Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, Moshe Rabbeinu continues his heartfelt rebuke of Klal Yisrael, reminding them of the tragic episode of the spies. He recalls how the people approached him with the request to send men to spy out the land of Eretz Yisrael, a plan which Moshe approved, leading to the selection of twelve men, one from each shevet. The spies went up, brought back the beautiful fruit of the land, and admitted that the land Hashem was giving them was indeed good.
Despite this positive report, the people rebelled against the word of Hashem, refusing to go up and instead weeping in their tents. Moshe describes how the people succumbed to fear, falsely claiming that Hashem brought them out of Mitzrayim out of hatred, and how they despaired after hearing the spies' frightening reports of giant people and heavily fortified cities.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַתִּקְרְבוּןAnd you approachedאֵלַיmeכֻּלְּכֶםall of youוַתֹּאמְרוּand you saidנִשְׁלְחָהlet us sendאֲנָשִׁיםmenלְפָנֵינוּbefore usוְיַחְפְּרוּand they will spyלָנוּfor usאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landוְיָשִׁבוּand they will bring backאֹתָנוּto usדָּבָרwordאֶת—הַדֶּרֶךְthe roadאֲשֶׁרwhichנַעֲלֶהwe shall go upבָּהּon itוְאֵתand —הֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרwhichנָבֹאwe shall enterאֲלֵיהֶן׃into them
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וַיִּיטַבAnd it was goodבְּעֵינַיin my eyesהַדָּבָרthe matterוָאֶקַּחand I tookמִכֶּםfrom youשְׁנֵיםtwoעָשָׂרtenאֲנָשִׁיםmenאִישׁa manאֶחָדoneלַשָּׁבֶט׃for the tribe
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וַיִּפְנוּAnd they turnedוַיַּעֲלוּand they went upהָהָרָהto the mountainוַיָּבֹאוּand they cameעַדuntilנַחַלthe valley ofאֶשְׁכֹּלEshcolוַיְרַגְּלוּand they spiedאֹתָהּ׃it
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וַיִּקְחוּAnd they tookבְיָדָםin their handמִפְּרִיfrom the fruit ofהָאָרֶץthe landוַיּוֹרִדוּand they brought downאֵלֵינוּto usוַיָּשִׁבוּand they brought backאֹתָנוּto usדָבָרwordוַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidטוֹבָהgood isהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרwhichיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godנֹתֵןis givingלָנוּ׃to us
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וְלֹאAnd notאֲבִיתֶםdid you wishלַעֲלֹתto go upוַתַּמְרוּand you rebelled againstאֶת—פִּיthe word ofיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃your God
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
וַתֵּרָגְנוּAnd you murmuredבְאָהֳלֵיכֶםin your tentsוַתֹּאמְרוּand you saidבְּשִׂנְאַתbecause of hatred ofיְהוָהHashemאֹתָנוּusהוֹצִיאָנוּHe brought us outמֵאֶרֶץfrom the land ofמִצְרָיִםMitzrayimלָתֵתto deliverאֹתָנוּusבְּיַדinto the hand ofהָאֱמֹרִיthe Emoriלְהַשְׁמִידֵנוּ׃to destroy us
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
אָנָהTo whereאֲנַחְנוּare weעֹלִיםgoing upאַחֵינוּour brothersהֵמַסּוּhave meltedאֶת—לְבָבֵנוּour heartלֵאמֹרsayingעַםa peopleגָּדוֹלgreaterוָרָםand tallerמִמֶּנּוּthan usעָרִיםcitiesגְּדֹלֹתlargeוּבְצוּרֹתand fortifiedבַּשָּׁמָיִםto the heavensוְגַםand alsoבְּנֵיthe sons ofעֲנָקִיםgiantsרָאִינוּwe sawשָׁם׃there
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וָאֹמַרAnd I saidאֲלֵכֶםto youלֹאdo notתַעַרְצוּןbe brokenוְלֹאand do notתִירְאוּןfearמֵהֶם׃of them
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
יְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵיכֶםyour GodהַהֹלֵךְWho goesלִפְנֵיכֶםbefore youהוּאHeיִלָּחֵםwill fightלָכֶםfor youכְּכֹלlike allאֲשֶׁרthatעָשָׂהHe didאִתְּכֶםwith youבְּמִצְרַיִםin Mitzrayimלְעֵינֵיכֶם׃before your eyes
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וּבַמִּדְבָּרand in the wildernessאֲשֶׁרwhereרָאִיתָyou sawאֲשֶׁרhowנְשָׂאֲךָcarried youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godכַּאֲשֶׁרasיִשָׂאcarriesאִישׁa manאֶת—בְּנוֹhis sonבְּכָלon allהַדֶּרֶךְthe wayאֲשֶׁרthatהֲלַכְתֶּםyou traveledעַדuntilבֹּאֲכֶםyour comingעַדtoהַמָּקוֹםthe placeהַזֶּה׃this
