Daf 161a (דַּף קס״א ע״א)

Rabbi Shim‘on said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר): If Yisrael had entered the land (אִלְמָלֵא הֲווֹ עַיְילִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַרְעָא), with the sign-some say: with the craft-of the evil tongue (בְּסִימָנָא [נ״א: בְּאוּמָנָא] דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), the world could not have endured for even a moment (לָא הֲוָה קָאִים עָלְמָא רִגְעָא חַד). Who is the craftsman of the evil tongue? (מַאן אוּמָנָא דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא), the serpent (נָחָשׁ). And the secret of the matter is (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה), that since the serpent came upon Ḥavah (מִדְּאָתָא נָחָשׁ עַל חַוָּה), it cast into her defilement (אַטִּיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא). Rabbi Shim‘on said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): And over everything Kudsha Berikh Hu forgives (וְעַל כֹּלָּא מָחַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), except for the evil tongue (בַּר מִן לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא). Because it is written: “Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us: who is master over us?” (Psalms 12) (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לִלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ נַגְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): how much that evil tongue wrought (כַמָּה עָבֵד הַהוּא לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא). It decreed upon our fathers that they would not enter the land (גָּזַר עַל אֲבְהֲתָנָא דְּלָא יֵיעוּל לְאַרְעָא), and those who spoke died (וּמִיתוּ אִינּוּן דְּאָמְרוּ). And weeping was decreed for generations of generations (וְאִתְגְּזַר בִּכְיָה לְדָרֵי דָּרִין). Some say: here too, since they brought forth an evil tongue against everything (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הָכָא דְּאַפִּיקוּ לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא עַל כֹּלָּא), it is as though they brought it forth against the Holy One Himself (כִּבְיָכוֹל כֵּיוָן דְּאַפִּיקוּ עַל אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּאִילּוּ אַפִּיקוּ עָלֵיהּ). Therefore Kudsha Berikh Hu was zealous for this (בְּגִין כַּךְ קַנֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל דָּא), meaning zealous for His Name (כְּלוֹמַר קָנֵי לִשְׁמֵיהּ). And all Yisrael stood ready to be wiped out from the world (וְקָאִימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ לְאִשְׁתֵּצָאָה מֵעָלְמָא), had it not been for the prayers of Moshe (אִלְמָלֵא בָּעוּתֵיהּ דְּמֹשֶׁה). “And they recounted to him and said, etc.” (Numbers 13) (וַיְסַפְּרוּ לוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ וְגוֹ׳).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא): Why here does it say “And they recounted” (מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא וַיְסַפְּרוּ), and it does not say “And they told” (וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיַּגִּידוּ), or “And they said” (אוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ). Rather, each one teaches its own matter (אֶלָּא כָּל חַד אוֹלִיף מִלָּה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). “And they told” (וַיַּגִּידוּ), in every place is a hint in wisdom (בְּכָל אֲתָר רֶמֶז קָא רָמִיז בְּחָכְמְתָא), and this has been stated (וְהָא אִתְּמַר). “And he said” (וַיֹּאמֶר), a mere saying (אֲמִירָה בְּעָלְמָא). “And they said” (וַיֹּאמְרוּ), is the meditation of the heart (הִרְהוּרָא דְּלִבָּא). “And they said” (וַיֹּאמְרוּ), is a charge (תַּפְקִידְתָּא). And this we have established in many places (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר). But “And they recounted” (וַיְסַפְּרוּ), this is the detailed explanation of the matter in every place (פְּרִישׁוּתָא דְּמִלָּה בְּכָל אֲתָר). “We came to the land” (בָּאנוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ), they should have said “We went” (הָלַכְנוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). But “We came” (אֶלָּא בָּאנוּ), meaning we entered there, to that land which you praised every day (עָאלָנָא לְתַמָן לְהַהִיא אַרְעָא דַּהֲוִית מְשַׁבַּח בְּכָל יוֹמָא), and you said that there is none like it (וַהֲוִית אַמָרְתּ דְּלֵית דִּכְוָותָה). “And also it flows with milk and honey” (וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הִיא).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): Whoever wants to speak lies (מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמֵימַר כְּדִיבָא), speaks first a word of truth (אָמַר מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט בְּקַדְמִיתָא), in order that they will believe him afterwards in his lie (בְּגִין דִּיְּהֶמְנוּ לֵיהּ כְּדִבוֹי).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): Rather, thus they said (אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמְרוּ), “We entered that land which you praised every day (עָאלָנָא לְהַהִיא אַרְעָא דַּהֲוִית מְשַׁבַּח לָהּ כָּל יוֹמָא), and you said that there is none like it” (וְאַמָרַת דְּלֵית דִּכְוָותָה). “And also it flows with milk and honey” (וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הִיא), and I lifted praise over everything” (וַאֲרִימַת שְׁבָחָא עַל כֹּלָּא). But it is not so (וְלָאו הָכִי), for behold this is its fruit (דְּהָא זֶה פִּרְיָה), a single cluster which some of the little ones plucked (אַתְכְּלָא חַד מֵאִינּוּן זְעִירִין קַטְפוּ). They said (אָמְרוּ): If for this Kudsha Berikh Hu provides inheritance to Yisrael (אִי לְדָא אַחֲסִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and they must bear all those pains and weariness (וְסַבְלוּ כָּל אִינּוּן עַקְתִּין וְלֵיאוּתִין), behold in the land of Egypt there are clusters and fruits of the land more abundant, one upon two (הָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם אִית אַתְכְּלִין וְאֵיבִין דְּאַרְעָא יַתִּיר, עַל חַד תְּרֵין). “Nevertheless, the people is strong” (Numbers 13) (אֶפֶס כִּי עַז הָעָם), the ways of the world are that the mighty warriors, who rush into battle, dwell outside in order to guard the ways (אוֹרְחֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא דְּאִינּוּן גִּבָּרִין מַגִּיחֵי קְרָבָא יַתְבִין לְבַר, לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אָרְחִין). But here, even the inhabitants of the cities are strong and mighty (וְהָכָא אֲפִילוּ אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מָתָא, תַּקִּיפִין גִּבּוֹרִין). “And the cities are fortified” (וְהֶעָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת), that even if all the kings of the world were to assemble against them, they could do no damage to them (דְּאֲפִילּוּ כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא יִתְכָּנְּשׁוּ עָלַיְיהוּ, לָא יַעַבְדּוּן בְּהוּ פְּגִימוּתָא).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Everything that they said, they said with an evil tongue (כָּל מַה דְּאַמְרֵי, בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא אָמְרוּ). And hardest of all (וְקַשְׁיָא מִכֻּלְּהוּ), for it is written: “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev” (Numbers 13) (דִּכְתִיב עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב). To a man whom a serpent has bitten (לְבַר נָשׁ דִּנְשָׁכֵיהּ חִוְיָא), when they want to terrify him they say: “Behold, the serpent is here!” (כַּד בָּעָאן לְאַגְזְמָא לֵיהּ, אַמְרֵי הָא חִוְיָא הָכָא).

Rabbi Abba said (רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר): Surely this is harder than all that they said (וּדַּאי דָּא קַשְׁיָא מִכָּל מַה דְּאָמְרֵי), meaning that he who wages war against all, behold, he is here ready (כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוּא דְּאַגָּח קְרָבָא בְּכֹלָּא, הָא הָכָא זַמִּין). And in what place? In the land of the Negev (וּבְאָן אֲתָר. בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב), for that is the place to ascend within it (דְּהָא הוּא אֲתָר לְאַעְלָאָה בֵּיהּ). Immediately “all the congregation lifted up their voice and gave forth their cry” (Numbers 14) (מִיַּד וַתִּשָּׂא כָּל הָעֵדָה וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת קוֹלָם). They fixed a weeping for generations, forever, on that night (קְבִיעוּ בִּכְיָה לַדּוֹרוֹת, לְעָלְמִין, בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): They took counsel against everything, to bring forth an evil name (עֵיטָא נָסִיבוּ עַל כֹּלָּא, לְאַפָּקָא שׁוּם בִּישׁ). What is “against everything”? (מַאי עַל כֹּלָּא). Against the land, and against Kudsha Berikh Hu (עַל אַרְעָא, וְעַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Rabbi Yitzḥak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): Against the land, that is understandable (עַל אַרְעָא תִּינַח). But against Kudsha Berikh Hu, from where? (עַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִנַיִן). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): It is implied from what is written (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב), “Nevertheless, the people is strong” (Numbers 13) (אֶפֶס כִּי עַז הָעָם).

Who can prevail against them? (מַאן יָכִיל בְּהוּ). “For the people is strong” - precisely (כִּי עַז הָעָם דַּיְיקָא). And it is written: “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev” (Numbers 13) (וּכְתִיב עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב). Then they caused all this (כְּדֵין גָּרְמוּ כָּל הַאי), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And Kudsha Berikh Hu sought to destroy them from the world (וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשֵׁיצָאָה לוֹן מִן עָלְמָא). This is what is written: “And He said that He would destroy them, had not Moshe His chosen stood before Him in the breach, etc.” (Psalms 106) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַשְׁמִידָם לוּלֵי מֹשֶׁה בְחִירוֹ עָמַד בַּפֶּרֶץ לְפָנָיו וְגוֹ׳). “And now, may the power of Hashem be great” (Numbers 14) (וְעַתָּה יִגְדַּל נָא כֹּחַ יְיָ).

Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Yose said (רִבִּי אֲחָא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אַמְרֵי): Fortunate are Yisrael, more than all the nations, the idol-worshippers and astrologers of the world (זַכָּאי אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת דְּעָלְמָא). For Kudsha Berikh Hu desired them (דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ), and was established in them (וְאִתְכְּנֵי בְּהוּ), and glorified Himself in them (וְאִתְפָּאַר בְּהוּ).

For behold, the world was not created except for their sake (דְּהָא עָלְמָא לָא אִבְרֵי אֶלָּא בְּגִינֵיהוֹן), that Yisrael should toil in Orayta (דְּיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), so that one is bound with the other (בְּגִין דְּחַד בְּחַד אִתְקַשְׁרָן). And Yisrael below, in this world (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), they are His existence (אִינּוּן קִיּוּמָא דִּילֵיהּ), and the existence of all the other nations (וְקִיּוּמָא דְּכָל שְׁאַר עַמִּין). When? At the time that they perform the will of their Master (אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן דְּעַבְדֵי רְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן).