Devarim, 4th Aliya

The Spies’ Consequence

As for the generation of the spies’ children, they will merit to enter and capture the land of Israel, however they will now be delayed from doing so.

Moshe’s original plan was to lead the Israelites up north through the land of Edom directly into Israel*, however due to the sin of the spies, they now had to take a long detour by going south in the direction of Mount Seir traveling through the desert by way of the Sea of Reeds. They would then need to traverse the entire south side of Mout Seir from West to East.

*Side note: Although we have learned previously that the King of Edom didn’t allow the Israelites to travel through his land, this was because they wanted to go through a populated area. If not for the sin of the spies, G-d would have allowed them to pass through the uninhabited part.

Moshe now recalls how the spies admitted that they had sinned and declared that they would ascend the mountain and conquer the land. Whereupon G-d told Moshe to warn them not to go lest they be killed by their enemies as G-d would not be with them. It would not be an ascent, G-d clarified but rather a descent for them.

And so Moshe warned them but they didn’t listen. They rebelled and went up the mountain and the Amorites who lived there attacked them from Seir until Chormah. “Like bees”, the text writes, which according to Rashi means that the Amorites died upon striking them as a bee dies upon stinging its victim.

The nation cried out to G-d but G-d didn’t listen, making it seem as if His attribute of mercy had switched to cruelty.

They then camped in Kadesh and remained there for 19 years, followed by traveling through the desert by way of the Sea of Reeds and traveling around Mount Seir (as mentioned above).