Parshas Shelach
1. This week's Torah portion relates the sin of the spies, their "הוצאת דיבה על הארץ" ("spreading an evil report about the land")1, and among the matters of the evil report that they spoke was: "ושם ראינו את הנפילים בני ענק מן הנפילים ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם" ("And there we saw the nefilim, the sons of the giant, of the nefilim; and we were in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes")2.
Rashi pauses on the word "הנפילים" ("the nefilim") and explains: "ענקים מבני שמחזאי ועזאל שנפלו מן השמים בימי דור אנוש" ("Giants, from the descendants of Shamchazai and Azael, who fell from heaven in the days of the generation of Enosh").
The commentators3 learn that Rashi is resolving the difficulty of the repeated term "nefilim" in the verse ("the nefilim . . . of the nefilim")4: Rashi explains that the two occurrences of "nefilim" each have a different meaning. The first "nefilim" means "giants" (as Rashi explains in Parshas Bereishis5 that "nefilim" — "בלשון עברית לשון ענקים הוא" ("in the Hebrew language it is a term for giants")), and the second time — "(בני ענק) מן הנפילים" ("[the sons of the giant] of the nefilim") — is "מלשון נפילה שנפלו מן השמים" ("from the term 'falling,' for they fell from heaven"); and the meaning of the verse is that they saw the giants who descended "מאותם שנפלו מן השמים שהם שמחזאי ועזאל" ("from those who fell from heaven, namely Shamchazai and Azael").
However, one must understand (in addition to the difficulty in their interpretation, as will be explained below in Section 3): what difference does it make for the plain meaning of Scripture to know (a) that the nefilim who fell from heaven were called Shamchazai and Azael, and (b) that their fall was "בימי דור אנוש" ("in the days of the generation of Enosh")6?!
Even more puzzling: on the verse "הנפילים היו בארץ" ("The nefilim were on the earth") (in Parshas Bereishis), we do not find that Rashi informs us of the names of the nefilim. This is puzzling: since in the place where the event is related (in Parshas Bereishis) Rashi did not find it necessary to bring the names of the "nefilim," why specifically in our portion, where the matter of the nefilim is mentioned only incidentally, must Rashi let us know their names7?!
This also requires explanation: regarding the names of the "nefilim" who fell from heaven, we find two opinions in the words of our Sages. In Tractate Yoma8 it says "מעשה עזא ועזאל" ("the deed of Uza and Azael") (and so it is brought in several places in the Midrashim9); but Targum Yonasan10 says "Shamchazai and Uziel" (and similarly in Tractate Niddah11: "Sichon and Og were the sons of Achiyah son of Shamchazai," and in Rashi there: "שבא משמחזאי ועזאל" ("who descended from Shamchazai and Azael")12), and so it is brought in other places13.
— Why does Rashi choose specifically the opinion "Shamchazai and Azael," and not "Uza and Azael"14?
2. In addition to Rashi's addition here regarding the names of the nefilim, there is seemingly a change in Rashi's commentary in the very meaning of the word "nefilim":
Here in our portion Rashi says "שנפלו מן השמים" ("who fell from heaven"), whereas on the verse15 "The nefilim were on the earth," Rashi explains15: "על שם שנפלו והפילו את העולם" ("They were so called because they fell and caused the world to fall"), where the meaning of "fell" (simply understood) is16 that they perished from the world (similar to "caused the world to fall," which follows immediately in Rashi).
[There are commentators17 who say that Rashi's intent there is "נפלו מן העולם" ("they fell from the world")18, that is, from the upper world, which is heaven — just as Rashi explains here in our portion, "who fell from heaven." But seemingly it requires further study whether one can explain it this way, since there is not even a hint of this in Rashi's wording; on the contrary, as mentioned above, Rashi says both together in one phrase: "who fell and caused the world to fall"19.]
This is extremely puzzling: why does Rashi here change from his explanation in Parshas Bereishis and say a new explanation, "who fell from heaven"?
[For even according to the explanation "who fell and caused the world to fall," it is understandable how the emphasis "of the nefilim" would cast fear upon the Jewish people20 (especially according to the second explanation in Rashi there21 on the words "אנשי השם" ("men of renown") — "אנשי שממון ששממו את העולם" ("men of desolation, who made the world desolate")).]
