Rabbi Zakai of She'av offers a beautiful insight. He imagines the Israelites asking God: "Master of the universe, everywhere else You call it the land of Canaan, but here, ‘the land of your dwelling’?" God's response? It's a powerful reminder of the covenant. "As you live," God says, "I gave it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is why it is ‘the land of your dwelling.’" We see this promise echoed throughout the Torah, in (Genesis 15:7), (Genesis 26:3), and (Genesis 28:13). It's a land promised to the patriarchs, a place where their descendants could truly make their home.
But what about Canaan? Why is the land even called Canaan in the first place? Bamidbar Rabbah offers an interesting perspective: Canaan earned this distinction because he evacuated the land when he heard Israel was coming. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "You evacuated the place; the land will be called by your name. And I will give you a land as fine as your land." And what land was that? Africa. It's a striking idea, isn't it? A reward for stepping aside, for making way.
The text then shifts to the infamous episode of the spies. Remember when they "defiantly [vayapilu] ascended to the mountaintop" (Numbers 14:44)? Bamidbar Rabbah connects this act to a sense of darkness, saying they "brought blackness upon its inhabitants." Why? Because "the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and Moses, did not move from the midst of the camp" (Numbers 14:44). They went against divine instruction.
Moses, trying to dissuade them, reminds them of God’s words: "Do not ascend and do not wage war, as I am not in your midst" (Deuteronomy 1:42). But they were afraid, saying: "Our brethren have melted [hemasu] our hearts, [saying: A people greater and taller than we, cities great and fortified…]" (Deuteronomy 1:28). The Rabbis even connect the word hemasu, "melted," to a specific measurement, the point when pomegranates are half-ripe [misheyimasu], as discussed in Yerushalmi, Ma’asrot 1:2. It's a clever connection, linking fear and doubt to the physical world.
The text goes on to highlight the people's rebellious attitude, their murmuring and questioning of God's love. "I have loved you" (Malachi 1:2), God says, and they respond, "In the Lord’s hatred of us?" Bamidbar Rabbah paints a vivid picture of their distorted perception, using the analogy of a king favoring the land watered by irrigation over the land watered by rain. They saw Egypt, with its irrigation, as favored, and Canaan, watered by rain, as a sign of God's disfavor.
Despite God's warning, they stubbornly "girded [vataḥgeru]" themselves for war, becoming "as one," as if fastened together by a belt [ḥagora]. They thought they could prevail through sheer effort, filling the hin (a measure of volume) "from drop to drop." But their efforts were in vain. They "sinned [Vatazidu]" (Deuteronomy 1:43), mocking the encampments of the Holy One, blessed be He.
The consequences were swift and harsh. "The Emorites…emerged [against you and pursued you as do the bees]" (Deuteronomy 1:43-44). And just like a bee dies after stinging, so too would the Israelites fall easily in battle. "You returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not heed" (Deuteronomy 1:45).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani offers a sobering reflection: "Woe unto the wicked, as they render the attribute of justice as though it were cruel." They pushed God's patience too far, tipping the scales from mercy to judgment. God's final instruction? "Rise, go on a journey" (Deuteronomy 10:11), not to conquer in judgment, but to prepare the way for future generations to inherit the land.
So, what does all this tell us? It's a reminder that the land of Israel isn't just a place; it's a promise, a covenant, a dwelling place built on faith and obedience. And when we stray from that path, when we let fear and doubt cloud our vision, we risk losing sight of the very thing we seek. The story of Bamidbar Rabbah is a powerful lesson about the importance of trust, humility, and the enduring power of God's love, even when we struggle to see it.
