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Kap. 13. VV. 1 u. 2. שלח לך. Vergl. עשה לך שתי חצצרת (Kap. 10, 2) קח לך בשמים. (Schmot 30, 23) und sonstige Stellen, in welchen die Beifügung לך dem Ausspruch in keiner Weise die gebietende Bedeutung nimmt. Auch hier erscheint das שלח לך im einfachen gebietenden Sinne. Daher ja auch im folgenden Verse die Entsendung על פי ד׳ bezeichnet ist. Aus den rückblickenden Erinnerungen (Dewarim 1, 19 ff.) wissen wir, daß sie die Wüste Paran, die dort המדבר הגדול והנורא genannt wird, durchzogen hatten und in Kadesch Barnea an die Grenze des einzunehmenden Landes gekommen waren. Das emoritische Gebirge war vor ihnen und es war die Aufforderung an sie ergangen, mit dem Ersteigen dieses Gebirges die Besitznahme des Landes zu beginnen. Da erging vom Volke der Antrag an Mosche, zuvor einige von ihnen voraus zu schicken, ויחפרו לנו את הארץ, wie sie sich ausdrückten, das Land für sie zu erkundschaften, eigentlich: "aus der dunkeln Tiefe der Unbekanntschaft an das helle Licht der Bekanntschaft zu heben", mit dem ausgesprochenen Zwecke, durch sie den geeignetsten Weg zum Einzug in das Land und die Stadt kennen zu lernen, zu welcher sie sich zuerst zu wenden hätten. In diesem Antrag an sich lag nichts Ungehöriges. Mosche selbst sagt dort: וייטב בעיני הדבר. Sollte doch mit dem Einzuge in das verheißene Land die außerordentliche, unmittelbare Gottesführung zurücktreten und das fernere Geschick des Volkes das normale Mitwirken seiner Tätigkeit in Anspruch nehmen; konnte doch selbst für die Wanderung durch die Wüste Mosche sich die lokale Kunde seines Schwiegervaters als Beistand erbitten, obgleich diese Wanderung unter unmittelbarer Gottesleitung sich vollzog. Das שלח לך unseres Verses modifiziert nach Siporno den vom Volke ergangenen Antrag nur insofern, daß dieser: נשלחה אנשים לפנינו lautete, somit sich die Erlaubnis zur Entsendung von Männern ihrer Wahl erbat, hierauf aber Gott den Auftrag erteilte, daß Mosche, und zwar die Tüchtigsten zu dieser Sendung aus jedem Stamme erwählen und beauftragen sollte. Auch der Inhalt des ihnen zu erteilenden Auftrages dürfte einige Modifikationen erlitten haben. Der beabsichtigte Zweck lautete im Antrage des Volkes: ויחפרו וגו׳ וגו׳. Nun scheint חפר את הארץ vorzugsweise ein Erspähen der schwachen Seiten eines Landes zum Zwecke der Eroberung zu bedeuten. So Josua 2, 2 und 3. So auch Job 39, 29: משם חפר אכל, von dem Beuteerspähen des Adlers. Bezeichnet doch הפר intransitiv auch das Schamgefühl über entdeckte Schwächen, und liegt wohl überhaupt die Bedeutung: Ausgraben zu Grunde, als ans Licht heben dessen, was eigentlich verborgen bleiben sollte. Dem gegenüber lautete der Gottesauftrag: תור .ויתרו וגו׳, – (verwandt mit טור: Reihe, תפר: zusammenreihen, nähen, דבר aneinandergereihte Merkmale oder deren Ausdruckslaute: Begriff und Wort) – bezeichnet aber nicht nur allgemein ein rein objektives Erforschen der Dinge durch Verbinden der erkannten Eigentümlichkeiten derselben als Merkmale zum Begriff, wie im Prediger 1, 13; 2, 3 u. 7, 25, sondern, wo es als ein Erforschen mit subjektivem Zweck vorkommt, da scheint es vielmehr ein Aufsuchen der guten, entsprechenden Seiten für einen beabsichtigten Zweck zu bedeuten. So 10, 33 לתור להם מנוחה. (Dewarim 1, 33) לתור לכם מקום לחנתכם. So ja ganz eigentlich von der Auswahl des verheißenen Landes als des besten und geeignetsten für Israels Bestimmung, Ezech. 20, 6: ארץ אשר תרתי להם זבת חלב ודבש צבי חיא לכל הארצות. Mit der Bestimmung: ויתרו את ארץ וגו׳ erhielt daher die Sendung eine etwas veränderte und erweiterte Aufgabe. Es galt nicht mehr nur die geeignetste Weise der Einnahme des Landes zu erspähen. Dieser Zweck tritt in den Hintergrund, und es ward die Aufgabe, das Land an sich als Boden einer Volksentwicklung kennen zu lernen, und ward dabei die bedeutsame Andeutung mit hinausgegeben, es unter dem doppelten Gesichtspunkte zu betrachten: ארץ כנען אשר אני נתן לבני ישראל, es ist jetzt ארץ בנען, das Land einer entarteten Bevölkerung, und es ist Gott, der es Jisraels Söhnen gibt, auf daß sie dort ein Volksleben nach Seinem Willen entfalten. —

