The Ohr Hachaim explains that the word לֵּאמֹר is usually a command that the message should be given over to someone else. The possuk should usually mean that Hashem spoke to Moshe, telling him to say to someone else. However, in this parsha, the Torah is commanding Moshe himself to send the spies to Eretz Cana’an, and there is no message to send to anyone. Why did the Torah say the word לֵּאמֹר?
The Ohr Hachaim suggests that this word was giving him permission to repeat these words in the name of the Shechina. Without permission, he would be subject to the prohibition of בל תאמר – do not tell. The Gemara (Yuma 4b) says that when someone tells something to someone else, the second person may not repeat it, בל תאמר – do not tell, without explicit permission. With the word לֵּאמֹר, Moshe now received permission to repeat this command to others and let them know that he was doing this on Hashem’s command.
The Ohr Hachaim adds another explanation. Klal Yisroel, when sent to spy on the Cana’anim, could have made the mistake of thinking that Moshe Rabbeinu, too, wished to send spies and that he was of the same opinion and lack of trust as they were. The Torah tells us that Moshe was commanded to tell Klal Yisroel that he was doing this at an expressed command of Hashem, and that he had no part in it. This would also serve to remind them to do so precisely as Hashem commanded them to do so, and not to involve their own feelings and ideas at all. It was already quite obvious that the spies were liable to distort their report and dissuade Klal Yisroel from invading and conquering Eretz Yisroel, and many attempts were made to prevent this from actually happening.
The Ohr Hachaim then suggests that we can understand things differently based on the words of Chazal. The Gemara (Sotah 34b) says, ‘Reish Lakish says: “Send you” means that you should send them at your own discretion and not as a divine command. As, if it were a divine command, does a person choose a bad portion for himself? Since Hashem knew the nature of these spies and that they would ultimately slander the land, He certainly would not have sent them Himself.’ Moshe was commanded to tell all of this to Klal Yisroel that they should realize that their plans were mistaken, and that they should reconsider their position. Sadly, they did not hear this message and things ended up as they did.