Another matter, “when you will come into the land of your dwellings” – Rabbi Zakai of She’av said: Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, everywhere You call it the land of Canaan, but here you call it “the land of your dwelling”?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘As you live, I gave it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all of them in the Bible;5Abraham (Genesis 15:7); Isaac (Genesis 26:3); Jacob (Genesis 28:13). that is why it is “the land of your dwelling.”’ Why did Canaan merit that the land was called by his name? It is because when he heard that Israel was coming, he evacuated the place. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You evacuated the place; the land will be called by your name. And I will give you a land as fine as your land.’ Which is that? It is Africa. What is written above? It is the portion of the spies: “they defiantly [vayapilu] ascended to the mountaintop” (Numbers 14:44) – they brought blackness upon its inhabitants.6Those who participated in the defiant ascent. They were all in blackness, as “the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and Moses, did not move from the midst of the camp” (Numbers 14:44), as they did not ascend with them. Moses said to them: ‘This is what the Holy One blessed be He said to me: “Do not ascend and do not wage war, as I am not in your midst” (Deuteronomy 1:42). You said: “Where are we ascending? Our brethren have melted [hemasu] our hearts, [saying: A people greater and taller than we, cities great and fortified…]”’ (Deuteronomy 1:28).7Moses said to them: “You, yourselves, said that in terms of physical strength, they are superior. I assured you that with God on our side we would prevail. Now that God is not in our midst, you seek to ascend?” What is “melted [hemasu] our hearts”? Our Rabbis said: From here they derived the measure of the pomegranates, as our Rabbis taught: The pomegranates from when they reach half [misheyimasu].8 Yerushalmi, Ma’asrot 1:2. “Hemasu our hearts, saying” – Moses said: ‘From the outset, you divided it.9Your hearts. “You all approached me” (Deuteronomy 1:22) – For good:10They requested that Moses, not God, speak to them. “All the heads of your tribes approached me” (Deuteronomy 5:20) – For evil.11They requested to send spies into the Land. “You all approached me and said” (Deuteronomy 1:22), and it is written: “You murmured in your tents, and you said: In the Lord’s hatred of us”’ (Deuteronomy 1:27). The Holy One blessed be He said: “I have loved you” (Malachi 1:2), and they say “In the Lord’s hatred of us”? They were expounding and saying: ‘Know that He hates us: A flesh and blood king has two sons and two fields, one that is watered by irrigation and one that is watered by rain. Does he not give to the one that the king loves, the one watered by irrigation, and to the one that he hates, he gives the one that is watered by rain? The land of Egypt is watered by irrigation and we were in it. The land of Canaan is watered by rain, and he took us out of Egypt to give us the land of Canaan. Nevertheless, “You girded each man his weapons of war… The Lord said to me: Say to them: Do not ascend and do not wage war” (Deuteronomy 1:41–42). [God said:] ‘I thought to ascend with you, but now, do not ascend, because it will be a descent for you.’ Nevertheless, “you girded [vataḥgeru]” – you all became as one.’12It was as though you were fastened to one another by a belt [ḥagora]. “You prepare yourself [vatahinu] to ascend the mountain” (Deuteronomy 1:41) – what is vatahinu? They were saying: From drop to drop, the hin13A hin is a measure of volume. is filled.14Even if we no longer merit miracles, through painstaking effort we will prevail. One verse says: “You sinned [Vatazidu]” (Deuteronomy 1:43) and one verse says: Vatahinu. What is vatazidu? They mocked [she'hezidu] the encampments of the Holy One blessed be He.15Until that point, they never left an encampment without the pillar of cloud and the Ark (see Numbers 9:15–23). “You ascended the mountain. The Emorites…emerged [against you and pursued you as do the bees]” (Deuteronomy 1:43–44). “The bees” – just as this bee, once it strikes a person it immediately dies; you, too, once one of them would touch you, his soul would depart. Just as the bee flies, they were flying above you. In the past, they would hear of your renown and die, as it is stated: “Peoples heard, they were agitated” (Exodus 15:14).16The following verse ends: “The inhabitants of Canaan dissipated” (Exodus 15:15). But now: “[The Emorites…]pursued…they smote you” (Deuteronomy 1:44). “You returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not heed” (Deuteronomy 1:45). It is, as it were, that you rendered the attribute of justice as though it were cruel.17It totally overcame the attribute of mercy, which is represented by the name “the Lord.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Woe unto the wicked, as they render the attribute of justice as though it were cruel. “The Lord said: Rise, go on a journey” (Deuteronomy 10:11) – if I come to perform justice with you, you will not enter the Land. Rather, “rise, go on a journey [before the nation, and they will come and inherit the Land]” (Deuteronomy 10:11). That is, “when you will come into the land.”
