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Why did Hashem (ה׳) perform the miracle of kfitzat haderech for the spies? The Midrash reveals that Hashem foresaw they would speak lashon hara against the land itself, not just report military difficulties. This unjustifiable sin required the severe punishment of yom lashanah - forty years for forty days.
This shiur examines a fundamental Midrash that explains why Hashem (ה׳) performed the miracle of kfitzat haderech (miraculous land-contraction) during the mission of the spies, shortening their journey from what should have been 120 days to just 40 days. The Midrash states that Hashem did this because He knew (galui v'yadua) that they would speak lashon hara against Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Zweig addresses the obvious question: why does the Midrash focus specifically on the lashon hara against the land when that wasn't the spies' original plan? A careful reading of the narrative reveals that the spies initially returned with a positive report about the land itself, saying it was 'flowing with milk and honey.' Their complaint was about the military challenge - the inhabitants were too strong to defeat.
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Parshas Shelach - the episode of the spies
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