Furthermore: the change in Rashi's explanation of "nefilim" makes a difference not only in the manner of their falling (whether they fell from the world, or fell from heaven), but also in the very nature of "the nefilim":
According to Rashi in Bereishis, the "nefilim" were human beings (and angels and heaven are not mentioned at all) who "fell and caused the world to fall" through their sins. Similarly*, Rashi explains (in his first and principal explanation21) the words (in Parshas Bereishis there22) "בני האלקים" ("the sons of the powerful") — not angels23, but "בני השרים והשופטים" ("the sons of the princes and the judges").
Whereas according to Rashi in our portion — "who fell from heaven" — the nefilim were angels.
This is extremely puzzling: why does Rashi introduce a new explanation of "nefilim"?
3. The explanation of all this may be as follows:
The question in the verse that Rashi comes to resolve is not (so much) the repetition in the verse "the nefilim . . . of the nefilim" —
— for, first of all, the repetition of the term "nefilim" in itself is not a (great) novelty; we find several times that the Torah repeats a term for the sake of added emphasis24
[similar to the description25 "צדיק בן צדיק" ("a righteous man, son of a righteous man"), which comes to underscore the greatness of the righteousness of the son; and similarly in our case, by saying "nefilim (giants) . . . of the nefilim," additional emphasis is added to this, and consequently to the frightening of the Jewish people (and therefore there is no necessity to say that the two occurrences of "nefilim" differ from each other — that they have different meanings)].
And in addition to this, if the difficulty were due to the repetition of the term "nefilim," Rashi should have quoted (in the heading) also (and on the contrary — primarily) the words "of the nefilim," which are the repetition —
Rather, the question (of Rashi) is: in the preceding verses it is related how the spies described the strength of the inhabitants of the land — "אפס כי עז העם גו' והערים גו' וגם ילידי הענק ראינו שם" ("However, the people are strong . . . and the cities . . . and we also saw the children of the giant there")26. The question arises: what did the spies add anew here (at "ויוציאו דיבת הארץ" ("and they spread an evil report about the land")) relative to their earlier words, "and we also saw the children of the giant there"27 (other than adding the description "nefilim")28?
Rashi therefore explains that "nefilim" means the "giants, from the descendants of Shamchazai and Azael, who fell from heaven," through which it is understood how the spies added here an entirely new matter: these are not at all of the same type even as the "children of the giant" whom they had mentioned earlier (about whom we learned in Parshas Bereishis, "The nefilim were on the earth"29) — that is, people whose frightening quality is only that they are big and tall in stature, giants — but here what is meant are "nefilim" (giants, as above, but) who descended from angels, "who fell from heaven."
4. And this is also the reason why the spies said this specifically here, at "and they spread an evil report about the land" — because this matter is connected with the new development that took place in the time between their earlier statements and these statements:
The Torah relates that when the spies finished their words about the strength of the inhabitants of the land, there followed "ויהס כלב את העם גו' ויאמר עלה נעלה וירשנו אותה כי יכול נוכל לה" ("And Kalev silenced the people . . . and said, 'We shall surely go up and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it'")30. And as Rashi explains, Kalev silenced and refuted the claim of the spies (that "the people are strong . . ."), saying that Moshe had shown very great miracles, entirely above nature ("והלא קרע לנו את הים והוריד לנו את המן והגיז לנו את השליו" ("Did he not split the sea for us, bring down the manna for us, and bring the quail flying to us?")), and therefore "עלה נעלה, אפילו בשמים והוא אומר עשו סולמות ועלו שם נצליח בכל דבריו" ("We shall surely go up — even to heaven, and if he says, 'Make ladders and go up there,' we will succeed in all his words")31.
To this the spies answered, "לא נוכל לעלות אל העם כי חזק הוא ממנו" ("We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than he")32, and as Rashi explains, "כביכול כלפי מעלה אמרו" ("They said it, as it were, concerning the One Above"). For if "ממנו" ("than he") meant only the Jewish people, it would be no answer at all to what Kalev had demonstrated — that G‑d can perform miracles to help the Jewish people. One must therefore explain that by this they meant "concerning the One Above."
But the spies could not be satisfied with this alone, because ultimately, how could the Jewish people (who had seen all the miracles) accept that there could be a reality of "they are stronger than He" (concerning the One Above)?
Therefore the spies added new matters — "ויציאו דיבת הארץ גו'" ("And they spread an evil report about the land . . .")33 — which give, as it were, room for a reality of "they are stronger . . . concerning the One Above"34.
