By Rabbi Moshe Pogrow
In Devarim, Moshe retells this story from memory. The people had crossed Midbar Paran and reached Kadesh Barnea. They had already been commanded to climb over the Emori mountains and begin the conquest. The people then asked Moshe to send before them a group of men, vayachperu lanu es ha’aretz; to make them aware of the land. They wanted to find the best route to enter and familiarize themselves with the cities.
Moshe himself says, vayitav b’einai hadavar. Upon entry into Eretz Yisrael, open miracles would end and the people would have to actively participate in their fate anyway. Even in the midbar, he had drawn on Yisro’s knowledge of the region—although the journey was conducted under G-d's direction!
According to Sforno, Hashem’s command differs from the request of the people in one respect: they wanted to choose the men, whereas G-d commanded Moshe to select the most qualified from each tribe. It is also likely that the substance of the mission was changed. According to the people, the goal was vayachperu, to spy out the country’s vulnerable points.
Hashem does not need our praise. He knows our needs without our telling Him. He can read our thoughts. Why, then, do we need to daven? Through tefillah, we realize the greatness of Hashem and how dependent we are upon Him every second of our lives. As we daven, we come closer to Hashem and thereby become more deserving that He should accept and answer our tefillos. The most important thing about davening is to remember that there is someone listening. Although Hashem does not speak to us, He hears every bracha and tefillah.
Adapted from Emunah in the Classroom
Hashem’s command was vayasuru, exploration with a subjective purpose—primarily, searching out the good points suitable for some purpose. This command expanded the mission. The scouts were not charged only with finding the best way to conquer the land—rather, their mission was to get to know the land itself as a base for the development of a nation: Eretz Canaan asher ani nosein l’bnei Yisrael. Today it is Canaan, and G-d now gives it to the Children of Israel.
The question “hechazak hu harafeh” at first glance appears to be the most important question in the mission of conquering the land. If the inhabitants are strong, it will be hard to conquer; if they are weak, it will be easy. However, from the Jewish standpoint, it is irrelevant whether the inhabitants are weak or strong. The conquest is not a question of either/or. Hence, the two sides are presented not as opposites, but side by side as different options.
So the mission became something completely different from what the people intended. They were to get to know the land not for the sake of conquest, but to learn a lesson. If they found deficiencies in it, they would tell their children, who would merit to see the difference between their parents’ stories and their own lives. If they found wealth and abundance, they would be able to imagine the blessings that were yet to come.
And above all, when they saw the power of the land’s Canaanite residents, it would serve as a warning to them: Power and might will not save a nation from ruin if it violates the Divine law.
Based on the commentary of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l on Chumash, with permission from the publisher.
