(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֙רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם׃ (ג) וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן עַל־פִּ֣י יהוה כֻּלָּ֣ם אֲנָשִׁ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽמָּה׃ (ד) וְאֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֑ם ... (יז) וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֹתָם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָת֖וּר אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵקֶ֗ם עֲל֥וּ זֶה֙ בַּנֶּ֔גֶב וַעֲלִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־הָהָֽר׃ (יח) וּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־הָעָם֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ הֶחָזָ֥ק הוּא֙ הֲרָפֶ֔ה הַמְעַ֥ט ה֖וּא אִם־רָֽב׃ (יט) וּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטוֹבָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים׃ ... (כה) וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃ (כו) וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן קָדֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּשִׁ֨יבוּ אוֹתָ֤ם דָּבָר֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּרְא֖וּם אֶת־פְּרִ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ (כח) אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃ (כט) עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (ל) וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃ (לא) וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (לב) וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃ (לג) וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people; send one man from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a chieftain among them.” (3) So Moses, by the LORD’s command, sent them out from the wilderness of Paran, all the men being leaders of the Israelites. (4) And these were their names.... (17) When Moses sent them to scout the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb and on into the hill country, (18) and see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many? ... (25) At the end of forty days they returned from scouting the land. (26) They went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, and they made their report to them and to the whole community, as they showed them the fruit of the land. (27) This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.” (32) Thus they spread calumnies among the Israelites about the land they had scouted, saying, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are men of great size; (33) we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we were like grasshoppers to our eyes, and so we were to their eyes.”
(לג) וכן היינו בעיניהם. שָׁמַעְנוּ אוֹמְרִים זֶה לָזֶה, נְמָלִים יֵשׁ בַּכְּרָמִים כַּאֲנָשִׁים (סוטה ל"ה):
SO WE WERE IN THEIR EYES—We heard them say one to another; “There are ants in the vineyards that look like human beings" (Sota 35a).
(לג) כחגבים - הנמוך נראה לגבוה ממנו הרבה כחגבים, שהם נמוכים מאד. וזה מוכיח: היושב על חוג הארץ ויושביה כחגבים.
כחגבים, anything low considers itself as like a grasshopper when compared to something much taller. We find proof of this in Is. 40:22, “compared to the One Who is enthroned above the vault of the earth views its inhabitants as if they were grasshoppers.”
(לג) הנפילים. שכל הרואה אותם מתפלא עליהם. ד"א שכל הרואה אותם מתיירא שלא יפלו עליו:
The Nephilim - anyone who took a look at these people would feel wonder. Another interpretation: whoever saw them would feel scared that they would attack him.
(א) וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיָּתֻרוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ. כֵּיצַד, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ נִכְנָסִין לָעִיר וְהַדֶּבֶר נוֹגֵף אֶת הַגְּדוֹלִים וּמִתְעַסְּקִין בְּנֵי הָעִיר בִּקְבוּרָתוֹ, וְהָיוּ נִכְנָסִין וּבְרִיָּה לֹא הָיְתָה רוֹאָה אוֹתָן, לְכָךְ אָמְרוּ, הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ בָהּ לָתוּר אוֹתָהּ אֶרֶץ אוֹכֶלֶת יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ הִיא. בַּנִּסִּים שֶׁהָיָה עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בּוֹ הוֹצִיאוּ דִּבָּה. וַיַּעֲלוּ בַּנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן וְשָׁם אֲחִימָן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי, שֶׁהָיוּ גִּבּוֹרִים עַד מְאֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ וְאַתָּה שָׁמַעְתָּ וְגוֹ' (דברים ט, ב). אָמַר רַבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה הַכֹּהֵן בְּרַבִּי, מָצְאוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי עֲנָק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשֵׁם אֲחִימָן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי. לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אֲחִימָן. שֶׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר, אֲחִי, מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עָלַי שׁוּם אָדָם. שֵׁשַׁי, שֶׁהָיָה בָּרִיא כְּשַׁיִשׁ. תַּלְמַי, שֶׁהָיָה חָזָק וְעוֹשֶׂה תְּלָמִים בָּאָרֶץ. יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק, שֶׁהָיָה עוֹנֵק אֶת הַחַמָּה. כְּשֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתָם מְרַגְּלִים נִתְיָרְאוּ. מִיָּד הָלְכוּ וְאָמְרוּ, כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, הִקִּישָׁן כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָן, וּבְאוֹתוֹ הֶעָוֹן נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם גְּזֵרוֹת קָשׁוֹת. מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר לְיִרְמְיָה, לֵךְ וֶאֱמֹר לָהֶן, אֵין אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִים מַה הוֹצֵאתֶם מִפִּיכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְקוֹל הֲמֻלָּה גְּדוֹלָה הִצִּית אֵשׁ עָלֶיהָ וְרָעוּ דָּלִיּוֹתָיו (ירמיה יא, טז). לְקוֹל הֲמֻלָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם, מַה גְּרַמְתֶּם לְעַצְמְכֶם, הִצִּית אֵשׁ עָלֶיהָ, יוֹם לְשָׁנָה יוֹם לְשָׁנָה תִּשְּׂאוּ אֶת עוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם. אָמְרוּ, וַנְּהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וִתַּרְתִּי עָלֶיהָ. אֶלָּא, וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, מַקְפִּיד אֲנִי. וְכִי יוֹדְעִים הֱיִיתֶם מֶה עָשִׂיתִי אֶתְכֶם בְּעֵינֵיהֶם. מִי יֹאמַר לָכֶם, שֶׁלֹּא הֱיִיתֶם בְּעֵינֵיהֶם כְּמַלְאָכִים. מַה גָּרְמוּ לְעַצְמָן. בְּמִסְפַּר הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר תַּרְתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. לֹא דַּיָּם כָּךְ, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא נִכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁלוּחֵי בָּשָׂר וָדָם, נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ. אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ לָכֶם מַלְאָכִי פִּתְאֹם וְיַפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ לְפָנַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּפִתְאֹם יָבֹא אֶל הֵיכָלוֹ וְגוֹ' (מלאכי ג, א).
They said (in Numb. 13:33), “And in our own eyes we were like grasshoppers.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I forgave them for that [remark]; but I was exacting [when they said] (ibid., cont.), ‘And so we were in their eyes.’ Who would say that you were not like angels in their eyes? Do you know what I made you in their eyes?”
We, who have a tendency to see ourselves as grasshoppers at times, need to be continually reminded to expand our vision and remember that we stand in every moment before a loving God. In those moments when self-doubt clouds or constricts our vision, we are asked to life our eyes, to try to peer through the cracks in the walls we have built, and open ourselves to the possibility that we may be like angels in the eyes of an Other.
Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld
Excerpts from Kafka's Metamorphosis
"I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.”
(לט) וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יהוה וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
That shall be your tzitzit; and you will see it and remember all the mitzvot of the LORD and observe them, so that you do not scout after your heart and eyes since you lust after them.
(לט) וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות יהוה תזכרו שאתם עבדים לאל יתברך ושקבלתם מצותיו באלה ובשבועה וזה בראותם הציצית שהוא כחותם המלך בעבדיו ובזה תחדלו מתור אחרי לבבכם להשיג שרירות לבכם כעושר וכבוד אפילו בגזל:
(מ) ואחרי עיניכם להשיג תאוות שנתתם עיניכם בהן:
(מא) אשר אתם זונים אחריהם מטים נפשכם השכלית בהן מדרכי חיי עולם לדרכי אבדון ומות:
You will see it, and you will remember all the mitzvot - you will be reminded that you are God’s servants whose commandments you have accepted reinforced by oaths known as אלה (alah) and (shevuah) שבועה. This reminder will be due to your looking at the “fringes” that may be viewed as if their king had placed a stamp on your bodies confirming that the wearer is one of his subjects.
After your eyes - to object to the urge of which you put your eyes on.
That you lust after them - it diverts your rational souls from the paths of life eternal to the paths of destruction and death.
