Midrasch zu Dewarim 1:23

(Numb. 13:2:) “Send men for yourself.”⁸The midrash here understands the verse in this more literal sense. This text is related (to Prov. 10:26), “Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy person to those who send him.” The spies were mighty ones, in that they spoke evil speech against the land, as stated (in Jer. 9:2), “For they have bent their tongues as a bow of falsehood, [and it is not for truth that they have grown mighty in the land.]” To what is the matter comparable?⁹Numb. R. 16:4. To a wealthy man who had a vineyard. Whenever he saw that the wine was good, he would say to his tenants, “Put it in my house”; but whenever he saw that it was sour, he would say to his tenants, “Put it in your houses.” So also here. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the elders were worthy, he called them in His own name, as stated (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather me seventy men [from the elders of Israel].” When He saw that the spies were going to sin, he called them by Moses' name, as stated (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself.” (Numb. 13:2:) “Send men.” This text is related (to Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.” And were the spies fools? And has it not already been stated (in Numb. 13:2) “Send men (anashim).” And in every place that anashim is used, the men are righteous. Where is this shown? For so it says (in Exod. 17:9), “Then Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men (anashim) for us.’”¹⁰Numb. R. 16:5. And so it says (in I Sam. 17:12), “and in the days of Saul the man (Jesse) had come to an elderly age among men (anashim).” And so it [also] says (in I Sam. 1:11), “and if you grant your handmaid the seed of men (anashim).” Now you are calling these [spies] fools (as in Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool?” But these were only called fools because they had uttered malicious slander against the land, as stated (in Prov. 10:18), “and the one who utters slander is a fool.” But nevertheless they had [once] been great human beings, although they had made themselves foolish. So it is on account of them that Moses says (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation, children with no loyalty to them.” Thus they were chosen from all of Israel at the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the command of Moses, as stated (in Deut. 1:23), “Now the plan seemed good in My eyes; so I took [twelve men (anashim)] from you, one for each tribe.” From where do you say that they were righteous? See that Moses did not want to send them until he had consulted with the Holy One, blessed be He, over each and every one. When he had said [for each one], “So-and-so from such-and-such tribe,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “They are acceptable.” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 13:3), “So Moses sent them from the Desert of Paran at the command of the Lord.” Then after that, at the end of forty days, they changed and made all that trouble. So they caused that generation to be afflicted with that punishment, as stated (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation.” Because when they were chosen, [they were] righteous. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 13:2, 16), “Send men for yourself […]. And these are the names of the men (anashim).”

[(Numb. 13:2:) SEND PEOPLE (anashim).]¹⁰Although the context of Numb. 13:2 shows that the anashim were all males, in a wider context anashim refers to both genders. In every place that anashim is used, the people are righteous, [for so it says (in Exod. 17:9): THEN MOSES SAID TO JOSHUA: CHOOSE MEN (anashim) FOR US.]¹¹Tanh., Numb. 4:4, cont.; Numb. R. 16:5. And so it says (in I Sam. 17:12): AND IN THE DAYS OF SAUL THE MAN (Jesse) HAD COME TO AN ELDERLY AGE AMONG HUMANS (anashim). And similarly does Hannah say (in I Sam. 1:11): AND IF YOU GRANT YOUR HANDMAID HUMAN (anashim) OFFSPRING. Now you are calling these <spies> fools (in Prov. 26:6): THE ONE WHO SENDS A MESSAGE THROUGH A FOOL! But these were only called fools because they had uttered malicious slander against the land, as stated (in Prov. 10:18): AND THE ONE WHO UTTERS SLANDER IS A FOOL. But nevertheless they had <once> been great human beings, although they had made themselves foolish. So it is on account of them that Moses says (in Deut. 32:20): FOR THEY ARE A PERVERSE GENERATION…. Thus they were chosen from all of Israel at the command of the Holy One and at the command of Moses, as stated (in Deut. 1:23): NOW THE PLAN SEEMED GOOD IN MY EYES; SO I TOOK <TWELVE MEN (anashim)> FROM YOU, <ONE FOR EACH TRIBE>. {Where is it shown?} [Hence] you <can> say that they were righteous in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of Moses. In addition Moses did not want to send them until he had consulted with the Holy One over each and every one. [When he had said <for each one>:] So-and-so from [such-and-such tribe], the Holy One said to him: They are acceptable. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 13:3): SO MOSES SENT THEM FROM THE DESERT OF PARAN AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD; [THEY ALL WERE PEOPLE (anashim) WHO WERE THE HEADS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]. Then after that, at the end of forty days, they changed and made all that trouble. So they caused that generation to be afflicted with that punishment, as stated (in Deut. 32:20): FOR THEY ARE A PERVERSE GENERATION. Because when they were chosen, <they were> righteous. [Then they changed.] It is therefore stated (in Numb. 13:2): SEND PEOPLE (anashim).