And this is what the spies added here, "And there we saw the nefilim . . .": they did not mean their strength by virtue of their physical height (as giants) — since, as is simply understood, physical height has no bearing against "the One Above"35 — but rather a special might and strength, which is meant by the word "nefilim": "giants, from the descendants of Shamchazai and Azael, who fell from heaven" — that they were not simply "giants," but descended (from angels "who fell) from heaven," and therefore it is in their power to rebel against Heaven, etc.
5. For the "בן חמש למקרא" ("five-year-old beginning the study of Scripture"), however, this is still not smooth — (a) that an angel should rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He36; (b) that an angel should even be able to have some power to carry out his rebellion against G‑d*36.
— Therefore Rashi adds that "(they fell from heaven) in the days of the generation of Enosh," through which both of the above matters are resolved:
a) Concerning the generation of Enosh the verse37 says, "אז הוחל לקרוא בשם ה'" ("Then it became profane to call in the name of G‑d"), and as Rashi explains, "לקרוא את שמות האדם . . בשמו של הקב"ה לעשותן אלילים כו'" ("to call the names of men . . . by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to make them idols, etc.") — it is understandable that the falling of the angels from heaven in that generation was also connected with a rebellion against G‑d.
b) Since the nefilim descend from the angels "who fell from heaven in the days of the generation of Enosh," they did not perish in the Flood38. That is, although the waters of the Flood came through "ארובות השמים נפתחו" ("the windows of heaven were opened")39, "גשם מן השמים" ("rain from heaven")40, "רותחין" ("boiling [waters]")41, and "וימח את כל היקום" ("and He wiped out every living thing")42, it nevertheless did not wipe out the offspring of the nefilim; and this shows that their strength is so great that even regarding a punishment from Heaven, G‑d willed that it should have no dominion over them43!
6. Based on this, we will also understand why Rashi brings the names of the nefilim — "Shamchazai and Azael" — because this emphasizes even more their strong "power" to rebel against G‑d:
Regarding the nefilim in Parshas Bereishis, the verse says "men of renown," and Rashi explains this as "אותם שנקבו בשמות . . שנקבו ע"ש אבדן שנמוחו והותשו" ("those who were designated by names . . . designated by the name of their destruction, for they were wiped out and uprooted"), meaning that the names of the nefilim allude to a matter connected with their essence.
Similarly in our case: the names "Shamchazai and Azael" allude to their content — and Rashi need not explain what this consists of, because it is the plain meaning of the names:
"Shamchazai" consists of two words — "sham chazai," meaning that when one looks (chazai) at him, one sees desolation ("sham" being from the term "shemamah," desolation, and as Rashi explains (in his second explanation) on "men of renown" — "men of desolation, who made the world desolate"):
And the name "Azael" — in addition to the fact that the name as it is indicates the strength of this angel (Azael, from the term "az," strong) — also recalls the name "עזאזל" ("Azazel") (which we already learned in Parshas Acharei44), which Rashi explains as "הר עז וקשה צוק גבוה" ("a strong and hard mountain, a high cliff"), meaning that this is not mere strength, but from a place that is "strong and hard," which is a place of desolation — not of settlement.
The names of the two angels show that their function is strength and bringing desolation and destruction of the world, "לשחת הארץ" ("to destroy the earth")45 (the opposite of the covenant with Noach after this, and of the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, that the world be settled).
7. According to the above, the continuation of Rashi's explanations on the following words of the verse, "(And there we saw the nefilim . . .) and we were in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes," will be better appreciated:
On "and so we were in their eyes," Rashi explains, "שמענו אומרים זה לזה נמלים יש בכרמים כאנשים" ("We heard them saying to one another, 'There are ants in the vineyards like people'")46; and afterwards Rashi quotes the word "ענק" ("giant") and explains, "שמעניקים חמה בקומתן" ("for they wear the sun as a necklace with their height").
This is not understood: a) Why does Rashi need to seek an explanation of the term "anak" at all? b) If it is necessary — why does Rashi not say it earlier47, on the verse48 "and we also saw the children of the giant there"? c) Why does Rashi explain the word "anak" after his explanation of "and so we were in their eyes" — contrary to their order in the verse49 ("sons of the giant . . . and we were in our own eyes . . . and so we were in their eyes")?
