שלח

We observe a distinction and differentiation between what Moses our Teacher commanded when he sent the spies to explore the land and what they reported upon their return. This is elucidated in the verses:

"And Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan, and he said to them, 'Go up this way by the south, and go up into the mountain, and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they dwell in, whether in camps or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein or not. And be of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.' Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes." (Numbers 13:17-20)

When they returned to him, it is written: "And they told him, and said, 'We came unto the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very great; and moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwells in the land of the south; and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea, and by the side of the Jordan.'" (Numbers 13:27-29)

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, and he contradicted their words, saying, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." (Numbers 13:30)

But the spies raised their voices in protest, saying, "We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." And they spread an evil report of the land which they had explored to the children of Israel, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to explore it, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." (Numbers 13:31-33)

At first glance, the spies seemed to answer truthfully according to the questions posed to them. However, upon deeper examination of what Moses commanded them to investigate upon entering the land of Canaan, it becomes clear that the primary request of Moses was to examine and explore the land itself. The spies, however, focused mainly on the people dwelling there, contrasting with Caleb's words, which aligned with Moses' original intent.

This distinct difference, arising from the examination of the scriptures, teaches us that the great failure was not in the report itself but in the intention behind it.