(Num. 13, 2) Send thou out some men that they may spy out. Said Resh Lakish: "Send thou out, it is of your own choice; for is there anyone who would select a bad portion for himself, and this is the meaning of the passage (Deut. 1, 23) And the thing was pleasing in my eyes; upon which Resh Lakish said: 'In my eyes but not in the eyes of God.'" (Ib., ib. 22) That they may search out for us the land. Said R. Chiya in the name of R. Jochanan: "The spies meant nothing else but to disgrace the land of Israel; for it is written here [v'yachperu], that they may search out for us the land, and it is also written (Is. 24, 23) And the moon shall be put to blush [V'chofra] and the sun be mad ashamed." (Num. 13, 4) And these are their names of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua, the son of Zakkur. Said R. Isaac: "We have a tradition from our forefathers, that the spies were named in accordance with their acts. However, we know of the explanation of only one of them, Shethur, the son of Michael. This means (Shethor) who tried to upset the work of the Holy One, praised be He; Michael, who caused his enemy by his actions to weaken, i.e., who caused the belief in the belief in God to weaken." R. Jochanan said: "We also are able to explain one name, Nachbi, the son of Vaphsi. Nachbi, means who concealed the true words of the Holy One, praised be He, [through bringing a false report against the land of Israel]; Vaphsi, who stepped upon the ways of the Holy One, praised be He."

5 This text is related (to Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.” And were the spies fools? And has it not already been stated (in Numb. 13:2) “Send men (anashim).” And in every place that anashim is used, the men are righteous. Where is this shown? For so it says (in Exod. 17:9), “Then Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men (anashim) for us.’” And so it says (in I Sam. 17:12), “and in the days of Saul the man (Jesse) had come to an elderly age among men (anashim).” And so it [also] says (in I Sam. 1:11), “and if you grant your handmaid the seed of men (anashim).” Now you are calling these [spies] fools? But these were only called fools because they had uttered malicious slander against the land, as stated (in Prov. 10:18), “and the one who utters slander is a fool.” But nevertheless they had [once] been great human beings, although they had made themselves foolish. So it is on account of them that Moses says (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation, children with no loyalty to them.” Thus they were chosen from all of Israel at the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the command of Moses, as stated (in Deut. 1:23), “Now the plan seemed good in My eyes; so I took [twelve men (anashim)] from you.” From here [we see] that they were righteous in front of Israel and in front of Moses. And even Moses did not want to send them until he had consulted with the Holy One, blessed be He, over each and every one. When he had said [for each one], “So-and-so from such-and-such tribe,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “They are acceptable.” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 13:3), “So Moses sent them from the Desert of Paran at the command of the Lord.” Then after that, at the end of forty days, they changed and made all that trouble. So they caused that generation to be afflicted with that punishment, as stated (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation.” Because when they were chosen, [they were] righteous, and then they changed. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 13:2, 16), “Send men for yourself […]. And these are the names of the men (anashim).”

(Devarim 1:23) "And the thing was good in my eyes": but not in the eyes of the Holy One Blessed be He. But if it was good in his eyes, why is it included in his rebuke? An analogy: A man says to his neighbor: Will you sell me this ass? The other: Yes. The man: Will you let me try it out? The other: Yes, come and I will show you how much it can carry on the mountain and how much it can carry in the valley. When the man saw that the other impeded him in no way, he said: Take your money. This is the intent of "the thing was good in my eyes" (i.e., to "try out," etc. [but it was not good that they asked]).

(Bamidbar 11:1) "And the people were ['vayehi'] as seekers of a pretext": "vayehi" connotes return to a previous condition, i.e., they were perverse to begin with, and they reverted to their original perversity. "And the people": "the people" connotes the wicked ones, as in (Shemot 17:4) "What can I do to this people?", (Bamidbar 14:4) "How long will this people provoke Me?" (Jeremiah 13:10) "this evil people who refuse to hear My words." And when He calls them "My people," this connotes the upright ones, as in (Shemot 7:16) "Send My people and let them serve Me," (Michah 6:3) "My people, what (wrong) did I do to you, and how did I tire you? Testify against Me!", (Ibid. 5) "My people, remember now, etc." And the people were kemithonenim": "mithonenim" connotes "grumblers," seekers of a pretest to abandon the L-rd, as in the instance of Yoram the son of Achav, viz. (II Kings 5:7) "Know now and see that he seeks a pretext (mithaneh) against me," and in the instance of Samson, viz. (Judges 14:4) "for he was seeking a pretext (toanah) against the Philistines." R. Eliezer says: "kemithonenim" connotes "blows," as in (Proverbs 26:22) "The words of the grumbler are like blows," and in (Devarim 1:23) "And you 'grumbled' in your tents." What is "blows" (in our context)? They were as strikers of blows, but a "knife" descended from heaven and split their innards, viz. (Proverbs, Ibid.) "and they descend to the recesses of the stomach." R. Yehudah says: "kemithonenim" connotes those who afflict themselves, as in (Devarim 26:19) "I did not eat in my mourning (be'oni) of it." Rebbi says: "kemithonenim ra [evil]": "evil" (in this context) is idolatry, as in (Devarim 31:29) "for you will do evil in the eyes of the L-rd." "in the ears of the L-rd": We are hereby taught that Israel deliberately intended to have Him hear (their words). R. Shimon says: An analogy: A man is cursing the king, when the king passes by. They tell him: Hush! the king might hear! And he says: Who told you that I don't want him to hear! So, (in this instance) Israel wanted the L-rd to hear. He heard and His wrath burned in them. "and the fire of the L-rd burned in them": Fire descended from heaven and "rained blows" upon them until they could not tell the difference between the living and the dead. But whom did the fire strike first? — "and it (the fire) devoured 'biktzei' of the camp." Some say (this refers to) the proselytes, who were muktzim ("cast off") in the end ("katzeh") of the camp. R. Shimon b. Menassia says: "and it devoured 'biktzei' of the camp": in the ketzinim, (their officers), their great men, as in (Judges 11:11) "and the people set him as a leader and a chief (katzin) over them."