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Shareוַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃
At the end of forty days they returned from scouting the land
וישבו מתור הארץ מקץ ארבעים יום. וַהֲלֹא,
אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה עַל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה הִיא,
וּמַהֲלַךְ אָדָם בֵּינוֹנִי עֶשֶׂר פַּרְסָאוֹת לַיּוֹם,
הֲרֵי מַהֲלַךְ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב
— וְהֵם הָלְכוּ אָרְכָּהּ וְרָחְבָּהּ?!
אֶלָּא שֶׁגָּלוּי לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה
שֶׁיִּגְזֹר עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה;
קִצֵּר לִפְנֵיהֶם אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ (שם):
AND THEY RETURNED FROM THE SEARCHING OF THE LAND AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS — But surely it was four hundred Parsangs (Persian miles) by four hundred Parsangs (Megillah 3a). And the journey of an average man is ten Parsangs a day (Pesachim 94a) and consequently it was a distance of forty days from east to west alone, whilst they traveled during that period along its length and breadth! But the fact is that it was manifest before the Holy One, blessed be He, that He would make a decree against them, "a day for a year" (cf. Numbers 14:34), therefore He shortened the road for them (i. e. He made them cover ground rapidly) (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 8).
rashi is asking how did the spies go so quickly becuase they seem to have traveled by twice the normal speed becuase the punishment is that the jews will stay in desert 1 day per year
the answer is becuase Hashem shortended their traveling
maybe becuase rashi had never been to the Israel he had bad info so he got his math wrong
or maybe he did get it right becuase it says square miles and he took into consideration south to north, east to west
Amah = 20 in.
Mil = 2000 Amot = 40,000 in. = 3,333 ft. = .63 miles
Parsah = 4 mil = 13,332 ft. = 2.5 miles
Land of Israel = 400 Parsah x 400 Parsah = 2.5 miles * 800 = 2,000 miles
2000 miles ÷ 40 days = 50 miles a day
Average person = 25 miles a day!
If Hashem wanted to lessen the punishment to the Jews, why couldn't he maintain the 80-day trip but shorten the punishment so that it would be one year for every two years of the trip? (יום לשנתיים.) Moreover, why did the punishment have to be יום לשנה at all? Why not just give them a 40-year punishment without regard to how long they were on the journey if that was the punishment they deserved?
Answer: there is an element of compassion becuase they could have had 80 years
They went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, and they made their report to them and to the whole community, as they showed them the fruit of the land.
וילכו ויבאו.
מַהוּ "וַיֵּלְכוּ?"
לְהַקִּישׁ הֲלִיכָתָן לְבִיאָתָן -
מַה בִּיאָתָן - בְּעֵצָה רָעָה,
אַף הֲלִיכָתָן - בְּעֵצָה רָעָה (שם ל"ה):
AND THEY WENT AND CAME [TO MOSES] — What is the force of “they went” (we have been informed that they had returned; why afterwards make any reference to their going on the journey)? It is intended to compare their “going” with their “coming" to Moses! How was their coming to Moses? With an evil plan! So, too, was their “going” on the journey with an evil plan (i.e. that when they were travelling they had already resolved to bring back an evil report)! (Sotah 35a).
Just like the spies went with an evil idea that is how they came back
נִמְצֵינוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁלִּסְבָרַת רַב יוֹסֵף מִצְוָה בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה מַצֶלֶת מִיֵּצֶר הָרַע, וְגַם לִסְבָרַת רָבָא לְתֵרוּץ ב' אִם הֶעָוֹן יְסוֹבֵב פֻּרְעָנִיּוֹת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה תָּגֵן עָלָיו הַמִּצְוָה מִמֶּנּוּ, וּלְזֶה בָּא הַכָּתוּב כָּאן לְתָרֵץ הֲקֻשִּׁי' הַנִּרְגֶּשֶׁת לָמָּה לֹא הַגִּנָּה עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּצְוָה שֶׁהָלְכוּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת מִצְוָה דִּכְתִיב וְיִשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה עַל פִּי ה' לְהַצִּילָם מֵהַפֻּרְעָנִיּוֹת אֲשֶׁר סוֹבֵב לָהֶם, וְאָמַר וְיֵלְכוּ וְיָבוֹאוּ פֵּרוּשׁ לְהַקִּישׁ הֲלִיכָתָם לְבִיאָתָם מָה בִּיאָתָם בְּעֵצָה רָעָה אַף כְּשֶׁהָלְכוּ בְּעֵצָה רָעָה אִם כֵּן אֵין כָּאן מִצְוָה כָּל עִקָּר וְאַדְּרַבָּא שְׁלוּחֵי עֲבֵרָה הֵם:
We have established that according to the view of Rav Yoseph a person is protected from the evil urge during the time he performs a מצוה. Rava also agrees that such a person is at least protected against the evil urge leading him into a sin which by itself leads to disaster for him in this life. This is why our verse here has to provide the answer to the emotional question why the מצוה the spies were engaged in did not protect them against falling victim to the evil urge to commit a sin which would lead to immediate disaster. After all, the Torah has written explicitly that they went at the command of G-d, through Moshe! This fact should have protected them from the disaster that overtook them. In order to explain this, the Torah wrote "וַיֵלְכוּ וַיָבֹאוּ," "they went and they came back," i.e. that their departure was not motivated by the desire to perform a מצוה, just as their return was not motivated by a desire to be שלוחי מצוה, men who had been delegated to perform a מצוה. On the contrary, their whole mission was one in which they they were engaged in being sinful. As a result the so-called מצוה the spies were engaged in by carrying out Moses' mission did not protect them against disaster.
