We are familiar with the story of the spies (meraglim in Hebrew) in this week’s Parsha. What you may not have picked up on is that the term “spies” is not actually referenced in this Parsha. Moshe tasks them with scouting, which is a different Hebrew term.
Without getting linguistically technical, let’s just say that, colloquially, the difference between scouting and spying is as follows. Scouts are tasked with gathering data, not necessarily in a subversive manner, and reporting on the data that they gather. They are rarely tasked with carrying out any tactical missions beyond intelligence gathering, and certainly not asked to draw any conclusions. Spies, on the other hand, act subversively, and they are tasked with not just gathering data, but occasionally also specific tactical missions, and their opinion on the strategy and success of the mission is often sought.
We find Moshe praying that G-d spare Joshua from the “plot” of the spies. Caleb too prayed at the tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron that he would not be persuaded to be part of his colleagues’ “plot.” What was this plot? Why would “good men” scheme against Moshe and Hashem?
Moshe was looking for scouts, but they wanted to be spies. Moshe realized that they were not aligned with the mission with which he tasked them. This gave Moshe an inkling that the venture was not going to turn out positively.
The result was that they returned with more than the data for which he asked. They offered opinions on the strategy and success of the mission. In fact, they ended up trying to sabotage the mission, which already had the assurance of success by Hashem. This was how a group of “good men” went off the rails with such disastrous results.
This difference between scouts and spies has a ramification for us in our life’s mission. We have been tasked with achieving certain things in the world, via the agency of Torah and Mitzvot. We are also tasked with data gathering to determine the best way to be successful. What nobody asked of us, is to decide whether the mission can be successful. That decision was already made by Hashem. All we have to do is be determined to invest effort and accomplish the mission.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin