The Matter of the Spies

עִנְיַן הַמְּרַגְּלִים

But the matter of the spies caused great ruin (אַךְ עִנְיַן הַמְּרַגְּלִים גָּרַם קִלְקוּל גָּדוֹל), and the secret of the matter is (Numbers 14:34) “A day for a year, a day for a year” (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן: "יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה, יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה). Know that certainly, until the tent is purified from the filth (דַּע כִּי וַדַּאי, עַד שֶׁהָאֹהֶל טָהוֹר מִן הַזּוֹהֲמָא), it is impossible for it to be a palace for the King (אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִהְיוֹת הֵיכָל לַמֶּלֶךְ), and therefore there is no Zivug until the throne is complete (וְלָכֵן אֵין זִוּוּג עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכִּסֵּא שָׁלֵם), and Yisrael cannot enter the Land until the land is purified (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ עַד שֶׁתִּטְהַר הָאָרֶץ). And behold, the spies walked forty days (וְהִנֵּה הַמְּרַגְּלִים הָלְכוּ מ׳ יוֹם), and afterward it was decreed upon them: “a day for a year…” (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם: "יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה" וְגוֹ׳).

And I shall tell you a great secret in this matter (וַאֲמֹר לְךָ סוֹד גָּדוֹל בַּזֶּה הָעִנְיָן): know that the expansion of the Klipot in their levels is 400 (דַּע כִּי הִתְפַּשְׁטוּת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת בְּמַדְרֵגוֹתֵיהֶם הוּא ת׳), and this is the secret of the 400 years of the exile in Egypt (וְהוּא סוֹד ת׳ שָׁנָה שֶׁל גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם). However, when Yisrael came out of Egypt (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם), then the Sitra Achra was broken-a shattering forever (הִנֵּה אָז נִשְׁבְּרָה הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא שֶׁבֶר לְעוֹלָם), for so the Exodus from Egypt is remembered forever (כִּי כֵּן יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם מַזְכִּירִים לְעוֹלָם). And from that time on, indeed, such great power was not again handed over to the nations (וּמֵאָז בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא נִמְסְרָה עוֹד שִׁלְטוֹן כָּל כָּךְ גָּדוֹל לָאוּמּוֹת). However, there was a certain diminishment to the Sitra achra (אֲבָל הָיָה אֵיזֶה גֵּרָעוֹן לַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא), and that is: that what was meant to be 400 years became 40 years (וְהוּא: שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁהָיוּ ת׳ שָׁנִים – נַעֲשׂוּ מ׳ שָׁנִים). However, the Holy One Blessed Be He wished to bring another Tikkun (אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה רוֹצֶה עוֹד לְתַקֵּן תִּקּוּן אַחֵר), and that was to shorten further the expansion of the Klipot (וְהוּא שֶׁיִּתְקַצֵּר עוֹד הִתְפַּשְׁטוּת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), and to reduce it from 40 years to 40 days (וְיִתְמַעֵט מִמ׳ שָׁנִים לְמ׳ יוֹם).

And in this secret the spies entered and toured the land for 40 days (וּבְסוֹד זֶה נִכְנְסוּ הַמְּרַגְּלִים וְתָרוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ מ׳ יוֹם), and had they not sinned (וְאִם לֹא הָיוּ חוֹטְאִים), the Klipot would have been shattered completely (הָיוּ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת נִשְׁבָּרוֹת לְגַמְרֵי). And since they sinned (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁחָטְאוּ), then Amalek was strengthened again and his power increased (אָז חָזְרוּ לְהַחֲזִיק אֶת עֲמָלֵק וְהִגְבִּירוּ כֹחוֹ). And I will tell you from where this was drawn (וְאֹמַר לְךָ מֵאֵין נִמְשַׁךְ זֶה): for this was drawn from the very words they spoke (כִּי זֶה נִמְשַׁךְ מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ מַמָּשׁ).

And it is the matter of (Numbers 13:29) “Amalek dwells in the land of the south…” (וְהוּא עִנְיָן: "עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב" וְגו׳) which they said (שֶׁאָמְרוּ הֵם), for they recognized and truly knew how Amalek is like a root from which all the Klipot draw nourishment, as above (כִּי הִכִּירוּ וְיָדְעוּ בֶאֱמֶת אֵיךְ עֲמָלֵק הוּא כְּמוֹ שֹׁרֶשׁ לִינִיקַת כָּל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת כְּנַ״ל), and they are strengthened through him and draw from him (וְהֵם מִתְחַזְּקִים עַל־יָדוֹ וְיוֹנְקִים). And they said: “Amalek dwells…” and “The Canaanite…” etc. (וְהֵם אָמְרוּ: "עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב" וְגו׳, "וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי" וְגו׳), and thereby they truly caused Amalek and his fellows to strengthen (וְאָז גָּרְמוּ בֶאֱמֶת שֶׁיִּתְחַזֵּק עֲמָלֵק עִם חֲבֵרָיו), and then even from the weakness he received through Yehoshua by Moshe’s power-he returned and became strong again (וְאָז אֲפִלּוּ מֵהַחֻלְשָׁה שֶׁקִּבֵּל עַל־יְדֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּכֹחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה – חָזַר וְנִתְחַזֵּק).

And know in truth (וְתֵדַע בֶאֱמֶת), that had the spies not spoken this way (שֶׁאִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ כָּךְ אוֹמְרִים הַמְּרַגְּלִים), but instead had trusted in Hashem as fitting (אֶלָּא הָיוּ בּוֹטְחִים בַּה׳ כַּרָאוּי), behold the 40 years themselves would have been forced into 40 days (הִנֵּה הַמ׳ שָׁנִים עַצְמָן הָיוּ נִכְפִּים בְּמ׳ יוֹם), and even that “remembrance of Amalek” (וַאֲפִלּוּ אוֹתוֹ "זֵכֶר – עֲמָלֵק), the Holy One Blessed Be He would have erased it (הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה מוֹחֲקוֹ). But through their sin they caused the Klipah to return to the secret of the 40 years (וּבְחֶטְאָם גָּרְמוּ שֶׁתָּשׁוּב הַקְּלִפָּה לְסוֹד הַמ׳ שָׁנִים). And not only this (וְלֹא דַּי זֶה), but that it should gain power corresponding to the days they scouted (אֶלָּא שֶׁתִּקַּבֵּל כֹּחַ כְּמוֹ הַיָּמִים שֶׁתָּרוּ), for all of them served to empower Amalek (כִּי כֻּלָּם רָאוּ לָתֵת כֹּחַ לַעֲמָלֵק), instead of removing strength from him (תַּחַת לְהָסִיר הַכֹּחַ מִמֶּנּוּ). And then he received the power of the 40 years (וְאָז קִבֵּל כֹּחַ הַמ׳ שָׁנִים), for behold, the 40 days were for the sake of 40 years (כִּי הֲלֹא הַמ׳ יוֹם לְצֹרֶךְ מ׳ שָׁנִים הָיוּ).

And behold, when Amalek remained in the state of weakness (וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאַר עֲמָלֵק בְּבְחִינַת הַחֻלְשָׁה), then upon their entry into the Land the Holy One Blessed Be He would have erased even the remembrance (אָז בִּכְנִיסָתָם לָאָרֶץ הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַעֲבִיר גַּם אֶת הַזֵּכֶר). But now that he returned and was strengthened (אֲבָל עַתָּה שֶׁחָזַר וְנִתְחַזֵּק), behold it is necessary to wait such a length of time until he returns to the state of weakness (הִנֵּה צָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּין כָּל כָּךְ זְמַן עַד שֶׁיָּשׁוּב לִבְחִינַת הַחֻלְשָׁה), so that they will be able to enter the Land (שֶׁאָז יוּכְלוּ לִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ), and he will be utterly destroyed (וְיִהְיֶה הוּא אָבֵד לְגַמְרֵי).

And therefore they remained 40 years in the wilderness (וְלָכֵן נִשְׁאֲרוּ מ׳ שָׁנִים בַּמִּדְבָּר), and there it is said (Numbers 14:25) “And the Amalekite and the Canaanite… turn and journey for yourselves into the wilderness…” (וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר: "וְהָעֲמָלֵקִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי כו׳ פְּנוּ וּסְעוּ לָכֶם הַמִּדְבָּר), for because of this they specifically had to turn toward the wilderness and wander there for 40 years (כִּי מִפְּנֵי זֶה הֻצְרְכוּ דַּוְקָא לִפְנוֹת אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר וּלְרַעוֹת שָׁם מ׳ שָׁנָה).