אִם חָפֵץ בָנוּ ה' וְהֵבִיא אֹתָנוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹאת
If Hashem desires us, and He will bring us into this Land...
The ten spies came back from Eretz Yisrael with a slanderous report saying that they would not be able to conquer the Land. Kalev said to the people “If Hashem desires us, and He will bring us into the Land.”
Kalev’s words are difficult to understand. By using the word “if”, he seems to suggest that it was not certain that Hashem would bring them into the Land, even though Hashem had told them that He would bring them into the Land as He had sworn to their ancestors.
On their tour of Eretz Yisroel, the Meraglim saw the great prosperity of Eretz Yisroel. They were afraid that when Bnei Yisroel would enter the land and enjoy this prosperity, it would cause them to be self-assured and forget about Hashem.
In response, Kalev told the Jewish people that despite the challenge of wealth, they had nothing to fear. His words אם חפץ בנו ה' could also be read as “if the desire within us is Hashem”. It is not a question on Hashem, but rather a question on ourselves.
If we strengthen our connection to Hashem and not get caught up in the pursuit of physical indulgence, there is no reason for fear. If the primary desire in our hearts is for Hashem and His service, He will bring us into the Land and we will be successful.
Kalev continued עלה נעלה וירשנו אותה - “we will surely go up and conquer it”. Not only will we not be pulled-down by material success, we will raise ourselves spiritually and conquer the temptation for material pleasure, pushing it aside to attain our true desire of serving Hashem. Then we will have nothing to fear.
