“A land that devours its inhabitants, Yet flows with milk and honey and sky-blue grace; At times, it too may rob The poor man of his only lamb.”

These words open Shir Eretz (“Song of the Land”) by Natan Yonatan, a poem that expresses profound love for this land, alongside a clear-eyed recognition of the price life here demands of us.

Two of the poem’s descriptions of the land – “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27) and “a land that devours its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32) – are drawn directly from this week’s Torah portion. Moses and the Israelites send 12 representatives from the wilderness to scout the Promised Land. After 40 days, the spies return and report both the land’s abundance and a grim assessment of its inhabitants: powerful nations, fortified cities, and fearsome giants.

For this report, and for the people’s subsequent weeping and complaints, the Israelites are condemned to remain in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the land: “According to the number of days that you spied out the land, 40 days… you shall bear your iniquities 40 years” (Numbers 14:34).

How can such a severe punishment be justified if the spies merely fulfilled their mission? Were they expected to lie?

Commentators have long debated the purpose of the spies’ mission. Some view it as a leadership exercise intended to boost........

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