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Why did the spies begin their report by mentioning Amalek dwelling in the south? The spies understood that the Jewish people had acted like children (tinok) and deserved punishment, making them vulnerable to fear. By invoking Amalek—the "strap" Hashem (ה׳) uses to discipline Israel—they strategically exploited this psychological weakness to dissuade the nation from entering the land.
The shiur analyzes why the spies (meraglim) began their intelligence report by stating "Amalek dwells in the land of the south" (Bamidbar 13:29). This seems puzzling since they should have given a strategic assessment rather than a chronological account of their journey. The Midrash explains through a mashal: just as one reminds a rebellious child of the strap used to punish him, the spies invoked Amalek to inspire fear. Rabbi Zweig develops this insight by examining the broader context. Following the incidents at Kivros Hata'avah and other sins, the Jewish people had been acting like children (tinok), as evidenced by their complaints about the manna and water. The language of "tinok" appears throughout these narratives - Moshe describes carrying them "as a nurse carries a suckling child" and they are characterized as babies who need to be nursed and carried.
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Parshas Shelach 13:29
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