AND THE ETERNAL SHOWED HIM [MOSES] ALL THE LAND — all the Land of Israel beyond the Jordan [westward] — and then the verse states that He showed him even Gilead, as far as Dan. Now Moses was in the territory of Reuben, and half the hill-country of Gilead, and the cities thereof²⁸⁹Above, 3:12. belonged to the children of Reuben,²⁸⁹Above, 3:12. and the other half belonged to Menasheh.²⁹⁰Joshua 13:31. Therefore the verse before us must mean that [G-d showed Moses the whole Land] “from Gilead²⁹¹The verse cannot mean that G-d showed him the land of Gilead, because that is precisely where Moses was. Instead the word eth — eth Gilead — must mean “from” the Gilead onward. as far as Dan.” Or it may be that there was [a place called] Gilead in the Lebanon in the Land of Israel, as it is written, thou art Gilead unto Me, the head of Lebanon.²⁹²Jeremiah 22:6. The verse mentions as far as Dan which is at the extremity of the border of the Land of Israel, as it is written, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.²⁹³II Samuel 24:2. It mentions the land of Ephraim and Menasheh²⁹⁴Verse 2. which were in the northern part of the Land of Israel, and the land of Judah was to the south, as it is written, Judah shall abide in his border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their border on the north,²⁹⁵Joshua 18:5. for Judah took all the south of the Land of Israel from the Jordan to the sea, and Dan took the north-west. It mentions Naphtali²⁹⁴Verse 2. who was on the east, near Judah,²⁹⁶Ibid., 19:34 [in speaking of the border of Naphtali]: and it reached… to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise. but it does not mention Asher and Issachar, for they were among Ephraim and Menasheh, as it is written [about the borders of Ephraim and Menasheh], and they reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.²⁹⁷Joshua 17:10. It did not mention Simeon, for their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah,²⁹⁸Ibid., 19:1. nor that of Benjamin whose border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph,²⁹⁹Ibid., 18:11. already mentioned near them. It states as far as the western sea²⁹⁴Verse 2. which alludes to Zebulun who dwelt at the shore of the sea,³⁰⁰Genesis 49:13. or it may be that [Zebulun] is included [in the statement that G-d showed him] the south, and the plain³⁰¹Verse 3. [since the territory of Zebulun was in the plain at the sea]. It mentions the valley of Jericho³⁰¹Verse 3. because it is a deep valley, not visible from the top of the mountain [where Moses stood], but G-d showed it to him miraculously. In general then He showed him the entire inheritance of Israel, as it is written, This is the Land which I swore etc.³⁰²Verse 4. Our Rabbis in the Sifre³⁰³Sifre, Brachah 357. have elucidated about these places mentioned in Scripture.
Now, the reason for this sight which He showed him was because the Land of Israel is full of all good things,³⁰⁴Above, 6:11. and is the beauty of all lands.³⁰⁵Ezekiel 20:6. And since the great love with which Moses our teacher loved Israel was manifest to Him, He made him rejoice by beholding the abundant goodness with his eyes.³⁰⁶Ecclesiastes 5:10.

