Rashi on TanakhNumbers 14

The entire community The Sanhedrin members.

Would we had died. Would that we had died.

Let us appoint (lit. place) a head. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, “Let us appoint a head,” ‘Let us appoint a king over us.’ The Rabbis, of blessed memory, interpret this as referring to idolatry.

Do not rebel. Consequently, “and you do not be afraid, etc.

For they are [as] our bread. We will consume them like bread.

Their protection (lit. shade) is removed from them. Their shield and strength. The righteous among them have died — Iyov, who shielded them with his merit. (Another interpretation: The Omnipresent’s shield has been removed from them.)

They should be stoned. Yehoshua and Caleiv.

When the glory of Adonoy. The Cloud descended there.

Until where. To what degree.

Will . . . provoke me. [יְנַאֲצוּנִי means] will they anger me.

Despite all the signs. Because of all the miracles I performed for them, they should have believed that I am capable of fulfilling my promise.

And [I will] annihilate them. As Targum [Onkelos] renders it, meaning annihilation. Perhaps you will ask, ‘what will I do about the oath to the patriarchs’?

I shall make you into a greater nation. As you are descended from them.

But Egypt will hear. They will hear that You killed them.

That You . . . brought up. כִּי is used to denote “that.” And they saw that You brought them up, with Your great power, from among them. When they hear that You killed them, they will not say that they sinned against You. Rather, they will say that, against them, You were able to wage war, but against the inhabitants of the land, You were not able to wage war. This is [the meaning of the following]:

They will say, concerning (lit. to) the inhabitants of this land. Like עַל, “concerning” the inhabitants of this land. What will they say about them? What is said at the end of the subject, because of Hashem’s inability. Since they have heard that You, God, dwell in their midst, and You, Hashem, are revealed to them before their eyes, all in a loving way, and they are not aware that Your love for them was removed from them, until now.

If You kill this nation like a single man. Suddenly. As a result, the nations who have heard etc.

Because of [Adonoy’s] inability. Because the inhabitants of the land are strong and valorous, and Pharaoh is not the same as thirty-one kings. This is what they will say about the inhabitants of this land. Because of inability. Since He was not able to bring them, He slaughtered them.

[In]ability. This is an abstract noun.

Let my Master’s power be enhanced. By fulfilling Your word.

As You spoke, saying: What is the statement?

Adonoy, slow to anger. At the righteous and at the wicked. When Moshe ascended on high, he found the Holy One, Blessed is He, sitting and writing, “Hashem is slow to anger.” He (Moshe) said to Him, ‘to the righteous’? The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to him, ‘even to the wicked’! He (Moshe) said to Him, ‘let the wicked perish’! He said to him ‘by your life, you will need this thing.’ When the Israelites sinned with the [golden] calf and the spies, Moshe prayed before Him with “slow to anger.” The Holy One, Blessed is He, said: “But you said to Me ‘to the righteous”’? He (Moshe) said to Him: “But You said to me, ‘Even to the wicked’.”

Acquit. Those who repent.

[He] does not acquit. Those who do not repent.

As you spoke. Because of your statement, ”lest they say, ‘because of Hashem’s inability’.”

However. Like, ‘However, I will do the following to them.

As I Live. This denotes an oath. Just as I live and My glory will fill all the earth, so shall I fulfill to them, “for, all the people who see, etc. . . . If they will see the land.”

Have tested Me. Like its plain meaning.

These ten times. Twice at the [splitting of the] sea, twice with the manna, twice with the quail, etc., as stated in Maseches Arachin.

If they will see. They will not see. (If they will see the land. This passage should be rearranged [as follows]: As I live, for all the men, if they will see the land and yet My glory will fill all the earth, so that My Name will not be desecrated through this plague [by those] saying ‘Because of Hashem’s inability to bring them.’ for, I will not kill them suddenly, like a single man, but over forty years, little by little.)

[They] will not see it. They will not see the land.

A different spirit. Two spirits, one verbal, and one in his heart. To the spies he said, ‘I am with you in your plan,’ but in his heart he intended to tell the truth. Because of this, he was able to silence them, as it is said, “Caleiv silenced [the people],” since they thought he would speak as they did. Thus it is said in the book of Yehoshua, “I (Caleiv) brought back word to him (Moshe) according to what was in my heart — but not according to what was in my mouth.

