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Why did Hashem (ה׳) tell Moshe "send if you want" rather than commanding or forbidding the spies? The shiur explores the tension between Hashem's displeasure at Israel's lack of trust and Moshe's strategic decision to agree, hoping reverse psychology would dissuade them from their request.
The shiur analyzes the complex dynamics surrounding the sending of the spies (Meraglim) by examining the apparent contradictions between Parshas Shelach and Parshas Devarim. In Shelach, Hashem (ה׳) tells Moshe "send men" but Rashi (רש"י) explains this means "send on your own - I'm not commanding you." In Devarim, Moshe recalls that the people approached him requesting spies, and "the matter was good in my eyes." Rashi resolves this by explaining that the people's request demonstrated their lack of trust in Hashem's promise that the land was good. Hashem's response was essentially: "Since they don't trust Me after I told them it's good, I'll give them the opportunity to make a mistake through the spies' words so they won't inherit the land."
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Parshas Shelach
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