Midrash su Numeri 13:2

Another matter, “The song of songs”—that is what the verse said: “The heart of the wise will make his mouth prevail” (Proverbs 16:23); the heart of the wise man is filled with wisdom. What can attest to him, what can indicate that he is full of wisdom? His mouth will indicate his wisdom; his mouth will be instructive in his regard. “He will increase his lesson on his lips” (Proverbs 16:23); by expressing matters of Torah from his heart, he increases the lesson of Torah. They stated an analogy, to what is the matter comparable? To a barrel that is filled with gems and pearls, is sealed with a tight cover, placed in one corner, and no one knows what is in it; one person comes and empties it, and everyone knows what is in it. So too, Solomon’s heart was filled with wisdom, but no one knew what was in it. When the Divine Presence rested upon him, and he composed three books, everyone became aware of his wisdom.
“He will increase his lesson on his lips,” the lesson that he added to matters of Torah elevated him, as it is stated: “I applied my heart to seek and to scout [velatur] wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 1:13). What is velatur? It is to become a scout for wisdom. That is what is written: “So they may scout [veyaturu] the land of Canaan” (Numbers 13:2). One who is expert in Bible, I will go to him; one who is expert in Mishna, I will go to him, as it is stated: “To scout wisdom.”
Another matter, “to seek and to scout [latur],”—to fulfill the quota [latur] and go beyond [lehotir]. The poet, when he composes an alphabetic acrostic poem, at times he finishes [the alphabet] and at times he does not finish it. However, Solomon composed an alphabetic acrostic and [added lines for] five additional letters, as it is written: “His songs were a thousand [alef] and five” (I Kings 5:12); his song was an alphabetic acrostic¹⁶The word a thousand [alef] is read as a reference to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, aleph, indicating an alphabetical acrostic poem. and five. It was not only regarding matters of Torah that Solomon would scout, but rather: “Everything that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:13), such as how one can sweeten mustard [and] how one can sweeten mandrakes. The Holy One blessed be He said: You scouted after matters of Torah, by your life, I will not withhold your reward. I will rest My Divine Spirit upon you. Immediately, the Divine Spirit rested upon him and he composed Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.

(Numb. 13:2:) “Send men.” R. Aha the Great opened [his discourse] (with Is. 40:8), “Grass withers, flowers fade, but the word of our God shall stand forever.”⁷Numb. R. 16:3. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a friend. Now he made an agreement with him and said to him, “Come with me, and I will give you a present.” He went with him but died. The king said to the son of his friend, “Although your father has died, I am not withdrawing the present that I had promised to give him. Come and get it.” This king is the Holy One, blessed be He, and the friend is Abraham, as stated (in Is. 41:8), “the seed of My friend Abraham.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Come with me,” as stated (in Gen. 12:1), “Go from your land….” He made an agreement with him to give him the Land of Canaan as a present, as stated (in Gen. 13:17), “Arise, walk about the land [… for I am giving it to you].” It also says (in vs. 15), “For all the land which you see, [to you will I give it, and to your seed forever].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Although the ancestors have died, I had agreed with them to give them the land. I am not going back on [My word].” Instead (as in Numb. 13:2), “Send men.” Ergo (according to Is. 40:8), “but the word of our God shall stand forever.”

(Num. 13, 2) Send thou out some men that they may spy out. Said Resh Lakish: "Send thou out, it is of your own choice; for is there anyone who would select a bad portion for himself, and this is the meaning of the passage (Deut. 1, 23) And the thing was pleasing in my eyes; upon which Resh Lakish said: 'In my eyes but not in the eyes of God.'" (Ib., ib. 22) That they may search out for us the land. Said R. Chiya in the name of R. Jochanan: "The spies meant nothing else but to disgrace the land of Israel; for it is written here [v'yachperu], that they may search out for us the land, and it is also written (Is. 24, 23) And the moon shall be put to blush [V'chofra] and the sun be mad ashamed." (Num. 13, 4) And these are their names of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua, the son of Zakkur. Said R. Isaac: "We have a tradition from our forefathers, that the spies were named in accordance with their acts. However, we know of the explanation of only one of them, Shethur, the son of Michael. This means (Shethor) who tried to upset the work of the Holy One, praised be He; Michael, who caused his enemy by his actions to weaken, i.e., who caused the belief in the belief in God to weaken." R. Jochanan said: "We also are able to explain one name, Nachbi, the son of Vaphsi. Nachbi, means who concealed the true words of the Holy One, praised be He, [through bringing a false report against the land of Israel]; Vaphsi, who stepped upon the ways of the Holy One, praised be He."