שלח

Caleb was granted a portion in the Land of Israel, and even before entering the land, Joshua and Caleb were destined to inherit it. This was due to their merit while being there. Joshua earned this merit because he remained close to Moses our teacher, who saw that Joshua was worthy due to his presence in the tent, and Moses prayed for him, saying, "May God save you from the counsel of the spies." Through this prayer, Joshua was saved from following their advice. As for Caleb, the scripture testifies about him: "But My servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit with him and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it" (Numbers 14:24).

It is recounted in the Book of Joshua that Caleb indeed claimed what was promised to him, as it is written: "Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, 'You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, "Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God." And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.' And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (Joshua 14:6-14).

Regarding Moses' promise to Caleb, it is written: "Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, he shall see it, and to him I will give the land on which he has trodden, and to his children, because he has wholly followed the Lord" (Deuteronomy 1:36).

Concerning Caleb's journey to Hebron, it is stated in the Zohar in our portion: [Zohar] "And they went up into the South, and he came to Hebron" (Numbers 13:22). It should have said "they came," in the plural. Rabbi Yose said: Caleb alone went to pray at the graves of the Patriarchs. Caleb said, "Joshua is blessed by Moses, and his blessing will surely protect him from joining their evil counsel. What should I do? I will seek advice to pray at the graves of my ancestors so that I may be saved from their evil counsel." [Zohar]

The matter is also explained in the Talmud: "And they went up into the South, and he came to Hebron" (Numbers 13:22). Rava said: This teaches that Caleb separated himself from the counsel of the spies and went to prostrate himself on the graves of the Patriarchs. He said to them, 'My fathers, pray for mercy on my behalf that I may be saved from the counsel of the spies.' Joshua had already been prayed for by Moses, as it is written: 'And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua' (Numbers 13:16), meaning 'May God save you from the counsel of the spies'" (Sotah 34b).