The spies

61. "Now Hebron was built seven years" (Bemidbar 13:22): These are the seventy faces of the Torah. The Torah contains seventy aspects, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT HAS SIX ENDS AND CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT THAT TOTAL SEVEN SFIROT. Each aspect has ten, MEANING THAT EACH ONE IS COMPRISED OF TEN SFIROT, TOTALLING SEVENTY. Hebron is the Torah, because whoever strives in her is referred to as Chaver, or friend. "Before Zoan in Egypt" (Ibid.): We learned that a Torah corresponds to a Torah, namely the written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and the oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT. That Hebron, WHICH IS THE ORAL TORAH THAT IS MALCHUT, comes out from the written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, as it says: "Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister'" (Mishlei 7:4). And it was built seven years, MEANING THE SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. Therefore, it was referred to as Bathsheba, daughter of seven. "Before Zoan in Egypt" as it says: "Solomon's wisdom" - THAT IS MALCHUT - "excelled of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt" (I Melachim 5:10).

62. "And they came to the wadi of Eshkol (lit. 'cluster')" (Bemidbar 13:23): these refer to matters of Agadah and homiletical interpretation that are derived from the aspect of Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT, SINCE HOMILETICAL INTERPRETATIONS AND AGADAH ARE DEPENDENT ON TORAH AND SURROUND HER LIKE GRAPES IN A GRAPE CLUSTER. "And cut down from thence a branch..." (Ibid.): they learned from there the headings of the chapters and the highlights of the matters. The faithful rejoice with these matters, which are blessed within them. They notice that they stem from one source and principal and there is no division that divides them. Those who are not of Faith and do not study the Torah for its own sake cause the Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT, to be separated FROM ZEIR ANPIN, SINCE THEY CAUSE A FLAW IN THE UNION OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT - WHICH ARE THE WRITTEN TORAH AND THE ORAL TORAH. THEY DO NOT ACCEPT THE BELIEF THAT THEY ARE ONE ESSENCE AND ONE SOURCE. This is what is written: "And they carried it between two on a pole (Heb. mot)" (Ibid.), WHICH MEANS THEY CAUSED a division BETWEEN THE WRITTEN AND ORAL TORAH AND CONSIDER THEM, HEAVEN FORBID, AS TWO. What is the meaning of "mot?'' It is as it is written: "He will not suffer your foot to be moved (Heb. lamot)" (Tehilim 121:3) and "of the pomegranates (Heb. rimonim), and the figs (Heb. te'enim)" (Bemidbar 13:23). They have placed these matters entirely into the Other Side, to the side of heretics, and the side of separation, SINCE RIMONIM IS DERIVED FROM MINIM (LIT. 'HERETICS'). AND TE'ENIM IS DERIVED FROM: "BUT ELOHIM ALLOWED IT (HEB. INAH) TO HAPPEN TO HIM" (SHEMOT 21:13), MEANING THAT IT HAPPENED BY CHANCE, AS THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN PROVIDENCE AND SAY EVERYTHING IS BY CHANCE, AND SEPARATE THE BLESSED HASHEM FROM THE WORLD.

63. This is what is written: "And they returned from searching the land" (Bemidbar 13:25). "And they returned" means they returned to the Evil Side and recanted from the true path, saying, What result did we get, to this day we have not experienced any worldly benefits for our labor in the Torah. The house was empty and we were settled among the lower class of the people. Who will merit that world and who will reach to enter into it? It might be better for us not to work so hard. "And they told him, and said..." (Ibid. 27), Here we labored and studied in order to know that part of the world, AS YOU ADVISED US: "And indeed it flows with milk and honey" (Ibid.). That world above is indeed good, as we were informed in the Torah, but who could deserve it?

64. "But the people are strong" (Ibid. 28). Powerful is THE NATION THAT MERITED THE WORLD ABOVE, which did not value the whole world at all to strive in it so as to acquire great wealth. Who is he THAT COULD ACT THAT WAY to gain merits in the world above? Certainly, "but the people are strong that dwell in this land." Whoever wishes to make gains in her must be wealthy and strong as it says: "But the rich answers with impudence (lit. 'strength')" (Mishlei 18:23) INDEED HE MUST BE SO. "and the cities are fortified and very great" (Bemidbar 13:28), MEANING nothing will be lacking in homes filled with all goodness. "And moreover we saw the children of Anak there" (Ibid.), meaning it requires a firm body strong as a lion, since the Torah diminishes the strength of a person when he deals in the forbidden and the permissible, the defiled and the cleansed, the fit and the rejected. Who could merit her?

