Commentaire sur Les Nombres 13:27

זבת חלב ודבש [WE CAME INTO THE LAND … AND SURELY] IT FLOWETH WITH MILK AND HONEY — They stated this because no fabricated statement in which one does not say at least some true words at first can in the end be maintained (Sotah 35a).

AND SURELY IT FLOWETH WITH MILK AND HONEY. Since Moses had commanded them to see what the Land is, whether it is fat or lean²⁴Further, Verse 20. the spies reported to him that it is fat, and surely it floweth with milk and honey. And in answer to his question whether there are trees therein or not²⁴Further, Verse 20. they reported to him, and this is its fruit⁵²In Verse 27 before us. for so he had commanded them, to show it to him.²⁴Further, Verse 20. Now in all this they said the truth, and gave a report about those matters which they had been commanded [to find out],⁵³Verses 27-28. therefore they should [indeed] have said [as in fact they did] that the people that dwell in the Land are fierce and the cities are fortified;⁵³Verses 27-28. for it was their duty to bring back words of truth to them that sent them,⁵⁴Proverbs 22:21. and Moses had commanded them [to see] whether they are strong or weak,⁵⁵Verse 18. [and what cities they are that they dwell in], whether in camps, or in strongholds.⁵⁶Verse 19. But the wickedness of the spies consisted in saying the word ephes [“nevertheless” — ‘Nevertheless’ the people that dwell in the Land are fierce],⁵³Verses 27-28. which signifies something negative and beyond human capability, something impossible of achievement, under any circumstances, similar to the expressions: ‘Ha’aphes’ lanetzach chasdo (Is His mercy ‘clean gone’ for ever?);⁵⁷Psalms 77:9. The thought implied is clear: It is impossible to think that His mercy has been withdrawn forever. and there is none else; ‘ephes’ (there is no other) G-d.⁵⁸Isaiah 45:14. Here too, the thought suggested is abundantly clear: It is inconceivable that there is another deity beside the true One G-d. Thus the spies told Moses that the Land is fertile and surely it floweth with milk and honey⁵³Verses 27-28. and the fruits are good, but it is impossible to fight against the people because they are fierce, and the cities are fortified, and very great; and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.⁵³Verses 27-28.

וגם זבת חלב ודבש היא; not only is it a good land, but it deserves the superlative “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The land yields its bounty without man having to engage in backbreaking labour. It produces abundantly in all areas of agriculture and cattle breeding.

ויספרו לו, They told him, etc. The Torah specifies: "to him" instead of to them, i.e. Moses and Aaron. The trick the spies played on Moses was that whereas ostensibly they addressed their words to Moses, they ensured that the whole community could hear them at the same time. The Torah teaches us this nuance by adding ויאמרו without the suffix "to him"; in this way we would understand that they made sure the people would hear what they had to say.

וגם זבת חלב ודבש, “and it does flow with milk and honey.” Nachmaides writes that the word וגם “and also,” is in response to Moses having instructed the spies to find out if the land was “fat” or “lean” as well as to the question “does the country have trees or not?” The answer to the latter question was: “and this is its fruit.” Up until this point the spies reported the truth, replying to the questions that they had been asked to find out about. They should have continued to report that the people dwelling on the land were indeed stout hearted, and that they lived in fortified towns as Moses had also wanted to find out if the people were stout -hearted or weak willed. Their wickedness was displayed when they added the gratuitous word אפס, which is a term that introduces a contrary diminutive element, nullifying something that had been said before. It is a word that describes man’s impotence to carry out his plans; we find this word in Psalms 77,9 האפס לנצח חסדו, גמר אומר לדור ודור, “Has His faithfulness disappeared forever?” Will His promise be unfulfilled for all times?” By the use of this word they negated their previous statements about the excellence of the land into the reverse by proclaiming that their chances to conquer that land were nil,אפס .

Some truth. For if not so and their intention was only for the bad, why did they start with something that was the opposite of their intention. Rather one must say that “a falsehood…”

The beginning of their words were to grumble. For they should not have spoken to them like this.

באנו אל הארץ, "we have come to the land, etc." They meant that they arrived there without mishap. They added the words: "to which you have sent us," to make dear that they attributed their safe return from the land of Canaan to the fact that they had carried out Moses' commandment faithfully. Alternatively, they may have referred to the fact that 40 days earlier Moses had accompanied them on the commencement of their mission. They now acknowledged that Moses' merit then had assisted them in traversing the land and returning safely. Perhaps the words ויספרו לו were a reference by the Torah to the spies acknowledging that Moses' merit had assisted them. When the Torah failed to use the word לו after ויאמרו, the reason is that what followed applied to the Israelites as a whole and not to Moses in particular.

וגם זבת חלב ודבש, "and it does indeed flow with milk and honey." The word וגם, "and also," is justified as it is a continuation of a previous comment the spies made, namely that they experienced G'd's protective hand while traversing the land. The goodness of the land was an additional positive element they were able to comment upon.