The story of the spies sent to scout the Land of Israel is not only a pivotal moment in the wilderness narrative of the Israelites, but a mirror held up to the human soul. Twelve leaders were chosen, each a chieftain, representing the best of their tribes. They were tasked with observing the land and its inhabitants—but more than anything, they were tested in how they would interpret what they saw.
Ten of the twelve spies return with a fearful, faithless report. They declare:
“וְשָׁם רָאִינוּ אֶת-הַנְּפִילִים… וַנְּהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם”
“We saw the Nephilim there… and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.” (Numbers 13:33)
This verse reveals something deeper than mere reconnaissance—it reveals a collapse of spirit. They did not just fear the giants; they saw themselves as unworthy, as tiny. In their own eyes, they were powerless, and so they projected that image into the eyes of others. Here, fear becomes self-definition. And it is this failure of courage—this internalized sense of inferiority—that becomes the sin of the spies.
The British writer Mary Anne Evans, better known as George Eliot, once wrote:
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
This quote reminds us that potential is not determined by circumstance, but by self-perception and choice. The ten spies chose to believe they could not, and therefore they did not. But two—Joshua and Caleb—chose faith. Not blind faith, but courageous trust: in themselves, in the people, and most of all in God’s promise.
Joshua and Caleb break from the others and declare:
“עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוֹ אֹתָהּ כִּי-יָכוֹל נוּכַל לָהּ”
“We should surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)
Rashi, quoting the Sifrei and Talmud Sotah 34b, teaches that Joshua was protected by Moses himself through a special prayer:
“יְהוֹשֻׁעַ – יָהּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵעֲצַת מְרַגְּלִים”
“May God save you from the counsel of the spies.”
Joshua, a general-in-training, offered strategy and readiness—faith through action. Caleb, however, takes a different path. According to the Midrash Tanchuma (Shelach 10) and Sotah 34b, when the spies reached Hebron, Caleb secretly left the group and traveled to the Ma’arat HaMachpelah, the Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. There, he poured out his soul in prayer:
“אמר כלב: אבותי בקשו עלי רחמים שאנצל מעצת מרגלים.”
“Caleb said: ‘My ancestors, pray for mercy on my behalf, that I may be saved from the plot of the spies.’”
Caleb’s strength came from memory, lineage, and the sense of mission that transcended the moment. This approach is easier for us, in our generation, to harness whenever we have doubts. Prayer is about gaining confidence among the other benefits we seek.
While Joshua symbolizes the soldier and strategist, Caleb represents the soul anchored in spiritual legacy—one who connects deeply with the past to forge a faithful future. Their opposition to the ten spies is not mere optimism. It is a refusal to allow fear to distort identity. The ten spies failed not because they lied, but because they interpreted reality through the lens of fear and despair, thus denying the strength of God’s promise and the people’s destiny.
Hope for Us Today
In the end, Joshua and Caleb are the only two from their generation permitted to enter the Land. Their strength was rewarded. Their belief becomes the foundation of Jewish resilience.As we face our own challenges—moments when we see giants before us, and ourselves as grasshoppers—we must remember the words and approaches of Caleb and Joshua. We have prayer to rely upon, and I believe Moses was not only whispering his blessings upon Joshua alone:
“חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ… כִּי עִמְּךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ”
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
May we have the courage of Joshua to take the next step, and the faith of Caleb to root ourselves in the promises and prayers of our people to gain the confidence we need. May we walk upright and not as grasshoppers, in the image of God, destined to inherit the promised land of our lives in addition to the Promised Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bolton