65. Furthermore, "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev" (Ibid. 29). If a person should think to himself that even with all this, he will deserve TO BE STRENGTHENED, "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev." Here is the Evil Inclination that prosecutes the person, always present in the body. "And the Hittites...and the Amorites..." (Ibid.). How many prosecutors exist there to prevent a person from ever entering that world at all? Who will have merit for it and who will enter into it? With these words, "they disheartened the children of Yisrael" (Bemidbar 32:9), since they have implicated it in bad rumors, as it says: "They spread an evil report of the land" (Ibid.).

66. What did these faithful say? "If Hashem delights in us...and give it us" (Bemidbar 14:8), MEANING THAT if a person strives with a willing heart for the Holy One, blessed be He, HE WILL MERIT HER, since He only wants his heart. And they will preserve that Holy Sign, THAT IS THE HOLY COVENANT, as it is written: "Your people also shall be righteous: they shall inherit the land forever" (Yeshayah 60:21), MEANING THOSE WHO PRESERVE THE COVENANT, WHO ARE CALLED RIGHTEOUS.

67. However, "only rebel not against Hashem" (Bemidbar 14:9). It is necessary not to rebel against the Torah, since Torah neither requires wealth, nor utensils of silver and gold. "Nor fear the people of the land" (Ibid.), for if a broken body will engage to study the Torah, it will find a remedy in everything. This is what is written: "It shall be a health to your navel, and marrow to your bones" (Mishlei 3:8). And: "And health to all their flesh" (Mishlei 4:22). All the prosecutors AGAINST THE PERSON BECOME HELPFUL TO HIM. They proclaim and make room for so-and-so, servant of the King, MEANING THAT NO ONE WILL DETER HIM FROM COMING TO THE KING TO SERVE HIM.

68. Therefore, "nor fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us" (Bemidbar 14:9). THE PROSECUTORS themselves prepare food daily for those who study Torah, as it says: "And I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" (I Melachim 17:4). It is further written: "And the ravens brought him bread and meat" (Ibid. 6). ALTHOUGH THE RAVENS ARE UNCLEAN BIRDS, FROM THE OTHER SIDE, STILL THEY WERE FEEDING HIM. "Their defense (shadow) is departed from them" (Bemidbar 14:9): What is meant by shadow? That is the strength of harsh Judgment IN THEM THAT WAS DEPARTED AND VOIDED. What is the reason that it was gone? "And Hashem is with us: fear them not" (Ibid.): All their power was voided as a result of the Torah. Praised is the lot of those who deal with and study Torah for its own sake, because they really get connected to the Holy One, blessed be He. They are considered brethren and friends and this is what is written: "For my brethren and friends' sakes, I will now say, 'Peace be within you'" (Tehilim 122:8).

69. "And they came to the wadi of Eshkol." Rabbi Aba said, They cut off the cluster (Heb. eshkol) of grapes, which they tried to lift up, but could not. They tried to move it FROM ITS PLACE but could not. Joshua and Caleb came, took hold of it, raised it and it was upright through them. This is what is written: "And they carried it between two on a pole" MEANS by the only two WHO DID NOT SIN, WHICH ARE JOSHUA AND CALEB. HE ASKS: What purpose did "a branch" serve? HE RESPONDS: It is only that the cluster was attached hanging to it and, while it is attached on location, it is called a branch. After THEY CUT IT OFF, it is called pole, as it is written: "And they carried it...on a pole," MEANING that specific one, the one they severed FROM THE TREE.

