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Why does Moshe mention the chaotic manner in which Klal Yisrael approached him about sending spies, with youngsters pushing away elders? This detail reveals the deeper cause of the meraglim tragedy. When a generation loses respect for its elders, it severs its connection to history and abandons the dreams that sustained previous generations for centuries.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a puzzling aspect of Moshe's recounting of the meraglim episode in Parshas Devarim. In Perek 1, Pasuk 22, the Torah (תורה) states 'Vatikvunu eilai kulchem' - 'You all approached me.' Rashi (רש"י) explains that they came in a disorganized, chaotic manner (birbuvia), with the youngsters pushing away the elders (katanim dochim es hazekeinim). This seems like a minor detail compared to the massive sin of accepting lashon hara about Eretz Yisrael. The fundamental question is why this organizational detail appears here in Devarim when it wasn't mentioned in the original account in Parshas Shelach. Moreover, why would Moshe emphasize what seems like poor crowd control when the real issue was the devastating sin of rejecting Eretz Yisrael based on the spies' negative report?
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Parshas Devarim 1:22
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