“All the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, and the entire congregation said to them: If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, if only we had died” (Numbers 14:2). “All the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, and the entire congregation said to them” – these are the Sanhedrins. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt” – this is analogous to a king, that one ascended to his podium to be judged.
He expressed a matter from his mouth with which he incurred liability. The king put down the bill of indictment and convicted him on the basis of what he said. He said: ‘Based on what you expressed from your mouth I am sentencing you; it will befall you just as you said.’ So, too, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:29). “[Say to them:] As I live, the utterance of the Lord, surely as you spoke in My ears, so I shall do to you” (Numbers 14:28).
They began saying: “Why does the Lord bring us…. They said, one to another: Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the entire assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Yefuneh, from those who scouted the land, rent their garments.
They said to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying…If the Lord is favorably disposed to us, He will bring us…However, do not rebel against the Lord, and you…” (Numbers 14:3–9). They [the people] said to them [Moses and Aaron]: ‘You are not trustworthy for us; our brethren17The other spies. are more concerned about us than you are,’ as it is stated: “Where are we ascending? Our brethren have weakened our heart, saying” (Deuteronomy 1:28).
“The entire congregation said to stone them with stones” (Numbers 14:10) – who were they? They were Moses and Aaron. “And the glory of the Lord appeared” (Numbers 14:10) – it teaches that they were casting stones and the cloud would receive them.18The pillar of cloud absorbed the stones and protected Moses and Aaron.