70. From this, SEEING THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE THE CLUSTER AND YET THE OTHERS WERE UNABLE TO DO IT, Joshua and Caleb realized that they deserved to enter the promised land and that they would have a part and an inheritance. While THE SPIES were still traveling, they made a decision in council about them - JOSHUA AND CALEB - SINCE THE OTHERS WERE JEALOUS OF THEM THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CARRY THAT CLUSTER. AND THEY DECIDED IN COUNCIL TO MURDER THEM. Caleb stood up over the fruit and said, Fruit, fruit, if for your sake we are killed, why are we in your part? Immediately, THE CLUSTER made itself lighter, SO THAT ALL COULD CARRY IT. And they passed it on to them.

71. Rabbi Elazar said, They did not give THE CLUSTER to others, since it is clearly written: "And they carried it between two on a pole," INDICATING THE TWO INDICATED. Among all of them, there were no other two like them. From this, Joshua took a lesson at a later date, TO SEND JUST TWO SPIES, as it is written: "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly" (Yehoshua 2:1). Those two have already been explained by the ancient ones. When JOSHUA AND CALEB reached back to Yisrael and handed to them THE CLUSTER, they remained silent AND SAID NOTHING TO YISRAEL AT FIRST. IT WAS ONLY THE REST OF THE SPIES WHO SAID, "AND THIS IS THE FRUIT OF IT" (BEMIDBAR 13:27) and they pretended themselves to be the least.

72. Rabbi Yitzchak said, When the spies reached those giants, they put in front of them the staff of Moses and were saved. How do we know that he gave them the staff? Since it is written: "And he said to them, 'Go up this way (Heb. zeh) by the south'.'' It is written here: "Zeh" or this and it is written there: "This (Heb. hazeh) rod..." (Shemot 4:17). AND WE HAVE LEARN THAT THE SAME MEANING IS DERIVED FROM THE SAME WXPRESSION, ZEH- THIS, IN BOTH SENTENCES. Due to this staff, they were saved. If you think that those giants simply left them alone, IT WAS NOT SO. The giants in fact came to capture them, but they put the staff in front of the giants and saved themselves. Rabbi Yehuda said, Tradition is that Moses passed on to them the Holy Name. Due to this, they were saved and survived.

73. Rabbi Chiya said, They were referred to by three names - Nefilim (lit. 'fallen ones'), Anakim (lit. 'giants'), Refaim (lit. 'lax ones') - and all of them lived long. First they were called Nefilim, the fallen, AT THE TIME THEY WERE DROPPED DOWN FROM HEAVEN. After they joined up with the daaughters of man and had children from them, THE CHILDREN were called Anakim. Later on, when they continued to spread about the world and become lax, and let go of the WORLD above, they were referred to as Refaim.

74. Rabbi Yehuda said, Behold, it is written: "The shades (Heb. refaim). tremble" (Iyov 26:5) and "who also were considered Refaim as the Anakim" (Devarim 2:11). HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT "REFAIM" IS FROM THE LINGUISTIC ROOT OF LAX, WEAK? RABBI CHIYA said to him: It is so. The explanation is because those giants were from two sides, MEANING FROM AN ANGELIC SOURCE AND A HUMAN FEMALE SOURCE, AND WERE MADE more hopeless TO EXIST on the earth. Similarly, the Refaim that resulted and were born FROM ANAKIM WERE EVEN MORE DESPAIRING UNTIL THEY RELEASED THEMSELVES ALTOGETHER FROM THE ABOVE and were living long lives. When they became weaker, half their body became weakened AND DIED and half their body remained LIVING - SINCE THEY WERE COMPOSED HALF OF ANGELS THAT DO NOT DIE, AND HALF OF HUMANS THAT DO EVENTUALLY DIE. When half of their body was deceased, they used to pick herbs from the wild grasses, MEANING POISONOUS HERBS, swallowed them and died. Because they wished to kill themselves, they were called Refaim, or lax ones, SINCE THEY LET THEMSELVES LOOSE FROM LIFE. Rabbi Yitzchak said, They used to throw themselves into the great sea and drown, and they died. That is what it is written: "The shades (Heb. refaim) tremble; the waters beneath with the inhabitants thereof."

75. Rabbi Shimon said, Had Yisrael entered the promised land under the stigma of THE SPIES' slanderous speech, the world could not have withstood it even for a moment. Who is the artisan of slanderous speech, MEANING ITS SOURCE? The serpent. The secret of the matter is that when the serpent violated Eve, REFERRING TO THE SIN OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, he inflicted her with impurity, MEANING HIS UNCLEANNESS, FROM WHICH COME ALL HUMAN SINS. Rabbi Shimon said the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave everything except for slanderous speech, since it is written: "Who have said, 'With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us'" (Tehilim 12:5).