SEND ‘LECHA’ (THEE)¹Literally: “for thyself,” as explained by Rashi. MEN. “As you see fit. I do not command you [to send them], but if you wish [to do so], send them. [G-d said this] because the Israelites came [to Moses] and said, Let us send men before us,²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ as it is said, And ye came near unto me every one of you,²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ and Moses inquired [what to do] of the Divine Presence, whereupon G-d said: ‘I told them [at the time of the exodus] that it is a good [Land], as it is said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt … [unto a Land flowing with milk and honey].³Exodus 3:17. The text of Rashi reads: “… unto a good Land,” which is taken from Verse 8, ibid. By their lives! I will give them an opportunity to fall into error through the incident of the spies, so that they should not come to possess the Land.’” This is Rashi’s language, from the words of Agadah.⁴Sotah 34 b, briefly, and in Bamidbar Rabbah 16:6, more fully. It is possible, as there is more than one reference for the source of Rashi’s text, but none specific, that Ramban refers to it merely as stemming “from the words of Agadah.”
Here one may ask, if this is so, then Moses himself sinned in this matter, as it is said, And the thing pleased me well!⁵Deuteronomy 1:23. In other words, since Moses was aware of G-d’s displeasure with the whole mission, why did he say that the thing pleased me well? And furthermore why did he tell [the spies] to find out about the Land, whether it is good or bad,⁶Further, Verse 19. since he had already been told at the beginning that it is a good Land, and a large one?⁷Exodus 3:8. “Why then did he now ask G-d whether to send out the spies, and did not rely on the fact that the Land was, as he was told, a good Land?” (Gur Aryeh). Moreover, what did the spies do [wrong], since Moses told them, And see the Land what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many,⁸Further, Verse 18. and he said to see about the cities [that they dwell in] whether in camps, or in strongholds,⁶Further, Verse 19. and at the least they had to give him an answer to [the questions] that he commanded them [to find out about]! And what was their trespass, and what was their sin⁹See Genesis 31:36. when they told Moses, Nevertheless the people that dwell in the Land are fierce, and the cities are fortified, and very great?¹⁰Further, Verse 28. Did he then send them on the understanding that they would give him a false report! And do not think that their trespass consisted only in their report that it is a Land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof,¹¹Ibid., Verse 32. for prior telling this to the people, Caleb already quarrelled with them!¹²Ibid., Verse 30. It is thus clear that before the spies made this derogatory statement about the Land, the people already did not want to go there. The trespass of the spies could therefore not have consisted only of their report that it is a Land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof! And likewise it is written, [that the people said], Our brethren [i.e., the spies] have made our heart to melt, saying: The people is greater and taller than we etc.,¹³Deuteronomy 1:28. and here it is written, to fall by the sword; our wives and our little ones will be a prey.¹⁴Further, 14:3. Scripture thus implies that both the spies and the people sinned in speaking of the difficulty of capturing the Land. And yet Moses etc. And yet Moses our teacher [himself] said similar things to the children [of the generation of the spies], and he emphasized to them the power of the people and the strength of their cities, and the might of the giants to a much greater extent than what the spies had told their fathers, as it is written, Hear O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say: ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak!’¹⁵Deuteronomy 9:1-2. Now if the trespass of the spies and their sin consisted of this [discouraging report that they gave about the strength of the people in Canaan], why did he [Moses] dismay the heart of their children¹⁶See further, 32:7-8. in the same way that the spies dismayed the heart of their fathers? Moreover, what reason was there for Moses our teacher to send this mission? If [they would report that] the Land is good, and its inhabitants are weak — well and good; but if [they would say that] it is bad, or that the people are strong — would it enter his mind to take them back to Egypt!
