Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, we see the heartbreaking turning point of the chet hamiraglim (the sin of the spies). Yehoshua and Kalev try desperately to warm the hearts of the Bnei Yisrael, pleading with them not to rebel against Hashem or fear the giants of the land, because Hashem is with us and their protection is gone. Instead of listening, the community threatens to pelt them with stones, prompting the Kavod Hashem (the Glory of Hashem) to suddenly appear in the Mishkan before the entire nation.
Hashem speaks to Moshe Rabbeinu in great anger, expressing pain over how this nation continues to spurn Him despite all the open miracles He performed for them. Hashem proposes to wipe them out with a plague and build a new, greater nation from Moshe himself. Moshe, with his boundless love for the Yidden, immediately stands in the breach, pleading with Hashem and invoking His Middos (attributes of mercy) so that the nations of the world will not say Hashem lacked the power to bring His people into the Promised Land.
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
אִםIfחָפֵץdesiresבָּנוּusיְהוָהHashemוְהֵבִיאthen He will bringאֹתָנוּusאֶלtoהָאָרֶץthe landהַזֹּאתthisוּנְתָנָהּand He will give itלָנוּto usאֶרֶץa landאֲשֶׁרthatהִואitזָבַתflows withחָלָבmilkוּדְבָשׁ׃and honey
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
אַךְOnlyבַּיהוָהagainst Hashemאַלdo notתִּמְרֹדוּrebelוְאַתֶּםand youאַלdo notתִּירְאוּfearאֶת—עַםthe people ofהָאָרֶץthe landכִּיforלַחְמֵנוּour breadהֵםthey areסָרhas departedצִלָּםtheir protectionמֵעֲלֵיהֶםfrom over themוַיהוָהand Hashemאִתָּנוּis with usאַלdo notתִּירָאֻם׃fear them
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וַיֹּאמְרוּAnd they saidכָּלallהָעֵדָהthe congregationלִרְגּוֹםto peltאֹתָםthemבָּאֲבָנִיםwith stonesוּכְבוֹדand the glory ofיְהוָהHashemנִרְאָהappearedבְּאֹהֶלin the Tent ofמוֹעֵדMeetingאֶלtoכָּלallבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵל׃Yisrael
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd He saidיְהוָהHashemאֶלtoמֹשֶׁהMosheעַדuntilאָנָהwhenיְנַאֲצֻנִיwill spurn Meהָעָםthe peopleהַזֶּהthisוְעַדand untilאָנָהwhenלֹאwill they notיַאֲמִינוּbelieveבִיin Meבְּכֹלdespite allהָאֹתוֹתthe signsאֲשֶׁרthatעָשִׂיתִיI performedבְּקִרְבּוֹ׃in its midst
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
אַכֶּנּוּI will strike himבַדֶּבֶרwith the pestilenceוְאוֹרִשֶׁנּוּand I will disinherit himוְאֶעֱשֶׂהand I will makeאֹתְךָyouלְגוֹיinto a nationגָּדוֹלgreatוְעָצוּםand mightyמִמֶּנּוּ׃more than he
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd saidמֹשֶׁהMosheאֶלtoיְהוָהHashemוְשָׁמְעוּand will hearמִצְרַיִםMitzrayimכִּיthatהֶעֱלִיתָYou brought upבְכֹחֲךָwith Your strengthאֶת—הָעָםthe nationהַזֶּהthisמִקִּרְבּוֹ׃from its midst
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וְאָמְרוּAnd they will sayאֶלtoיוֹשֵׁבthe inhabitant ofהָאָרֶץthe landהַזֹּאתthisשָׁמְעוּthey have heardכִּיthatאַתָּהYouיְהוָהHashemבְּקֶרֶבare in the midst ofהָעָםthe peopleהַזֶּהthisאֲשֶׁרthatעַיִןeyeבְּעַיִןto eyeנִרְאָהare seenאַתָּהYouיְהוָהHashemוַעֲנָנְךָand Your cloudעֹמֵדstandsעֲלֵהֶםover themוּבְעַמֻּדand in a pillar ofעָנָןcloudאַתָּהYouהֹלֵךְgoלִפְנֵיהֶםbefore themיוֹמָםby dayוּבְעַמּוּדand in a pillar ofאֵשׁfireלָיְלָה׃by night
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וְהֵמַתָּהAnd if You slayאֶת—הָעָםthe peopleהַזֶּהthisכְּאִישׁas manאֶחָדoneוְאָמְרוּthen will sayהַגּוֹיִםthe nationsאֲשֶׁרwhoשָׁמְעוּhave heardאֶת—שִׁמְעֲךָYour fameלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
מִבִּלְתִּיFrom a lack ofיְכֹלֶתability ofיְהוָהHashemלְהָבִיאto bringאֶת—הָעָםthe nationהַזֶּהthisאֶלtoהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatנִשְׁבַּעHe sworeלָהֶםto themוַיִּשְׁחָטֵםand He slaughtered themבַּמִּדְבָּר׃in the wilderness
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וְעַתָּהAnd nowיִגְדַּלlet be greatנָאpleaseכֹּחַthe strength ofאֲדֹנָיmy LordכַּאֲשֶׁרasדִּבַּרְתָּYou have spokenלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