76. Come and see, the slanderous language OF THE SPIES caused that decree that our ancestors not enter the land. Those who spoke SLANDEROUSLY died, and weeping for generations to come was decreed, SINCE ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THAT DATE WAS ALSO THE DESTRUCTION OF BOTH TEMPLES. It was as if, by speaking SLANDEROUSLY about the Holy Land, they spoke badly about Him. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, zealous about it, and Yisrael would have perished had not Moses prevailed with his prayer.

77. "And they told to him and said to him..." (Bemidbar 13:27): Rabbi Chiya said, What is the change here THAT IT IS WRITTEN: "And they told?'' It is not using the words 'speak' or 'say?' HE RESPONDS: Each one interpreted the matters separately: "And spoke:'' wherever IT IS WRITTEN "THEY SPOKE" it is alluding to wisdom and we already learned that. "And he said" simply MEANS the thoughts of the heart IN THE SAME LINE OF SPEECH, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "NOW HAMAN THOUGHT (LIT. 'SAID') IN HIS HEART" (ESTER 6:6). "And they said" MEANS giving an order, as we already defined it in several places. "And they told" always MEANS relating matters, THAT EACH ONE LAID OUT HIS EXPLANATION OF THE MATTERS.

78. "We came to the land:'' HE ASKS, It should have said, 'We went TO THE LAND.' HE RESPONDS: Yet "we came" MEANS we entered that land that you praised daily, and said that there is nothing like it. "And indeed it flows with milk and honey" (Ibid.): Rabbi Yitzchak said, Whoever wants to lie about something starts first with some truthful matters, in order to have them believe his deceptions. THEREFORE, THEY BEGAN FIRST: "AND INDEED IT FLOWS WITH MILK AND HONEY."

79. Rabbi Chiya said, This is what they said: We came to the land which you were praising every day. You said that there is nothing like it "and indeed it flows with milk and honey," and you exaggerated its praise above all THE LANDS. It is not so, since "this is the fruit of it" (Ibid.). In fact, they cut down one of the smallest clusters AND SHOWED IT TO THEM. They said, If this is the land that the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes as an inheritance for Yisrael, and for which they suffered all these hardships and troubles, we find in the land of Egypt clusters of fruits that are doubly finer than these.

80. "But the people are strong" (Ibid. 28): THEY SAID, It is the custom of the world that the strong ones, who do battles, stay outside THE CITIES to guard the roads. Here, even the city dwellers are powerful and strong. "and the cities are fortified," even if all the kings of the world gather against them, they will not be able to make a dent in their defenses. Rabbi Yosi said, Everything they said was with evil speech, and the harshest of all is what is written: "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev" (Ibid. 29). This is like a person who was bitten by a snake. When they wish to threaten him, they say to him, Here comes the snake.

81. Rabbi Aba said, This certainly posed more difficulty than everything else they said, meaning to say THAT THEY SAID that the one who wages battle with everyone lives here. Where? In the land of the Negev, which is an area THROUGH WHICH entrance is gained TO THE LAND. Immediately, "all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried" (Bemidbar 14:1). They set a weeping pattern for generations to come that night, SINCE IT WAS THE EVENING OF THE NINTH OF AV, AT WHICH DATE BOTH TEMPLES WERE DESTROYED.

82. Rabbi Yosi said, They have conspired among themselves to spread an evil report about everything. What is about everything? Meaning, about the land and the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Yitzchak said, about the land it is correct. About the Holy One, blessed be He, where do we know that from? He told him that is derived from what is written: "But the people are strong," MEANING TO INDICATE there might be no one who could possibly vanquish them. "The people are strong" is exact, MEANING TO SAY THAT EVEN THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, COULD NOT GO AGAINST THEM, AND THAT IS SLANDERING THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. It is further written: "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev." They then caused everything, as we learned, and the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to annihilate them from the world. This is what is written: "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach..." (Tehilim 106:23).