The explanation of this is:
When speaking of ordinary giants, tall people, it is not applicable that people of normal height should look to them like "grasshoppers (there are in the vineyards)." For the proportion of the height of a giant50 relative to an ordinary person (whose height is three cubits51) is utterly incomparable to that between people and ants. Therefore, specifically after Rashi explains, "שמעתי אומרים זל"ז נמלים כו'" ("I heard them saying to one another, 'ants,' etc."), he must say that here the meaning of "anak" is "for they wear the sun as a necklace with their height."
And this accords with the distinction explained above between the two verses:
The first time, when they said "and we also saw the children of the giant there," they meant ordinary giants; specifically here, where it speaks of "nefilim . . . who fell from heaven," they are such giants "who wear the sun as a necklace with their height"52, and therefore "we were in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes."
8. From the "יינה של תורה" ("wine of Torah") in this explanation of Rashi:
Rashi's addition — that by "And there we saw the nefilim . . ." the spies meant the angels "who fell from heaven" — accords with the content of the spies' claim as it is explained in the inner dimension of the Torah.
Well known is the explanation of the Alter Rebbe53 regarding the sin of the spies: their reasoning — not wanting to enter the Land of Israel — consisted in this, that they wanted to remain in the desert, because there one is free of the distractions of earning a livelihood (and in general — of involvement with the physicality of the world), so that one can devote oneself entirely to spiritual service. Whereas entering the Land of Israel, "ארץ נושבת" ("an inhabited land")54, where the order of "שש שנים תזרע שדך גו'" ("Six years you shall sow your field . . .")55 begins, would tear them away from spiritual service.
And the root of the error was their assumption that spirituality and physicality must be in contradiction to each other — one cannot be occupied with physical matters and at the same time be bound to spirituality.
And this is what the spies said, "ארץ אוכלת יושבי'" ("a land that consumes its inhabitants") — that if one "settles," immersing oneself in the matters of the land, one becomes "consumed," sunk in the distractions of the matters of the land — "consumes its inhabitants."
Based on this, the continuation of the matter (that they said), "And there we saw the nefilim . . ." is understood — and as Rashi explains, this means "from the descendants of Shamchazai and Azael, who fell from heaven in the days of the generation of Enosh": as related at length in the words of our Sages56, they originally descended with an intention for the sake of Heaven, but they could not overcome the coarseness and trials of this world, and they fell from their level, etc. Notwithstanding their great stature while they were in the higher worlds, upon their descent below not only could they not maintain their previous level, but on the contrary, it caused in them a fall from their level.
Similarly — the spies argued — regarding the Jewish people: although in the desert they stood on a very high level, detached from worldly matters (akin to angels), entry into the Land of Israel would cause in them a fall from their level.
9. To this Yehoshua and Kalev answered57: "אם חפץ בנו ה' והביא אותנו אל הארץ הזאת גו' אל תיראו את עם הארץ כי לחמנו הם גו' וה' אתנו" ("If G‑d desires us, He will bring us into this land . . . do not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread . . . and G‑d is with us")58. —
Although regarding angels, upon descending below into the physicality of the world they become nefilim (falling from their level), the Jewish people are different59, because regarding the Jewish people, "G‑d desires us" — G‑d's desire and delight is in the Jewish people and in their service (below). And therefore the Jewish people have powers incomparably higher than angels. The soul of a Jew is "חלק אלקה ממעל ממש" ("truly a part of G‑d Above")60; Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one, as it were; and therefore the Jewish people possess the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be able to unite two opposites, physicality and spirituality together, with the predominance61 of the spirit (and of the form within the physical itself).
To the point that a Jew can — in addition to being bound to spirituality even when he finds himself in the physicality of the world — accomplish even more: he can transform the physicality of the world itself and make of it a "דירה לו יתברך" ("a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed").
And this is what Yehoshua and Kalev said, "If G‑d desires us, He will bring us . . .": since "G‑d desires us," the Jewish people have nothing to fear from the people of the land; and even more — "they are our bread": not only will it not be that "the land consumes its inhabitants," but on the contrary, "they are our bread" — the (people of the) land; the Jewish people will refine and purify it, become masters over the land and transform it — making it a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Shelach, 5742)
Notes
1) 13:32.
2) Ibid., 33.
3) Re'em, and others.