יְהוָהHashemאֶרֶךְslow toאַפַּיִםangerוְרַבand abundant inחֶסֶדkindnessנֹשֵׂאforgivingעָוֺןiniquityוָפָשַׁעand transgressionוְנַקֵּהbut cleansingלֹאHe does notיְנַקֶּהcleanse completelyפֹּקֵדvisitingעֲוֺןthe iniquity ofאָבוֹתfathersעַלuponבָּנִיםchildrenעַלuponשִׁלֵּשִׁיםthe third generationוְעַלand uponרִבֵּעִים׃the fourth generation
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
סְלַחPardonנָאpleaseלַעֲוֺןthe iniquity ofהָעָםthe nationהַזֶּהthisכְּגֹדֶלaccording to the greatness ofחַסְדֶּךָYour kindnessוְכַאֲשֶׁרand asנָשָׂאתָהYou have forgivenלָעָםto the nationהַזֶּהthisמִמִּצְרַיִםfrom Mitzrayimוְעַדand untilהֵנָּה׃now
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd He saidיְהוָהHashemסָלַחְתִּיI have forgivenכִּדְבָרֶךָ׃according to your word
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וְאוּלָםbutחַיas I liveאָנִי·וְיִמָּלֵאand shall be filledכְבוֹדwith the glory ofיְהוָהHashemאֶת—כָּלall ofהָאָרֶץ׃the earth
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
כִּיForכָלallהָאֲנָשִׁיםthe menהָרֹאִיםwho seeאֶת—כְּבֹדִיMy gloryוְאֶתand —אֹתֹתַיMy signsאֲשֶׁרwhichעָשִׂיתִיI performedבְמִצְרַיִםin Mitzrayimוּבַמִּדְבָּרand in the wildernessוַיְנַסּוּand they testedאֹתִיMeזֶהtheseעֶשֶׂרtenפְּעָמִיםtimesוְלֹאand did notשָׁמְעוּhearkenבְּקוֹלִי׃to My voice
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
אִםifיִרְאוּthey shall seeאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatנִשְׁבַּעְתִּיI sworeלַאֲבֹתָםto their fathersוְכָלand allמְנַאֲצַיthose who spurn Meלֹאshall notיִרְאוּהָ׃see it
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וְעַבְדִּיand My servantכָלֵבCalevעֵקֶבbecauseהָיְתָהthere wasרוּחַa spiritאַחֶרֶתdifferentעִמּוֹwith himוַיְמַלֵּאand he followedאַחֲרָיafter Meוַהֲבִיאֹתִיוand I will bring himאֶלtoהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatבָּאhe cameשָׁמָּהthereוְזַרְעוֹand his offspringיוֹרִשֶׁנָּה׃shall possess it
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וְהָעֲמָלֵקִיAnd the Amalekiteוְהַכְּנַעֲנִיand the Canaaniteיוֹשֵׁבdwellבָּעֵמֶקin the valleyמָחָרtomorrowפְּנוּturnוּסְעוּand journeyלָכֶםfor yourselvesהַמִּדְבָּרto the wildernessדֶּרֶךְby way ofיַםthe Sea ofסוּף׃Reeds
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
Moshe Rabbeinu's heartfelt tefillos are answered as Hashem declares, "Salachti kidvarecha" (I have pardoned according to your word). However, midas hadin (the attribute of justice) still demands a consequence; Hashem decrees that the generation of the desert who witnessed His wonders yet tested Him ten times will never see the Promised Land. Only Kalev, who showed a different spirit of loyalty, is promised entry and inheritance, while the rest of the nation is commanded to turn back into the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
Look at the contrast the Torah paints for us here. On one side, we see the tragic mistake of the Meraglim and the nation, who looked at the challenges ahead and forgot the years of open miracles, the pillars of cloud and fire, and the constant hand of Hashem. They let their fear blind them to their own history of emunah. On the other side, we see Calev, who is praised because he had a "ruach acheres"—a different spirit. He didn't let the panic of the crowd sway him; he remained fully loyal, holding onto the simple truth that if Hashem is with us, there is nothing to fear.
This is a profound lesson in our own daily avodah. How often do we face a sudden difficulty—a parnassah worry, a shidduch challenge, or a family strain—and immediately fall into anxiety, completely forgetting how many times Hashem has carried us through in the past? We have all experienced our own personal "miracles" and moments of clear hashgacha pratis. To have a "different spirit" like Calev means training ourselves to actively recall those moments of help when a new nisayon arises, using our past emunah to fuel our current bitachon.
When you feel overwhelmed today by a challenge, stop and consciously remember one specific time in your life when Hashem clearly helped you out of a difficult situation, and use that memory to remind yourself: "The same Hashem who helped me then is with me right now."