The verse sets the scene: “They ascended and scouted the land from the wilderness of Tzin to Rehov, at the approach to Hamat” (Numbers 13:21). But, Bamidbar Rabbah asks, how exactly did they scout the land?
The answer is… well, rather grim. According to this interpretation, the scouts weren't exactly blending in. They’d enter a city, and a plague would mysteriously strike down its prominent citizens. Talk about making an entrance! The locals, naturally preoccupied with burying their dead, wouldn’t even notice the Israelite spies.
Is this literally what happened? Maybe, maybe not. What’s crucial is the interpretation: "That is why they said: ‘The land, through which we passed [to scout, it is a land that devours its inhabitants]’" (Numbers 13:32). The spies twisted the situation. It wasn't the land devouring its inhabitants; it was, according to Bamidbar Rabbah, the miracles that God performed for them that they then used as fodder for their slanderous report. Can you imagine the skewed perspective?
And it gets even more interesting when they arrive in Hebron. “They ascended in the South, and they came until Hebron, and Aḥiman…were there” (Numbers 13:22). The text emphasizes the sheer might of the inhabitants, referencing Deuteronomy 9:2: “That you knew and you heard: Who can stand before the children of giants?” The fear is palpable.
But then, a surprising twist! “Hebron was built seven years [before Tzoan of Egypt]” (Numbers 13:22). Why is this detail included? Bamidbar Rabbah explains that this seemingly minor historical note is actually meant to highlight the superiority of the Land of Israel. Even its "inferior" areas – Hebron is in the south of Israel, a less desirable region – are superior to the best parts of Egypt! : After the Flood, when Noah's descendants went out to rebuild the world, where did they choose to build first? Not in the prime real estate, but in the less desirable part of the Land of Israel. Tzoan, the best area in Egypt (as mentioned in Ketubot 112a), was established seven years later.
The text continues, "If you say: The one who built this did not build that; it is the same generation and the same family." It emphasizes that the sons of Ḥam – “Kush, and Mitzrayim, and Put, and Canaan” (Genesis 10:6) – were responsible for building both cities, underscoring the deliberate choice to build in Hebron first. It's a subtle but powerful point about the inherent value of the Promised Land.
So, what’s the takeaway here? It's not just a historical anecdote. It's a reminder that perspective is everything. The spies saw a land that devoured its inhabitants, fueled by their own fears and misinterpretations. But the tradition, through Bamidbar Rabbah, offers a different lens: a lens that sees the inherent value and promise of the Land of Israel, even in its seemingly less impressive corners. It challenges us to look beyond our initial fears and to see the potential for greatness, even in the most challenging of circumstances. What "land" are we scouting in our own lives, and what lens are we using to see it?