Scope out the land, see what's what. But it goes so terribly wrong. According to Legends of the Jews, it's not just about the spies' report itself, but about the very desire to send them in the first place.
As the Israelites approached the borders of the Promised Land, they came to Moses with a request: "Let us send men ahead to scout out the land for us," they said, "and report back on the route we should take and the cities we should enter" (Numbers 13:2). But God, according to the legend, wasn't thrilled. Why? Because, the story goes, back when they were wandering through the treacherous desert, they didn't ask for scouts! Now that they were about to enter a land flowing with milk and honey, now they needed a reconnaissance mission?
It wasn't just the request itself that rubbed God the wrong way, but how they made it. Instead of approaching Moses with respect and order – the elders speaking for the younger, leaders leading – they were a chaotic, jostling crowd. The young pushed aside the old, and everyone seemed to be ignoring their leaders. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a picture of a people driven by something other than faith.
Their bad conscience, the story suggests, stemmed from their lack of faith. And that made them invent excuses, justifications for their plan. "While we were in the wilderness," they told Moses, "the clouds acted as scouts, guiding us. But they won't lead us into the Promised Land, so we need human spies." It sounds almost reasonable, doesn't it?
But they didn't stop there. They piled on the excuses. "The Canaanites are hiding their treasures, fearing an attack," they claimed. "We need spies to find out where they're hidden!" They even tried to frame their request as an act of religious piety, attempting to show Moses that they only wanted to carry out the law. "You taught us," they said, "that an idol no longer worshipped can be used, but others must be destroyed. How will we know which is which when we enter Palestine?" They even suggested that since God promised to "drive out the Canaanites little by little," spies were needed to determine which cities to attack first. Clever, right?
Moses, influenced by their arguments and perhaps even intrigued by the idea himself, decided to take the matter to God. "Should we send spies?" he asked. God’s response, according to the legend, was pretty sharp: "This isn't the first time they've doubted Me. They ridiculed Me even in Egypt! It's become a habit. I know their real motive. If you want to send spies, go ahead, but don't pretend I ordered it."
So, what are we to make of all this? It seems the story isn't just about the spies' failure, but about the underlying lack of faith that prompted the mission in the first place. It's a reminder that sometimes, our attempts to control the situation, to gather information and plan meticulously, can actually be a sign that we don't trust in something greater than ourselves. Are we truly seeking guidance, or are we just trying to justify our own lack of faith?