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וּבַדָּבָרAnd in the matterהַזֶּהthisאֵינְכֶםyou are notמַאֲמִינִםbelievingבַּיהוָהin Hashemאֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃your God
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
הַהֹלֵךְWho goesלִפְנֵיכֶםbefore youבַּדֶּרֶךְon the wayלָתוּרto scoutלָכֶםfor youמָקוֹםa placeלַחֲנֹתְכֶםfor your encampingבָּאֵשׁin fireלַיְלָהby nightלַרְאֹתְכֶםto show youבַּדֶּרֶךְon the wayאֲשֶׁרthatתֵּלְכוּyou should walkבָהּin itוּבֶעָנָןand in cloudיוֹמָם׃by day
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וַיִּשְׁמַעAnd He heardיְהוָהHashemאֶת—קוֹלthe sound ofדִּבְרֵיכֶםyour wordsוַיִּקְצֹףand He became angryוַיִּשָּׁבַעand He sworeלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
אִםIfיִרְאֶהthere shall seeאִישׁa manבָּאֲנָשִׁיםamong the menהָאֵלֶּהtheseהַדּוֹרthe generationהָרָעevilהַזֶּהthisאֵת—הָאָרֶץthe landהַטּוֹבָהthe goodאֲשֶׁרthatנִשְׁבַּעְתִּיI sworeלָתֵתto giveלַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם׃to your fathers
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
זוּלָתִיexceptכָּלֵבCalevבֶּןson ofיְפֻנֶּהYefunehהוּאheיִרְאֶנָּהshall see itוְלוֹand to himאֶתֵּןI will giveאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatדָּרַךְhe trodבָּהּupon itוּלְבָנָיוand to his childrenיַעַןbecauseאֲשֶׁרthatמִלֵּאhe followed fullyאַחֲרֵיafterיְהוָה׃Hashem
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
גַּםAlsoבִּיwith meהִתְאַנַּףwas incensedיְהוָהHashemבִּגְלַלְכֶםbecause of youלֵאמֹרsayingגַּםalsoאַתָּהyouלֹאshall notתָבֹאenterשָׁם׃there
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
יְהוֹשֻׁעַYehoshuaבִּןson ofנוּןNunהָעֹמֵדwho standsלְפָנֶיךָbefore youהוּאheיָבֹאshall enterשָׁמָּהthereאֹתוֹhimחַזֵּקstrengthenכִּיforהוּאheיַנְחִלֶנָּהshall cause to inherit itאֶת—יִשְׂרָאֵל׃Yisrael
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
Moshe recounts how he tried to strengthen the people's emunah, reminding them of how Hashem fought for them in Mitzrayim and carried them through the midbar like a father carries his son, guiding them constantly with the pillar of fire and cloud. Yet, because of their lack of faith, Hashem became angry and swore that this entire evil generation would not see the Promised Land, with the sole exceptions of Calev ben Yefuneh, who remained loyal, and Yehoshua bin Nun, who would lead Klal Yisrael into the land. Moshe also notes that because of the people's actions, Hashem became angry with him as well, decreeing that he too would not enter Eretz Yisrael.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
In this week's parshah, Moshe Rabbeinu reminds Klal Yisrael of the tragic mistake of the Meraglim. When the spies returned with frightening reports, the people wept in their tents, saying, "Because Hashem hates us, He brought us out of Egypt to destroy us." Moshe pleads with them to remember the truth: "Hashem your G-d carried you, just as a father carries his son, along the entire path you traveled."
Think about how painful this is. Hashem was carrying them in His arms like a beloved child, protecting them with clouds of glory and guiding them with fire, yet they convinced themselves that He hated them. The yetzer hara's greatest trick is to make us look at our challenges and conclude that Hashem is, chas v'shalom, angry with us or trying to hurt us. We fall into the trap of "sulking in our tents," letting fear distort our emunah.
When things get difficult or frightening in your life, you must actively fight this distortion. The challenges are not proof of Hashem's abandonment; they are the very places where He is carrying you. Just as a father holds his child tightest when walking through a dangerous place, Hashem is closest to you when the road gets rough.
Today, when you face a worry, a setback, or a difficult task, stop and say out loud: "Hashem loves me, He is carrying me right now, and He will fight this battle for me."