4) "Moreover, there is no reason to say, 'And there we saw the nefilim of the nefilim'" (Re'em, ibid.).
5) 6:4.
6) Furthermore: in Rashi on Bereishis, ibid. (s.v. "In those days"), it says "for in the days of the generation of Enosh and the descendants of Kayin," whereas here Rashi omits "and the descendants of Kayin" (and the Ramban on Bereishis, ibid., quotes from Rashi only "in the days of the generation of Enosh").
7) Understandably, one cannot say that since the verse (above, verse 22) made known the names of the giants whom they saw, Rashi was compelled to write the names of the original nefilim. See Rashbam and Ramban here.
8) 67b — and so it is quoted explicitly in Rashi there.
9) [OCR unclear]. Zohar I, 36a. And elsewhere.
10) Bereishis, ibid.
11) 61a, end.
12) Seemingly this implies that [Rashi] reads thus — "Azael" — [OCR unclear], so as not to multiply disputes. See also Baal HaTurim on Bereishis, ibid.
13) Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishis, ibid. (remez 44).
14) Note that in Rashi on Acharei (16:8), he explains "Azazel" as "a strong mountain, etc." (in accordance with the first opinions in Yoma, ibid.), and not like the Tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael (in Yoma, ibid.), "that it atones for the deed of Uza and Azael" (the reason being that this is not at all in the manner of the plain meaning).
15) Based on Bereishis Rabbah, end of ch. 26.
16) As written in Sefer Zikaron, Re'em, Gur Aryeh, and others there. And so writes the Yefeh To'ar (complete edition) on Bereishis Rabbah, ibid.; the commentary of Maharzav, ibid.; and elsewhere.
17) Nachalas Yaakov (cited in Sifsei Chachamim) on Bereishis, ibid.
18) The wording of the Midrash, ibid.
19) Note that Rashi omits the third point (in Bereishis Rabbah, ibid.), "and that they filled the world with stillborn [nefalim], etc."
20) Furthermore and principally: the very fact that the giants are traced back to the ancient nefilim of Parshas Bereishis, who "were the mighty ones of old" (Bereishis, ibid.), is enough to frighten the Jewish people (see Ramban here, at the end).
21) As opposed to the second explanation there: "They are the messengers who go on the mission of the Omnipresent; they too mingled with them." But note (in addition to the fact that in several Rashi manuscripts (in my possession) it does not appear; see also Rashi on the Torah, Berliner edition): a) The continuation in Rashi, "every 'Elohim' in Scripture is a term of authority, etc.," refers (seemingly) to the first explanation** (but see Levush, ibid.). b) Even in this explanation Rashi did not write "angels" (as in Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 22, and similarly there, ch. 7), but "princes." Note the Ibn Ezra on Bereishis, ibid. This is not the place to elaborate.
*) See Rashi on the Torah, Berliner edition, that there is a reading "שדי"ט".
**) In one of the Rashi manuscripts (in my possession), this matter ("every 'Elohim,' etc.") comes before "Another explanation."
22) 6:2. — From there it is evident that this is the explanation also in verse 4 there.
23) As is the view of Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ibid.
24) Cf. Rashi (Lech Lecha, 10): "Pits, pits" — many pits. — However, in our case the intent is not that it is a repetition (like "pits, pits"), but rather that what the spies newly made known, "the nefilim . . . of the nefilim" — that their origin was from nefilim — was an additional emphasis on their "giant-ness," that their ancestors too were giants, in order to add to the frightening, etc.
25) Rashi, Toldos 25:21.
26) 13:28.
27) See also Maskil LeDavid here, s.v. "Anak."
28) In the Ramban here (at the end): "And now they returned to exaggerate to them the strength of the giants . . . to call them nefilim . . . and they are from the ancient nefilim of whom you have heard, etc." However: (a) seemingly this detail ("and they are from the ancient nefilim") is not so much an exaggeration of their strength; (b) and principally: in the first verse of the spreading of the evil report, only entirely new things were said ("a land that consumes its inhabitants . . . and all the people . . . ," as explained by Rashi — quoted below, note 34), and therefore it is reasonable that in this verse too there is something entirely new.
29) According to this, it is resolved (or at least made more appreciable) why Rashi did not bring here (as do the Rashbam and Ramban) the verse "The nefilim were on the earth."
30) Ibid., 30.
31) See at length Likkutei Sichos vol. 8, p. 86ff.