And followed Me fully. He followed Me full-heartedly. This is a shortened passage.

To which he came. Chevron will be given to m.

Will cast out [the inhabitants] from it. As Targum [Onkelos] renders it, “they will cast out from it.” They will cast out the giants and the people who are in it. But it should not be translated “will inherit it,” unless the text reads יִירָשֶׁנָּה .

The Amaleki, etc. If you go there they will kill you, since I am not with you.

Tomorrow, turn. Back and travel, etc.

Wicked congregation, etc. These are the spies. From here [we derive] that a congregation is ten.

Those who provoke. The Israelites against me.

The complaints of Bnei Yisroel which they, the spies provoked them into complaining against me, I have heard.

As I live. This denotes an oath. ‘If [I do] not, etc., so I shall do, if it were possible to say, I do not live.

As you have spoken. You requested from Me, “Or would that we had died in this desert.”

All of you who were counted according to your numbers. All those counted in every census in which you were counted. For example, going and coming with the army, and contributing the shekolim. Everyone counted in all those tallies will die. They are the following: From the age of twenty, etc. This excludes the tribe of Levi, who were not counted from the age of twenty.

Your corpses — yours. As Targum [Onkelos] renders [(דִי לְכוֹן) “yours”]. Since He discussed bringing the children into the land, and He now wants to say ‘but you will die,’ it is appropriate, here, to say “yours.”

Forty years. Not one of them died before the age of sixty. This is why the decree was for forty [years], so that those who were twenty years old would reach the age of sixty. The first year was included, although it preceded the sending of the spies, because, from the time that they made the golden calf, the plan for this decree was formulated, But He waited until their measure was filled. This is [the meaning of] what is said, “on my day of reckoning — with the spies — I will take their sin into account.” Here, too, it is said, “you must bear your sins,” [plural] two sins, that of the calf, and that of the complaint. In calculating their ages, He considered part of the year as the whole, so that when they entered their sixtieth year, those who had been twenty years old died.

They will bear [the burden of] your dissoluteness. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, “they will receive [punishment for] your sins.”

My displeasure. You diverted your hearts from following Me. תְּנוּאָה denotes turning away, like, “for her father restrained her [from her vow].”

Who returned and provoked [the] complaints against him. When they returned from spying on the land, they incited the entire congregation against him by issuing a derogatory report — those men died. הוֹצָאַת דִּבָּה always denotes directed speech, where the tongue is plied to report about someone, like, “causing the lips of sleepers to murmur.” It may be either good or bad. This is why it says here “who spread evil slander against the land,” since דִּבָּה may be good.

Slander. Parlerie in Old French.

In a plague, before Adonoy. By the particular death suited to them, measure for measure. They sinned with the tongue, so their tongues were distended until their navel, and maggots came from their tongues and entered their navel. This is why it says, בַּמַּגֵּפָה, and not בְּמַּגֵּפָה . And this is [the meaning of] “before Hashem” — as particularly suited to them, according to the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed is He, Who metes out measure for measure.

Yehoshua . . . and Caleiv . . . lived, etc. What does the Torah teach by saying, “lived, from among those men”? It teaches that they took the spies’ portion in the land, replacing them in life.

To the peak of the mountain. This was the route going up to Eretz Yisroel.

We are ready to go up to the place. To Eretz Yisroel.

Of which Adonoy spoke. To give to us — let us go up there.

For we have sinned. Since we said, “Is it not better for us to return to Egypt.”

It will not succeed. Your actions will not succeed.

For, you turned. As if to say, ‘for this will befall you because you turned, etc.’

They defiantly. The word [וַיַעְפִּלוּ] denotes strength. Similarly, “behold, [the wicked] are towering.” Engres, in Old French, denoting willfulness. Similarly, “the fortress of the daughter of Zion,” “fortress and stronghold.” But Midrash Tanchuma explains it as denoting darkness — they went in darkness, without permission.

And crushed them. Like, “I crushed it, grinding it [well].” Blow after blow.

Until Chormah. The place was named to commemorate this incident.