9
votes
Accepted
The Spies Mentioning Amalek
The impetus for the drasha in the medrash is specifically because the first nation the spies mentioned was amalek, and as the ikar sifsei chachamim explains why not mention the amori and chiti who ...
- 32.3k
9
votes
Accepted
38 years or 40 years in the desert?
The first Rashi in Parshat Masei mentions that Israel had 14 journeys during the first year until they arrived at Ritmah (which is Kadesh Barne'a). Then they wandered for 38 years where they had 20 ...
- 24.3k
8
votes
Why only sarei chamishim for spies?
The Ostrovtzer Rav in Me'ir Eynei Chachamim explains that a leader is imbued with the power of the group that he leads, in this case 50 people. He further notes that the Jewish people were blessed ...
- 1,319
7
votes
Accepted
Did the ten spies have a hidden agenda?
Yes, the Rebbe does explain like this and explains the mergalim's report and each of their claims and the response of Kalev and Yehoshua in this light.
It can be found in Likkutei Sichos Volume 4 pg ...
- 618
6
votes
Limud for Levi not being part of the spies
Sifsei Chachamim brings this question from Rabi Elazar Mizrachi who left it as a question.
The Sifsei Chachamim goes on to suggest that this limud is to tell us that Shevet Levi was not even ...
- 32.3k
6
votes
How old was Joshua at the time of the spies?
Sefer Hadoros & Zemach David says Yehoshua was born in 2406 and the story of the Meraglim was in 2449, making him 43 years old.
- 137k
6
votes
Source that the spies had prophecy
I have checked through all the mefarshim I could find and haven't seen any one of them comment that the meraglim saw prophetically that they wouldn't be the leaders in Eretz Yisroel. The closest I ...
- 625
6
votes
Accepted
Source that the spies had prophecy
Or perhaps, this is the simple reading of the Zohar.
I believe that this is the closest to the mark. We can quibble over whether it actually is the simplest and most straight-forward explanation of ...
- 3,417
5
votes
What Torah issur did the meraglim transgress?
The Torah states (Bamidbar 13:31):
But the men who went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
On this, our sages comment (Sotah 35a):
Rabbi ...
- 2,240
4
votes
Why pray for Y'hoshua and not Kalev?
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, my Rosh Yeshiva, explains this based on Targum Yonasan to Bamidbar 13:16: "When Moshe saw his humility, he changed his name." Why is humility a negative in this context? Moshe ...
- 33.4k
4
votes
Was Caleb a foreigner (Non-Isralite)?
Divrei Hayomim 2:18 says that Caleb was the son of Chetzron. Radak there says that this is Caleb ben Yefune. Radak says he was known as ben Yefune since he turned away from the Meraglim's blasphemy of ...
- 137k
4
votes
Why was Kalev allowed to lie to his co-spies?
Although we often invoke Midivar Shekker Tirchack as the Torah's command not to lie, it is not really a biblical prohibition. That pasuk is actually discussing beis din and witness. When the Gemara ...
- 4,623
4
votes
Accepted
Nephilim after the Flood
In Pirkei Derabbi Eliezer 23 it says that Og was the only survivor of the flood other than Noach and his family (and animals) as he hanged on to a ladder:
וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה חוץ מנח ...
- 11.2k
4
votes
Source that the spies had prophecy
So I looked through a number of mefarshim (commentaries) and there doesn't appear to be any reference to any prophecy. As you say, many mention this Zohar, but I think it would be fair to say that the ...
- 20.2k
3
votes
Why was Kalev allowed to lie to his co-spies?
The prime example given by the Talmud of an overriding reason to allow misleading statements is in the interest of maintaining peace (whether marital or otherwise). This would seem to be all the more ...
- 17.2k
3
votes
Limud for Levi not being part of the spies
The Gur Aryeh explains this Rashi.
He cites the question of Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi (the Re'em)
והקשה הרא״ם, דכבר כתיב בפרשת שלח (במדבר יג, ל-טו) שנים עשר אנשים, כל
אחד בשמו, ולא נכתב כלל אחד ...
- 4,343
3
votes
What is the difference in meaning between לתור and לחפר with regards to spying the land?
The Malbim in Sefer HaKarmel says that חפר is a more focused mission, an in-depth investigation into one location, as opposed to לתור, which is a scouting mission which sees the whole land but is not ...
- 57.4k
3
votes
Why were the Jews punished for 40 years if the spies were the ones who were there for 40 days?
The Kli Yakar on יום לשנה says that the punishment actually took place one day a year on Tish'a B'Av. Thus they were punished for "forty days" but the forty days were spread over 40 years. The ...
- 41.9k
3
votes
From where do we learn that women did not accept the report of the meragelim?
RaSh"I on Numbers 26:64 (thanks to Chabad.org)
- 7,343
3
votes
Why does G-d say He will destroy the Bnei Yisroel after the episode with the spies?
Excellent question! Avot D'Rav Natan ch. 9 Mishna 2 explains why. In summary, he states that that B'nai Yisra'el were tested 10 times (The Mishnah lists all 10) but they weren't punished for any of ...
- 68.9k
3
votes
What lie did the spies say?
Bamidbar - Numbers - Chapter 13
https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9941/jewish/Chapter-13.htm
וַיֹּצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר ...
- 1,120
3
votes
Levi tribe and the spies story investigation
I
Reuven and Gad did not request the land on the east of the yarden until after it had been conquered. See Matos 32:2 which has them asking Moshe and Elazar Hacohen (after the death of Aharon in the ...
- 41.9k
3
votes
Did G-d command or not on sending the spies?
Rashi in Shlach 13:2 explains that Bnai Yisrael had approached Moshe because they were supposed to conquer as a normal way of war. Thus, they asked to send men to determine which parts were most ...
- 41.9k
2
votes
Punishment of people who believed in the spies' report. How was it determined how long they should live?
Rashi to 14:33 says:
לא מת אחד מהם פחות מבן שישים, לכך נגזר ארבעים, כדי שיהיו אותם של בני עשרים מגיעין לכלל ששים.
Not one of them died before the age of sixty. This is why forty [years] was decreed, ...
- 22.8k
2
votes
Accepted
From where do we learn that women did not accept the report of the meragelim?
Kli Yakar (who cites Yalkut Shim'oni on Numbers 13:2:4):
ד"א לכך פרט אנשים, לפי שארז"ל (ילקו"ש פנחס תשעגכז) האנשים היו
שונאים את הארץ ואמרו נתנה ראש ונשובה מצרימה (במדבר יד.ד) והנשים היו
מחבבות ...
- 68.9k
2
votes
Accepted
In Breishit 15:16, is G-d implying to Avram about the sin of the spies?
The cogent explanation comes from Rashi's commentary on the passage; that is, Caleb represented the fourth generation that entered the land. In this regard, the commentary of the Jewish Publication ...
- 1,529
2
votes
Accepted
Machir entering Israel
The Gemara Bava Basra 121b states explicitely that Machir (and Yair) entered Israel. This very question of why he didn't die with the rest of the Dor Hamidbar because of the sin of the meraglim (spies)...
- 11.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Why did HaShem "need" the punishment to be a day for a year by the Meraglim?
I would argue that the premise of your question is slightly flawed. Rashi doesn't say that God was forced to do anything. What he says is that God knew that he would decree a punishment of a year per ...
- 48k
2
votes
What lie did the spies say?
The fact that the meraglim lied is stated in the passuk (Bamidbar 13:32) וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
Thus they spread calumnies among the ...
- 6,779
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