Midrasch zu Bamidbar 14:23

Another interpetation (of Numb. 13:2:) YOU YOURSELF SEND¹⁵Again the midrash requires this more literal translation. <MEN>. Even though the Holy One had said: YOU YOURSELF SEND <MEN>, it was not <the wish> of the Holy One for them to go.¹⁶Tanh., Numb. 4:5, cont.; see Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One had already told them <about> the superiority of the land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7): FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS BRINGING YOU UNTO A GOOD LAND. And so it says (in Deut. 11:10–11): FOR THE LAND INTO WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO POSSESS…. <BUT THE LAND INTO WHICH YOU ARE CROSSING TO POSSESS IS A LAND OF MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. IT DRINKS WATER FROM THE RAIN OF HEAVEN.> Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8): I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM <OUT OF THE HAND OF THE EGYPTIANS AND TO BRING THEM UP OUT OF THAT LAND> [UNTO A GOOD <AND SPACIOUS> LAND….] So what is the point of <saying> (in Numb. 13:2): YOU YOURSELF SEND <MEN>? It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached <Israel's> borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21): SEE, THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS SET THE LAND BEFORE YOU. At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22): THEN YOU ALL DREW NEAR UNTO ME AND SAID: LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>…. This is what Ezra¹⁷See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17): SO THEY REFUSED TO LISTEN AND WERE UNMINDFUL OF {HIS} [YOUR] WONDERS…. Now it says (in Numb. 10:33): AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD TRAVELED AHEAD OF THEM … TO SEEK OUT A RESTING PLACE FOR THEM. {However} [And] they said (in Deut. 1:22): LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>…. {Is it not that they did not believe in his Torah?} [It is simply that they did not believe in his Torah.] And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:22): THEY DID NOT BELIEVE {IN HIS TORAH} [IN GOD]…. R. Joshua says: To what were they comparable: To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him: I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world. The son said to him: Let me go to see her, for he did not believe in his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father. His father said: What shall I do? If I say to him: I am not showing her to you, then he will say: She is ugly. For that reason he did not want to show her. Finally he said to him: Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not believe in me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son. Now similarly did the Holy One say to Israel: <The land> is good, but they did not believe in him. They said (in Deut. 1:22): LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US>. The Holy One said: If I prevent them, they will say: The land is no good. For <that reason> he has not shown it to us. The Holy One said: They will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23): SURELY THEY SHALL NOT SEE THE LAND…. Instead I am giving it to their children.

7 Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself”: Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses, “Send men for yourself,” it was not [the wish] of the Holy One, blessed be He, for them to go.⁷See Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had already told them [about] the superiority of the Land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7), “For the Lord your God is bringing you unto a good land.” Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians [and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land].” And Scripture states (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went in front of them by day […].” So what is the point of [saying] (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men?” It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached [Israel's] borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21), “See, the Lord your God has set the land before you, [go and possess…].” At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22), “Then you all drew near unto me [and said, ‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’].” This is what Ezra⁸See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17), “So they refused to listen and were unmindful of Your] wonders.” Now it says (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them […].” And [yet] they said (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us.” [It is simply] that they did not believe. And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:10), “and they refused to follow His Torah.” R. Joshua says, “To what were they comparable? To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him, ‘I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world.’ The son said to him, ‘Let me go to see her,’ for he did not trust his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father and it was bad for him. His father said, ‘What shall I do? If I say to him, “I am not showing her to you,” then he will say, “She is ugly. For that reason he did not want to show her.’” Finally he said to him, ‘Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not trust me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son.’ Now similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The land is good,’ but they did not believe [Him]. They said (in Deut. 1:22), ‘Let us send men ahead of us.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If I prevent them, they will say, “The land is no good. For that reason He has not shown it to us.” Rather, they will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it, but rather [only] their children.’ Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23), ‘Surely they shall not see the land […].’ Rather I shall give it to your children.”