Midrasch zu Dewarim 1:36

(Numb. 13:2:) “Send men.” This text is related (to Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled; they were asleep in their slumber; nor did any of the valiant men lift a hand.” (Ibid.:) “The stout-hearted were despoiled,” namely Moses and Aaron.⁴Numb. R. 16:2. After they sent out the spies, these came and made an evil report about the land, and they did not know what to do. Actually, even Moses and Aaron were negligent [over the report]. Immediately Caleb stood up and silenced all those hosts,⁵Gk.: ochloi. as stated (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” He stood on a stool⁶Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had them become silent. Then he said to them, “Hush, hush.” So they became silent in order to hear from him. He said to them (in Numb. 14:7), “The land […] is very very good.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I am exceedingly grateful to Caleb.” It is so stated (in Deut. 1:36), “Except Caleb ben Jephunneh.” What is the meaning of “except (zwlty)?” This one is with Me (lzh wh'ty) (more) than sixty myriads of you. You did not find your hands (i.e., your courage); therefore you were indecisive. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled; [they were asleep in their slumber; nor did any of the valiant men lift a hand].” Why all this? Because they were foolish agents. It is with reference to them that Solomon has said (in Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.”

(Numb. 13:2:) SEND MEN TO EXPLORE…. This text is related (to Ps. 76:6 [5]): THE STOUT-HEARTED WERE DESPOILED; THEY WERE ASLEEP IN THEIR SLUMBER; NOR DID ANY OF THE VALIANT MEN LIFT A HAND. (Ibid.:) THE STOUT-HEARTED WERE DESPOILED, namely Moses and Aaron.⁴Tanh., Numb. 4:2; Numb. R. 16:2. After they sent out the spies, these came and made an evil report about the land. They did not know what to do. Actually, even Moses and Aaron were negligent over the report. Immediately Caleb stood up and silenced all those hosts,⁵Gk.: ochloi. as stated (in Numb. 13:30): THEN CALEB HUSHED <THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES>…. He stood on a stool⁶Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had them become silent. Then he said to them: [Has the son of Amram only done this to us?] So they became silent in order to hear from him. He said to them (in Numb. 14:7): THE LAND IS VERY VERY GOOD. The Holy One said to Moses: I am exceedingly grateful to Caleb, as stated (in Deut. 1:36): <NONE> EXCEPT CALEB BEN JEPHUNNEH. <HE SHALL SEE IT, AND TO HIM I WILL GIVE THE LAND…. > What is the meaning of EXCEPT (ZWLTY)? THIS MAN JOINING ME (ZH LWH 'TY) is <worth> more than sixty myriads of you. You did not find your hands (i.e., your courage); therefore you were indecisive. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 76:6 [5]): THE STOUT-HEARTED WERE DESPOILED; <THEY WERE ASLEEP IN THEIR SLUMBER; NOR DID ANY OF THE VALIANT MEN LIFT A HAND>. Why all this? Because they were foolish agents. [It is with reference to them that Solomon has said (in Prov. 26:6): THE ONE WHO SENDS A MESSAGE THROUGH A FOOL IS CUTTING OFF <HIS OWN> FEET AND DRINKING VIOLENCE.

