| "They found a person desecrating Shabbos. The Torah does not mention his name.R’ Akiva reveals it is Tzilofchod and is criticized for revealing it if the Torah didn’t. The question is that the Medrash insists that his intentions in descrating were pure and innocent. The people were destined to die in the desert, they lost hope and beleived they were not responsible for mitzvos. This punishment would prove them wrong. So why was R’ Akiva criticized? The answer is that R’ Akiva expressed an opinion in Ms’ Makos that he would always find a way to make a defendant innocent and this applies also to Shabbos (Tosafot). If so, then R’ Akiva didn’t think the strategy was the way the medrash said and thought he was guilty of bad intentions. That is why he was criticized (MeShulchan Gavoa).
The possuk states at the end of the parsha ""You should not follow your hearts and your eyes"". The Chazal interpret the first part to infer you should not follow false gods and false philosophies. How did they know to interpret it as such? Mah""aril Diskin, offers the solution. The Chazal say that the heart and the eyes are agents for ones inclination to sin. As Rashi quotes ""the eyes see, the heart desires, and the body completes the task."" If this is so, then the possuk should be in reverse order ""your eyes and your hearts"". The answer is that the Gemora in Kedushin informs us that in one area of sin, a Jew is already held responsible and guilty for thoughts alone - that is the thoughts of false gods and false philosophies.
The Nitziv explains so beautifully the whole concept of the Bnei Yisroel sending spies. They left Har Sinai in the previous parsha. They then were on an elevated level of kedusha and were prepared to enter Eretz Yisroel without any man-made assistance. However, when they made the first few stops and we saw all the problems they had, and many died in the travails of the complainers and critics of the ""manna"" etc., they opted for a more natural existence, hence they desired spies, reconnaissance. Also according to the medrash, they heard the prophecy of Eldad and Maidad that Yehoshua would lead them, which further threw a scare into them. So, at Har Sinai Hashem told them to ""go and capture the land"" but by this time already He seemed to agree to ""Shilach Licha"".
The parsha discusses various topics that seem more suitable for Vayikra. There are the laws of Nisochim and Minachos, the wine and flour that accompanied offerings on the mizbaiach. Also the laws of separating challah, a portion of dough, and giving it as a gift to the Kohanim. The Ramban and others feel this is a form of comfort to these Jewish people whose future was reduced to remaining in the wilderness. ""Who knows if even our children will enter Israel"". To this HaShem refreshed them with the laws of karbonos. It is amazing how the Chofetz Chaim, in our time, upon realizing that we were losing our hope and yearning for a Bais HaMikdosh, reinstated the study, in depth, of Kodoshim and all the areas of Karbonos.
Yehoshua is referred to as ""been nun"", son of Nun, but not with the customary word ""ben"" – why? The Chasam Sofer explains. The ""yud"" in the name Yehoshua was borrowed from the ""yud"" of ""Sarai"" which was converted to Sarah. Now the ""yud"" in Sarai had no vowels under it. It was necessary, therefore, also to borrow some dots. ""Ben"" has three dots under the ""bais"". If we borrow two to from the first part of Yehoshua, only one remains and therefore it remains ""been"".
Kalev quieted the people ""to Moshe"". What exactly is this phrase supposed to mean? The Ksav Sofer suggests. Moshe sent the spies not to see what their opinion would be about the feasibility of entry and the success of such a mission, but only the strategy they should employ. Of course they returned with all kinds of ideas and advice. This is what Kalev meant. ""To Moshe"" is the decision about the war effort. These men were not chosen for that purpose.
Moshe used a very definite tactic to release the fatal decree from upon the Bnei Yisroel. The Egyptians will hear what you do and will attribute it to the inability of Hashem to bring them to the land. Now why did he mention Egypt more than other lands? The answer is that other nations would assume that the Bnei Yisroel sinned and were punished. Egypt, however, knew that even when in Egypt the Jewish people sinned and still Hashem redeemed them, so that this must be for a different reason. (M’Shulchan Gev--h).
In Avos DR’ Noson it points out the obligation of treating ones friend as a teacher. Aaron addressed Moshe in this week’s parsha as ""my master"". The Tosfos Yom Tov asks that already at the story of the egel he addressed him with the title ""my master"". If so, why not quote that source? The Haemek Davar answers. At that point in time Aaron had not, as yet, learnt the Torah from Moshe so the title was understandable. He, however, already was a chaver, of sorts, and still retained the title of ""adonee"".
The possuk says that the Bnei Yisroel tested Hashem ""this ten times"". It seems to create a unit of ten instead of referring to it as ""these ten times"". Perhaps, if the Bnei Yisroel would have tested Hashem and through this strengthened their faith, the criticism would not be so great. Since, however, after ten times they would still generate a scandal of the proportion of the spies, it reflects back on all the ""tests"" that they were to no avail and therefore instead of being viewed as constructive, they are punished for initiating them"
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