Midrash su Numeri 13:30

(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.

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.”

19 (Numb. 13:30) “Then Caleb hushed the people [before Moses]”: As at first he said to them, “I am of the same opinion as you”; but his heart was for speaking the truth, as stated (in Josh. 14:7), “and I brought him back word according to what was in my heart. But my brothers that were with me melted the people’s heart.”²⁶ Sot. 35a. The Holy One, blessed be He, also testifies over him, as stated (in Numb. 14:24), “But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him.” So when the spies came, they said, “We can trust Caleb.” Immediately he stood up on a stool²⁷Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had all Israel become silent from clamoring against Moses, [as stated] (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” Now they were thinking that he would utter slander. For that reason they were silent. He began by saying (ibid., cont.), “We should certainly go up and possess it.” Immediately when they heard this, they took issue with him and said (in Numb. 13:31–32), “We are unable to go up against this people […].”

"and they brought it down to us" — whence it is seen that Eretz Yisrael is higher than all the (other) lands, as in (Bamidbar 13:30) "Let us go up and inherit it," and (Ibid. 21) "And they went up and spied out the land," and (Bereshith 45:25) "And they went up from Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan." (Devarim, Ibid.)

And just as a deer is quicker than any beast or animal, so the fruits of Eretz Yisrael are "quicker" (to come) than those of all the other lands. If so, I might think they are not rich. It is, therefore, written (Devarim 11:9) "a land flowing with milk and honey" — rich as milk and sweet as honey. And thus is it written (Isaiah 5:11) "I will now sing of my Beloved, my Beloved's song of His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard in the horn of Ben Shamen": Just as there is nothing higher in a bullock than its horns, so, Eretz Yisrael is higher than all of the other lands. — But perhaps, just as a bullock is defective in the contents of its horns, so, Eretz Yisrael is more "defective" than all of the other lands! It is, therefore, written "in the horn of Ben Shamen": It is fat (shamen, rich, fruitful, productive). Eretz Yisrael, being higher than all (other lands) is superior to all, viz.: (Bamidbar 13:30) "Let us go up and we will inherit it," (Ibid. 13:21) "and they went up and spied out the land," (Ibid. 13:22) "and they went up in the south," (Bereshith 45:25) "and they went up from Egypt." The Temple, in that it is higher than all, is superior to all, viz.: (Devarim 17:8) "then you shall rise and go up" (to the Temple), (Isaiah 2:3) "and many peoples will go and say 'Let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the house of the G-d of Yaakov,'" and (Jeremiah 31:5) "For there is a day when the watchers will call out on the mountain of Ephraim: 'Arise, let us go up to Tzion to (the house of) the L-rd our G-d!'"

(Devarim, 32:13) "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": This is Eretz Yisrael, which is higher than all the lands, as it is written (Bamidbar 13:30) "Let us go up and inherit it," (Ibid. 21) "and they went up and spied out the land," (Ibid. 22) "and they went up in the south."