(Numb. 13:16, cont.:) “Then Moses called Hoshea (hwsh') ben Nun, Joshua (yhwsh').” What reason did Moses see for adding a yod (i.e., a y) to Joshua's name?¹⁵Numb. R. 16:9; cf. Sanh. 107a; Gen. R. 47:1; Exod. R. 6:1. It is simply that Caleb had taken his reward from the land, as stated (in Deut. 1:36)), “to him will I gave the land on which he has trod.” But Joshua [received] the reward [that would have gone to the other] ten [spies], in that a yod [which stands for] ten was added to his name. (Numb. 13:16, cont.:) “Then Moses called Hoshea (hwsh') ben Nun, Joshua (yhwsh'). Another interpretation: When Moses saw that they were so very wicked, Moses said to him, “May the Lord (abbreviated to yh) save (ywshy') you from this evil generation.” (Numb. 13:16:) “These are the names of the men [whom Moses sent to spy out the land].” And what were their names?¹⁶Above, Exod. 1:1, and the notes there; Gen. R. 71:3; Numb. R. 16:10; cf. Sot. 34b. (Vss. 13–15:) “Sethur ben Michael. […] Nahbi ben Vophsi. […] Geuel ben Machi.” There are people whose names are handsome but whose deeds are ugly, [those whose] names are ugly but whose deeds are handsome, [those whose] names and deeds are handsome, [and those whose] names and deeds are ugly. [Those whose] names are handsome but whose deeds are ugly are Ishmael and Esau. Ishmael [means] "God hears"; Esau [means] "he does the will of his Maker.” [Those whose] names are ugly but whose deeds are handsome are those coming up out of exile: (According to Ezra 2:53 = Neh. 7:55), “The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera (cf. Jud. 4-5), the children of Temah.” But they built the Temple. [Those whose] names are handsome and whose deeds are handsome are the tribes (the sons of Jacob). [Those whose] names are ugly and whose deeds are ugly are the spies. What is written about them (in Numb. 13:13)? Sethur (rt.: str), in that they removed (rt.: str) God from the world.¹⁷Cf. Sot. 34b. Nahbi, in that he hid (hehbi) [God’s] words. (Numb. 13:17), “Then he said unto them, ‘Go up here into the Negeb.’” “Go up,” since [they are] a people who go up.¹⁸Numb. R. 16:11. (Numb. 13:17:) “When Moses sent them […] then he said unto them, ‘Go up here into the Negeb.” Why [first] into the Negeb?¹⁹Numb. R. 16:12. Because this is what the merchants do. They show the inferior goods first, and after that they show the best. (Vs. 18:) “And you are to see what the land is like.” Three times did Moses tell them, “look over the Land of Israel” (in vss. 18, 19, 20). Why? The first, he said, “See what the land is.” He said to them, “Observe the land. There is land that raises strong men, and there is [land] that raises weaklings. There is also [land] that raises armies,²⁰Gk.: Ochloi. and there is [land] that diminishes armies.” Thus did he charge them (in Numb. 13:18), “as for the people who dwell in it, are they mighty [or] weak?” (Numb. 13:19) “And what of the land, is it good or bad […]?” And how will you know about their strength? (Numb 13:19 cont.:) “Are they in camps or in strongholds.” If they dwell in camps, they are mighty and depend upon their strength; but if they are in strongholds, they are weak and have fearful hearts. (Numb. 13:20:) “And what of the land, Is it fertile or lean?” [How do we determine] whether its fruits are light or fat. He said to them, “Look at its stones and pebbles. If they are of flint, they are fat; and if they are of clay, they are lean.” (Ibid., cont.:) “Now the time was the time for the first-fruits of the grapes.” From here you learn that [the month of] Tammuz is never without figs and grapes.

2 This text is related (to Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled; they were asleep in their slumber.” (Ibid.) “The stout-hearted were despoiled,” namely Moses and Aaron. After they sent out the spies, these came and made an evil report about the land, and they did not know what to do. Actually, even Moses and Aaron were negligent [over the report]. Immediately Caleb stood up and silenced all those hosts,³Gk.: ochloi. as stated (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” He stood on a stool⁴Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had them become silent. Then he said to them, “Hush.” So they became silent in order to hear from him. He said to them (in Numb. 14:7), “The land […] is very very good.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I am exceedingly grateful to Caleb.” It is so stated (in Deut. 1:36), “Except Caleb ben Jephunneh.” What is the meaning of “except (zwlty)?” This one is with Me (lzh wh'ty) (more) than sixty myriads of you. You did not find your hands (i.e., your courage); therefore you stumbled. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled.” Why all this? Because they were foolish agents. It is with reference to them that Solomon has said (in Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.”

9 (Numb. 13:16, cont.) “Then Moses called Hoshea (hwsh') ben Nun, Joshua (yhwsh')”: What reason did Moses see for adding a yod (i.e., a y) to Joshua's name?⁹ Cf. Sanh. 107a; Gen. R. 47:1; Exod. R. 6:1. It is simply that Caleb had taken his reward from the land, as stated (in Deut. 1:36)), “to him will I gave the land on which he has trod.” But Joshua [received] the reward [that would have gone to the other] ten [spies], in that a yod [which stands for] ten was added to his name. (Numb. 13:16, cont.) “Then Moses called Hoshea (hwsh') ben Nun, Joshua (yhwsh'). Another interpretation: When Moses saw that they were so very wicked, Moses said to him, “May the Lord (abbreviated to yh) save (ywshy') you from this evil generation.”