Why would the Torah want to emphasize the consistency of the spies' misbehavior? Why is this an important element of the story for us to know or understand? (Answer according to the commentary of the Ohr Hachaim.)
one should not think that the miztva did not should sheiled them from the evil intent but rashi is pointing out how they were never actually performing a mitzva
וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃
This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; and also it is flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
זבת חלב ודבש הוא.
כָּל דְּבַר שֶׁקֶר
שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בּוֹ קְצָת אֱמֶת בִּתְחִלָּתוֹ,
אֵין מִתְקַיֵּם בְּסוֹפוֹ:
They stated this because no fabricated statement in which one does not say at least some true words at first can in the end be maintained
rashi says that when you lie you have to say a piece of truth so that the lie is believable
How Did the Spies Mess Up?
אֲשֶׁר שְׁלַחְתָּנוּ.
תְּחִלַּת דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ לְנִרְגָּן.
כִּי כָּךְ הָיָה לָהֶם לוֹמַר,
"אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' נוֹתֵן לָנוּ."
וְלֹא "אָשֵׁר שְׁלַחְתָּנוּ."
וַעֲדַיִן אֵינֶנָּה שֶׁלָּנוּ.
The beginning of their words were to grumble. For they should not have spoken to them like this. they said the land that they sent us not to the land that God gave us
To show that the spies didn't care about the land, a lack of connection.
וְהַבֵּט יְמִין וּרְאֵה כִּי הֵמָּה אָמְרוּ עָרִים גְּדוֹלִים וּבְצוּרוֹת מְאֹד. וּבְפָרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים (א כח), אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁהַמְּרַגְּלִים אָמְרוּ, "עָרִים גְּדוֹלוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם." וְלֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ "בַּשָּׁמַיִם," אֶלָּא שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הֵבִין מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּפִירָה בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כִּי אָמְרוּ "חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ." כִּבְיָכוֹל, אֲפִלּוּ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא כֵּלָיו מִשָּׁם (סוֹטָה לה.).
וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁחֹזֶק זֶה בָּא לָהֶם מִכּוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם, וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר "וּבְצוּרוֹת בְּשָׂמִים." שֶׁמַּזָּלָם שֶׁבַּשָּׂמִים חָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ כִּבְיָכוֹל, וּמִתְּחִלָּה לֹא אָמְרוּ כְּפִירָה זוֹ בְּפֵרוּשׁ, וְאָמְרוּ סְתָם "בְּצוּרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת מְאֹד," וְכַאֲשֶׁר בָּא כָּלֵב וְהִכְחִישׁ דִּבְרֵיהֶם, אָמְרוּ הַכְּפִירָה בְּפֵרוּשׁ - "כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ." וּמִסּוֹף דִּבְרֵיהֶם נִכָּר שֶׁרֹאשׁ דִּבְרֵיהֶם הָיָה גַּם כֵּן כְּפִירָה, וּכְאִלּוּ אָמְרוּ "וּבְצוּרוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם."
spies say that the walls were big but in deut. moshe says that the spies said that the walls were reaching to the spies
he is saying this because moshe understood that the spies were implying that they have built these walls as if to say that Hashem could not beat them because the walls are already in God's house and God can't beat them
The constalations are the other gods and thyeyy are fighting God but they might/are winning
However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there.
וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הִוא בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁצִּוָּה אוֹתָם לִרְאוֹת הַשְׁמָנָה הִיא אִם רָזָה הֵשִׁיבוּ לוֹ כִּי הִיא שְׁמֵנָה וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הִיא וְעַל שְׁאֵלָתוֹ הֲיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ אִם אַיִן הֵשִׁיבוּ לוֹ וְזֶה פְּרִיָּה כִּי כֵן צִוָּה אוֹתָם לְהַרְאוֹתוֹ וְהִנֵּה בְּכָל זֶה אָמְרוּ אֱמֶת וְהֵשִׁיבוּ עַל מָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ וְהָיָה לָהֶם לֵאמֹר שֶׁהָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ עַז וְהֶעָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת כִּי יֵשׁ לָהֶם לְהָשִׁיב אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְשׁוֹלְחָם כִּי כֵן צִוָּה אוֹתָם הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַבְּמַחֲנִים אִם בַּמִּבְצָרִים אֲבָל רִשְׁעָם בְּמִלַּת אֶפֶס שֶׁהִיא מוֹרָה עַל דָּבָר אֶפֶס וְנִמְנַע מִן הָאָדָם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּשׁוּם עִנְיָן כִּלְשׁוֹן הַאֲפֵס לָנֶצַח חַסְדּוֹ (תְּהִלִּים עז ט) וְאֵין עוֹד אֶפֶס אֱלֹהִים (יְשַׁעְיָהוּ מה יד) וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ לוֹ הָאָרֶץ שְׁמֵנָה וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ וְהַפְּרִי טוֹב אֲבָל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לבא אֲלֵיהֶם כִּי עַז הָעָם וְהֶעָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת גְּדֹלֹת מְאֹד וְגַם יְלִדֵי הָעֲנָק רָאִינוּ שָׁם:
the spies are saying that the land is good but it is ephes (but no chance) the walls and strength of the people will stop us (the jews) from conquering
