פירוש על במדבר 14:27

לעדה הרעה וגו׳ [HOW LONG SHALL I BEAR] WITH THIS EVIL CONGREGATION — This refers to the spies (not to the whole congregation); from here we learn that an עדה, “a congregation” is technically a gathering of at least ten persons (Megillah 23b).

?עד מתי לעדה הרעה הזאת, even though I have forgiven them in accordance with your own stipulation not to decree immediate death for them, instead of letting all of them die already now, I did not include the actual spies themselves in this partial forgiveness. אשר המה מלינים עלי, seeing they were the ones who orchestrated the people slandering Me. They are directly responsible for the sin committed by the multitude. They do not deserve any extension of their lives, I will punish them immediately; concerning them I utter an oath

עד מתי לעדה הרעה הזאת, "How long will this evil congregation, etc." The "evil congregation" referred to here are the ten spies. This view is confirmed by Sanhedrin 108. G'd continues: את תלונות בני ישראל; this is a reference to the rest of the people. The words עד מתי imply that even now the spies were still exerting their evil influence on the people preventing them from identifying with G'd. This is the reason that G'd calls these ten men עדה רעה, an evil congregation. When G'd says אשר המה מלינים עלי, He underlines that not only are these people wicked themselves but they attempt to turn the Israelites into wicked people.