(לט) ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם. כְּמוֹ "מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ" (במדבר י"ג); הַלֵּב וְהָעֵינַיִם הֵם מְרַגְּלִים לַגּוּף, מְסַרְסְרִים לוֹ אֶת הָעֲבֵרוֹת, הָעַיִן רוֹאָה וְהַלֵּב חוֹמֵד וְהַגּוּף עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָעֲבֵרָה (תנחומא):
The verb תתרו has the same meaning as in (Num. 13:25), “and they returned from searching (מתור) the land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YOU SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (cf. Berakhot 1:8; Tanchuma).
One can understand their statement "We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves" for that was the way they really saw themselves. However, what right did they have to say "and so we must have looked to them?" What difference should it make how we [the scouts] appeared to them.
Rabbi Menahem Mendl of Kotzk on Numbers 13:33 in Torah Gems, p. 67
It seems that this sidrah is all about seeing--what we choose to see, and what we ignore. Caleb and Joshua saw the beauty of the land. The remaining spies could see only obstacles that stood in the way of the Israelites taking possession of the land. And the Israelites themselves, who heard the spies' reports, were blinded by their fear of the unknown, rather than being open to the opportunities that would be afforded to them as they enjoyed freedom in the land that had been promised to their ancestors.
By contrast, the tzitzit require us to have our eyes open to appreciate them, and in so doing we are reminded of God's mitzvot and of the kindness that God showed to us in redeeming us from Egypt. We can go through our lives with blinders before our eyes, refusing to bear witness to God's graciousness toward us. Or, we can open eyes that have previously been blind and proclaim, Ashreinu, "How greatly have we been blessed!"
(by Alan Cook, 2006, in Voices of Torah page 402-403)
They were saying about themselves, and they were saying about all of Am Yisrael:
- Like grasshoppers, we can’t focus – we’ll try anything whether it’s useful for us or not. We hop from one thing to another, one focus or mission or cause to the next.
- Like grasshoppers, we don’t lift our eyes up enough – we’re content to be in a field where everything is small like us, where nothing reaches to the heavens. In the psalms grass is compared to the wicked, who are widespread and fast growing but shallow, while the righteous are like a palm tree – tall, not so many, but deeply rooted. They were saying: We’re grassy, not palmy.
- Like grasshoppers, we don’t sink roots. Our commitments are not deep, we don’t take the time to make them deep or to trust one another to be deeply rooted.
- Like grasshoppers, we don’t trust ourselves as a group to be capable of great things – we think if we try to act collectively we will be destructive.
From Sermon by Rabbi Jon Spira-Savett
(ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)
(3) Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.—
Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen Kagan zt”l of Radin, asks a straightforward question. He says: this verse is truly amazing. The person who brought the Jewish people out of Egypt, who split the sea for them, and received the Torah from Heaven — how could he possibly consider himself smaller than everyone else?
The answer is: true greatness is measured not in the eyes of other people, but in the eyes of G-d. We cannot judge people by absolute standards of measure. A person’s obligation, in the Service of G-d, is based upon how well he or she understands our obligation. Precisely because Moshe had ascended to Heaven, he believed that he had not fulfilled his obligations. He could not judge himself against the people “on the face of the earth,” for he alone had ascended to Heaven with the angels, and was required to be that much more like an angel than an ordinary man. We are not judged based upon where we are, but upon what we have accomplished with the “tools” we are given.
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, "Fearing Failure or Fearing Success," Online Newsletter 6/16/2025
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that the people appointed by Moses to be spies were the chieftains of the twelve tribes. They were not a cross section of the Israelite people. The Rebbe suggests that the spies were not afraid of failure, but rather were afraid of success. After all they now lived in the desert where daily manna fell from heaven and when necessary, Moses could get water from a rock. The clouds of glory that traveled with them were evidence that God was their traveling companion. The chieftains were in charge and liked the status quo. They had no interest in rocking the boat. Most of all they didn’t want new challenges.
Living in the land of Israel would be like leaving the Garden of Eden, where everything is provided. In Israel, they would have to grow crops, fight enemies, and create a government. In other words, they would have to live in the reality of everyday life, with its challenges and opportunities. The Rebbe teaches that our task is to bring God and holiness into everyday reality—into the office and your home and community... The truth is the promised land always lies ahead, never in some idealized past.