ֔ה לָת֖וּר אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם עֲל֥וּ זֶה֙ בַּנֶּ֔גֶב וַֽעֲלִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־הָהָֽר: |
| עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב - Go up this way to the south. It was the worst part of the Land of Israel. He told them to go there first, similar to what merchants do: first they show the inferior goods and later the better ones so as to leave a favorable impression. |
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עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב.
הוּא הָיָה הַפְּסֹלֶת שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכֵּן דֶּרֶךְ הַתַּגָּרִים מַרְאִין אֶת הַפְּסֹלֶת תְּחִלָּה, וְאֲחַר כַּךְ מַרְאִים אֶת הַשֶּׁבַח (תנחומא):
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| 18See what the effect of the land is on the people who inhabit it: are they strong or weak? Are they few or many? |
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יחוּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־הָעָם֙ הַיּשֵׁ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ הֶֽחָזָ֥ק הוּא֙ הֲרָפֶ֔ה הַמְעַ֥ט ה֖וּא אִם־רָֽב: |
| אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא - What the land is - He said this because there are lands that raise strong people and lands that raise weak people; lands that increase their population and lands that diminish their population. |
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אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא.
יֵשׁ אֶרֶץ מְגַדֶּלֶת גִּבּוֹרִים וְיֵשׁ אֶרֶץ מְגַדֶּלֶת חַלָּשִׁים, יֵשׁ מְגַדֶּלֶת אֻכְלוּסִין וְיֵשׁ מְמַעֶטֶת אֻכְלוּסִין:
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| הֶֽחָזָק הִוא הֲרָפֶה - Are they strong or weak?. He gave them a sign: If they dwell in open cities, it means they are strong and confident of their strength, but if they dwell in fortresses, it means they are weak. |
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הֶֽחָזָק הִוא הֲרָפֶה.
סִימָן מָסַר לָהֶם: אִם בִּפְרָזִים יוֹשְׁבִין, חֲזָקִים הֵם, שֶׁסּוֹמְכִין עַל גְּבוּרָתָם, וְאִם בְּעָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת הֵם יוֹשְׁבִין חַלָּשִׁים הֵם (שם):
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| 19And what of the land they inhabit: is it good or bad? And what of the cities they live in: are they living in open cities or in fortresses? |
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יטוּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ ישֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטוֹבָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַֽבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים: |
| הַֽבְּמַֽחֲנִים - Are they in open cities. Onkelos translates this as הַבְּפַצְחִין, i.e., cities that are exposed (פְּצוּחִין) and open, without a wall. |
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הַֽבְּמַֽחֲנִים.
תַּרְגּוּמוֹ "הַבְפַצְחִין", כְּרַכִּין פְּצוּחִין וּפְתוּחִין מֵאֵין חוֹמָה:
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| הֲטוֹבָה הוּא - Is it good? - i.e., with good and healthy springs and deep wells. |
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הֲטוֹבָה הוּא.
בְּמַעְיָנוֹת וּתְהוֹמוֹת טוֹבִים וּבְרִיאִים:
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| 20What is the soil like: is it rich or poor? Is there a tree in it, or not? And you must be courageous and take some of the fruit of the land.” It was the season when the first grapes begin to ripen. |
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כוּמָ֣ה הָ֠אָ֠רֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָ֨ה הִ֜וא אִם־רָזָ֗ה הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּ֥הּ עֵץ֙ אִם־אַ֔יִן וְהִ֨תְחַזַּקְתֶּ֔ם וּלְקַחְתֶּ֖ם מִפְּרִ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהַ֨יָּמִ֔ים יְמֵ֖י בִּכּוּרֵ֥י עֲנָבִֽים: |
| הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ - Is there a tree in it? - i.e., is there a virtuous individual among them who might protect them with his merit? |
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הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ.
אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם אָדָם כָּשֵׁר שֶׁיָּגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם בִּזְכוּתוֹ (עי' בבא בתרא ט"ו):
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| בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִֽים - are the days when the first-ripening grapes ripen. |
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בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִֽים.
יָמִים שֶׁהָעֲנָבִים מִתְבַּשְּׁלִין בְּבִכּוּר:
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