וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת הָעָם. שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה אָמַר לָהֶם אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בְּעֵצָה אַחַת, וּבְלִבּוֹ הָיָה לוֹמַר אֱמֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאָשֵׁב אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבִי, וְאַחַי אֲשֶׁר עָלוּ עִמִּי הִמְסִיו (יהושע יד, ז-ח). וְכֵן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵעִיד עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַבְדִי כָלֵב עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת וְגוֹ'. כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ הַמְּרַגְּלִים, אָמְרוּ, נֶאֱמָן עָלֵינוּ כָּלֵב. מִיָּד עָמַד עַל הַסַּפְסָל וְשִׁתֵּק אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיוּ מִסִּיחִים עַל מֹשֶׁה. וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת הָעָם אֶל מֹשֶׁה. וְהֵן הָיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע, לְפִיכָךְ שָׁתְקוּ. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אוֹתָהּ כִּי יָכוֹל נוּכַל לָהּ. מִיָּד כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ כָּךְ, חָלְקוּ כְּנֶגְדוֹ וְאָמְרוּ, לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת אֶל הָעָם כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ, וַיּוֹצִיאוּ דִּבַּת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תָּרוּ אוֹתָהּ. (Numb. 13:30:) “Then Caleb hushed the people [before Moses].” As at first he said to them, “I am of the same opinion as you”; but his heart was for speaking the truth, as stated (in Josh. 14:7), “and I brought him back word according to what was in my heart. But my brothers that were with me melted [the people’s heart].”38Numb. R. 16:19; Sot. 35a. The Holy One, blessed be He, also testifies over him, as stated (in Numb. 14:24), “But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him.” So when the spies came, they said, “We can trust Caleb.” Immediately he stood up on a stool39Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had all Israel become silent from clamoring against Moses, [as stated] (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” Now they were thinking that he would utter slander. For that reason they were silent. He began by saying (ibid., cont.), “We should certainly go up and possess it.” Immediately when they heard this, they took issue with him and said (in Numb. 13:31–32), “’We are unable to go up against this people […].’ So they spread calumny about the land ….”