Idol Worship
A Jew would rather take one’s life to avoid the action of Idol Worship, even though internal belief is the lacking
Wood-Gatherer
Guilty for the perceived act of violating Shabbos, even though the intent was for the sake of Heaven
The Spies
Mistake to stress the service of the intellect and intent, rather than go to the Land and do the practical acts of observance
G-d forewarned Moshe of the calamity by the fact that He Himself did not command Moshe to send the spies. He rather told Moshe to send them on his own accord.
R’ Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz in his commentary on the Chumash entitled Kli Yakar, gives a fascinating explanation as to what G-d would rather have had Moshe do.
The verse says: “Send forth men, if you please.” The Kli Yakar explains that G-d had preferred that Moshe send women to scout out the land. Had women been sent, their love of the land would have shown through and they would not have described a dreary depiction of its qualities.
The Torah relates how the women of that generation loved the Land of Israel, while the men despised it. The Medrash explains, “The virtue of women is superior to that of men; as the men said, ‘Give us a leader, and we shall return to Egypt.’ The women said, ‘Give us inheritance in the land.’”
Had Moshe sent women, perhaps this calamitous event in history could have been averted.