32) Ibid., 31.
33) See also Levush on Rashi, ibid.
34) Therefore they emphasized in "the evil report about the land" (ibid., 32) unnatural things: "A land that consumes its inhabitants" — in every place we passed we found them burying the dead (Rashi). "And all the people we saw in it were men of stature" (great and tall, Rashi).
35) Cf. Noach 11:5, and Rashi there, 1. Rashi (Chukas 21:34; Devarim 3:2) regarding Og.
36) In Rashi on Yoma, ibid., "angels of destruction" — but (simply understood) these too are on the mission of the Omnipresent (see Rashi on Bereishis 3:24).
*36) Cf. Rashi, Vayeira 19:22.
37) Bereishis 4:26.
38) See Rashi, Lech [Lecha] 14:13 (according to its Midrashic interpretation; and in its own place (Devarim 3:11) he explains only according to its plain meaning): "Og, who escaped from the generation of the Flood." — And see Penei David (by the Chida) on our portion, here (in the name of the Rid), that the giants (of our portion) "descended from the children of Og" (and were born after the Flood). Note the Ibn Ezra here, that "of the nefilim" is similar to what is written in Bereishis, ibid., "and also afterwards . . . ," which according to the Ibn Ezra (as opposed to Rashi) there means "who escaped after the Flood" (see Ramban, ibid.). And see Ramban on our portion, 13:22 (regarding Achiman . . . and Arba; and note Rashi, [OCR unclear] 23:2). And elsewhere. This is not the place to elaborate.
39) Noach 7:11.
40) Ibid., 8:2.
41) Sanhedrin 108b, and elsewhere. — But see the discussion whether this is Rashi's view in his commentary on the Torah (Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, p. 51, note 32; vol. 10, p. 35, and note 46 there).
42) Noach 7:23.
43) See along these lines Alshich on our portion, here. And see note 38.
44) 16:8.
45) Noach 9:11. — The opposite of its creation, which was in the manner of "very good," and of the command of G‑d, "Fill the earth and conquer it."
46) The Re'em writes that this is a scribal error and it should read "like grasshoppers." See the lengthy discussion in the commentators on Rashi.
47) As asked in Sifsei Chachamim; Kitzur Mizrachi (in the name of Maharan).
48) 13:28. And before that (ibid., 22): "And there . . . the children of the giant."
49) See Dvek Tov; Kitzur Mizrachi, ibid. — And in Sefer Zikaron: "In my opinion this is a scribal transposition."
50) Even Og* [OCR unclear], as in Rashi at the end of Parshas Chukas (based on Berachos 54b) — [the height] up to his ankles was only thirty cubits. And see Devarim (3:11): "by the cubit of a man," and Rashi, etc., there. In Rashi on the preceding verse (s.v. "Men of stature"): "such as Golias, whose height was six cubits and a span" (but this refers not to "anak" but to "men of stature," which applied to "all the people . . .").
*) Who was from the descendants of Shamchazai, etc. (as mentioned above, end of Section 1, from Niddah 61a, end) — the second type mentioned in the text — for he escaped the Flood (as mentioned above, note 36).
51) See Rashi, Beshalach 16:29: "three [cubits] for his body, etc."
52) Note that this also indicates their power in heaven — "they wear the sun as a necklace, etc."
53) Likkutei Torah, beginning of our portion (see there). Derech Mitzvosecha 181a ff. And elsewhere. See also Likkutei Sichos vol. 4, Parshas Shelach, and in many places.
54) The wording of the verse — Beshalach 16:35.
55) Beginning of Parshas Behar.
56) See at length Yalkut Shimoni on Bereishis, cited in note 13. And elsewhere.
57) See the sources cited in note 53.
58) Our portion, 14:8–9.
59) See Likkutei Torah, Berachah 98a, end; and at length in many places.
60) Tanya, beginning of ch. 2.
61) See Tanya, ch. 32: "despised, etc. . . . secondary, etc. . . . and to elevate . . . above, etc." This is not the place to elaborate.
Key Lesson
The spies feared that entering the physical world of the Land of Israel would cause the Jewish people to fall from their level, just as the angels who descended "fell from heaven." Yehoshua and Kalev answered that because G‑d desires the Jewish people, they are empowered to unite the physical with the spiritual, and not only to remain bound to G‑dliness within worldly life, but to transform the world itself into a dwelling place for Him.