How Caleb Silenced the People With the Truth About the Land

"And Caleb hushed [the people]" (Numbers 13:30). And what was the power of Caleb, that he was able to silence the people concerning Moses? Rather, at that hour, when they were in the land, [the spies] devised that evil counsel, to speak the disgrace of the land — its survey, and the strength of the cities, and the fortification of the towns. And they brought Caleb in with them into the counsel, and he said to them that he too would speak like them. Thus he was saying to them, but in his heart he was thinking that he would tell the praise of the Land of Israel, that all good was in it — for who could tell the praise of the Land of Israel? Therefore, when he came to speak, he said to them: "Be silent, for I am speaking the truth." And because they thought that he too would speak like them, they fell silent. He began to say: "And is this the only thing that the son of Amram did? How many other things did he do! Did he not bring us out of Egypt, and split the sea for us, and bring the quail flying to us, and bring down the manna for us, and give us the Torah?" And he kept praising on and on. And when the people saw this thing that Caleb did, they began to contradict his words, as it is said: "We are not able to go up, for he is stronger than us" (Numbers 13:31) — this teaches that they said this about the Holy One, blessed be He, that He is not able to bring His vessels out from there.