But the explanation of this subject is as follows: The Israelites wanted [to act] in the way that all those who come to wage war in a foreign country do, namely to send out men to become acquainted with the roads and entrances to the cities; so that when they return [from their mission], the scouts will go at the head of the army, to show them the way, in a similar manner to that which it says, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city.¹⁷Judges 1:24. Thus [the Israelites wanted the reconaissance party] to advise them which city they should attack first, and from which direction it would be easy to capture the Land. This is what they said explicitly, and they [the spies] shall bring us back word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which we shall come,²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ that is to say, the cities into which we shall come first, and from which we will enter the whole country. Now this is the correct guidance [to give] to anyone who [plans to] conquer a country. And so did Moses himself do, as it is said, And Moses sent to spy out Jazer,¹⁸Further, 21:32. and Joshua the son of Nun also [sent] two spies.¹⁹Joshua 2:1. It was for this reason that [the people’s request to send out scouts] pleased Moses,⁵Deuteronomy 1:23. In other words, since Moses was aware of G-d’s displeasure with the whole mission, why did he say that the thing pleased me well? for Scripture does not [allow man] to rely on a miracle in any of its affairs. Instead, it commands those who go out to battle to arm themselves, to take [all necessary] precautions, and to set ambushes [if needed], as Scripture relates in connection with the battle for [the city of] Ai, which was by command of G-d,²⁰Ibid., 8:2. Thus the method of ambush was also by command of G-d, thereby teaching that in war we are not to rely on miracles. and similarly in many places. Then Moses consulted the Divine Presence and G-d gave him permission, saying, “Send thee men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan and become acquainted with it, and bring back a report to you, and according to their information you should take counsel regarding the conquest.” Now Moses told the spies, Get you up here into the south,²¹Further, Verse 17. The literal translation is: “Go up this, into the south;” therefore Ramban explains that it means “go up by this road into the south.” It is also so explained by Ibn Ezra. In Targum Yonathan it is rendered: “Go up by this side, by the south.” meaning: “Go up by this road into the south so that you will get to know the people who live in the land of the south — [this being] the direction from which Israel was [approaching] — [and see] whether they are strong⁸Further, Verse 18. and [the Israelites] when dealing with them will need to be very much on their guard and well-armed; similarly, [see] the cities, and whether they are fortified so that [the inhabitants] are well-entrenched, and it will therefore be necessary to build forts and ramps, or [even] to come against them from another direction.” Moses further told them that they should get to know the Land itself, whether it is good or bad,⁶Further, Verse 19. and if it is bad, they should first conquer other parts [of it]; for they spied out the hill-country of the Amorites from the side of Hebron,²²Ibid., Verse 22. and even Joshua did not conquer all [areas of the Land], — this being the meaning of the expression and what the Land is that they dwell in,⁶Further, Verse 19. meaning the people who live in the land of the south.
[Furthermore] it is possible that it was because Moses knew that it is a fertile and good land, — as he was told, unto a good Land and a large one, unto a Land flowing with milk and honey,²³Exodus 3:8. — that he told them to set their minds ascertaining this [fact], so that [upon their return] they would tell the people about it, and they would rejoice and gain renewed strength to go up there in joy. Therefore he told them, And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the Land,²⁴Further, Verse 20. so that they [the people] would see with their own eyes the goodness of the Land. Now it is well-known that Egypt is not very far from Hebron — approximately a seven-days’ journey distant — and the border of the land of Canaan comes close to Egypt, and it is therefore impossible that people who live in Egypt should not know about the land of Canaan whether it is good or bad.⁶Further, Verse 19. And indeed Moses’ intention was to find out the way by which he should go up, and the cities which he was to capture first, as I have explained. However, since the Israelites in Egypt were slaves doing most rigorous work, they did not know, neither did they understand²⁵Psalms 82:5. [the nature of the Land], therefore Moses wanted the spies to tell them all the particulars of the Land in order to cause them to rejoice in its qualities, since he [himself] knew of them [as explained above.].
Now it appears to me from the language of Scripture that Moses did not [in fact] consult the Divine Presence [as to whether he should send spies at all], but the meaning of Send thee men is that they [the people] had decided [already] to send spies, and it was customary to send two spies secretly, saying: [‘Go view the Land’],¹⁹Joshua 2:1. and that they be taken [only] from some [tribes of the people]; but G-d Who knows the future commanded Moses [here] to send one man from each of the tribes of Israel, every one a prince among them. [This is because] G-d wanted all the great men to be [represented] equally in this matter, so that perhaps they would remember and turn unto the Eternal,²⁶Ibid., 22:28. and if not, so that the decree [of punishment] would apply equally to the whole people, this being the meaning of the expression [that Moses sent them] according to the commandment of the Eternal,²⁷Verse 3. Thus the burden of punishment, instead of falling heavily upon a particular tribe or tribes, would be more lightly distributed throughout the camp. Moreover, by commanding that the heads of the tribes should lead the mission, the people would avoid total responsibility and thus be spared annihilation. This latter point is made clear by Ramban in the text that follows. for it was by command of G-d that they were to be princes and heads of the children of Israel.²⁷Verse 3. Thus the burden of punishment, instead of falling heavily upon a particular tribe or tribes, would be more lightly distributed throughout the camp. Moreover, by commanding that the heads of the tribes should lead the mission, the people would avoid total responsibility and thus be spared annihilation. This latter point is made clear by Ramban in the text that follows.
It [further] appears to me according to the plain meaning of Scripture that G-d [in speaking] to Moses did not refer [at all] to the request which the people had made, to send out spies, nor to Moses’ consent to that request, for if that were the case, Scripture here would have related: “And the children of Israel approached Moses and said: Let us send men before us etc.²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ And the thing pleased Moses well,”⁵Deuteronomy 1:23. In other words, since Moses was aware of G-d’s displeasure with the whole mission, why did he say that the thing pleased me well? and afterwards it would have written: “And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Send thee men as they have spoken to you, one man etc.’” But the matter was as follows. The Israelites asked to send [spies], and the thing pleased Moses well,⁵Deuteronomy 1:23. In other words, since Moses was aware of G-d’s displeasure with the whole mission, why did he say that the thing pleased me well? and afterwards a Divine communication came to Moses, as did all other such communications, merely saying, Send thee men, this being the reason [for the necessity of the subsequent explanatory words], that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel, as He is speaking of a new matter about which nothing has [hitherto] been related. All this was because the Eternal was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake²⁸Isaiah 42:21. that the mission be at His command, and that it be with [the participation of] all their tribes and their great men, so that [the people] should be saved.
Similarly it appears that they asked of Moses, Let us send men before us, ‘v’yachperu’ (that they may search) the Land for us,²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ which means spying out the roads and [working out] the strategy of conquest, similar to the expression from there ‘chaphar’ (he spieth out) the prey.²⁹Job 39:29. This is the meaning of [the words] before us [Let us send men ‘before us’],²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ for they [the Israelites] would follow them [later on] in their route, similar to the expression, and the ark of the covenant went ‘before them’.³⁰Above 10:33. G-d, however, commanded ‘v’yathuru’ the land of Canaan, which refers to a choice, as is made by those who come to buy something, similar in expression to the verse, beside that which ‘mei’anshei hatarim’ (the traffickers) and merchants.³¹II Chronicles 9:14. Similarly: into a land that ‘tarti’ (I had sought out) for them;³²Ezekiel 20:6. also, ‘lathur’ (to seek out) a resting-place for them.³⁰Above 10:33. Therefore Moses commanded them to state specifically whether it is good or bad … whether it is fat or lean etc.,³³Verses 19-20. all this being in order to cause them to rejoice, for it is the beauty of all lands,³²Ezekiel 20:6. and they would go up to it with great eagerness. Thus this subject is related here without explanation [of the exact sequence of events leading up to the sending of the spies], as it occurred, but in the Book of Deuteronomy Moses mentioned to them all the happenings from their beginning, in order to declare to them their transgression,³⁴See Isaiah 58:1. that they sinned by their [very] request which they themselves initiated.
In the opinion of our Rabbis³⁵Mentioned by Rashi at the beginning of this verse: “I told them [at the time of the exodus] that it is a good Land etc.” their sin was in saying Let us send men before us,²Deuteronomy 1:22. The verse continues that the people said to Moses: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the Land for us, and bring us back word etc.’ because they had seen the salvation of the Eternal³⁶Exodus 14:13. which He continually did for them, and they should have followed the cloud whither the spirit was to go,³⁷Ezekiel 1:12. and Moses accepted their request to fulfill their desire. The meaning, then, of [the verse] And the thing pleased me well⁵Deuteronomy 1:23. In other words, since Moses was aware of G-d’s displeasure with the whole mission, why did he say that the thing pleased me well? is: “I endured your evil plan and directed that it be done”. And G-d commanded him that he send one man of every tribe of their fathers etc., just like it is said in the case of Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them.³⁸I Samuel 8: 7. In that case too, the Divine consent was given only on account of the people’s intransigence for having a king appointed over them. The matter, however, was displeasing to G-d because their devoted leader Samuel was still alive. Now these men [who were sent out as spies] were not pointed out by name³⁹Above, 1:17. by the word of G-d, as was the case at the census³⁹Above, 1:17. and at the division of the Land,⁴⁰Further, 34:19-28. for no mishap occurs to those who carry out the command of G-d, and whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing.⁴¹Ecclesiastes 8:5. Therefore He, blessed be He, only commanded Moses one man of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send etc., and that they be princes, and Moses at his own discretion chose these men and sent them, and they wrought evil unto themselves.⁴²Isaiah 3:9.