16. Come and see that in "send you men," "you" MEANS for your sake. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying, "Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him: for he refreshes the soul of his master" (Mishlei 25:13). "Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest:'' BECAUSE THEN THE CHILL is good for the body and soul. "A faithful messenger to those who send him:'' these are Caleb and Pinchas, who were faithful messengers of Joshua AT THE TIME WHEN HE SENT THEM TO SPY ON JERICHO. "For he refreshes the soul of his master:'' they returned the Shechinah to rest on Yisrael, and She did not part from them.

31. "These are the names of the men whom Moses sent... " (Ibid. 4). Rabbi Yitzchak said: Moses observed and was aware that they, THAT IS THE SPIES, would not succeed in their mission, and he then prayed about Joshua. Caleb was then in distress. He said: What shall I do, since Joshua goes forth with the utmost help of Moses, who inspired in him the illumination of the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT. He shone upon him with his light in his prayer, since he is THE ASPECT OF the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. So what did Caleb do? He dropped back from THE SPIES, and came to the burial place of the patriarchs, and prayed his prayer there.

32. Rabbi Yehuda said: Caleb went a different way and took winding paths, MEANING THAT HE FOLLOWED TWISTED PATHS. He reached the burial plots of the patriarchs and endangered himself, as it is written: "Where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were" (Ibid. 22). However, just as someone in distress does not pay attention to anything, so too it was with Caleb. Because he felt distress, he was not observant, and came to pour his prayers upon the burial plots of the patriarchs, in order to be saved from the counsel OF THE SPIES.

38. "And they ascended into the Negev, and (he) came to Hebron" (Bemidbar 13:22). HE INQUIRES: It should have said, 'And they came' in the plural. HE ANSWERS: However, Rabbi Yosi said it refers to Caleb, who came to pray upon the graves of the patriarchs IN HEBRON. Caleb thought to himself: Joshua, indeed! Moses blessed him with the highest, holy help and he could extricate himself and save himself from them; what shall I do? He took counsel to pray a prayer by the graves of the patriarchs, in order to be rescued from the misguided decisions of the rest of the spies.

39. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "AND (HE) CAME" MEANS whoever is more important than the rest, it enters into him; THAT IS, THE SHECHINAH ENTERED AND WAS CLOTHED IN CALEB since upon it, ON THE SHECHINAH, everything depends. Come and see: Who has the advantage over the rest, to be able to come there, TO HEBRON, since it is written: "And there were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai." As a result of fearing them, who would be able to come EVEN TO HIDE in the cave? But the Shechinah was clothed there in Caleb to bring tidings to the Patriarchs. The time has arrived for their children to enter the land which the Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn to them, and that is why he: "came to Hebron." IT DOESN'T SAY, "AND THEY CAME," SINCE IT ALLUDES TO THE SHECHINAH.

69. "And they came to the wadi of Eshkol." Rabbi Aba said, They cut off the cluster (Heb. eshkol) of grapes, which they tried to lift up, but could not. They tried to move it FROM ITS PLACE but could not. Joshua and Caleb came, took hold of it, raised it and it was upright through them. This is what is written: "And they carried it between two on a pole" MEANS by the only two WHO DID NOT SIN, WHICH ARE JOSHUA AND CALEB. HE ASKS: What purpose did "a branch" serve? HE RESPONDS: It is only that the cluster was attached hanging to it and, while it is attached on location, it is called a branch. After THEY CUT IT OFF, it is called pole, as it is written: "And they carried it...on a pole," MEANING that specific one, the one they severed FROM THE TREE.

70. From this, SEEING THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE THE CLUSTER AND YET THE OTHERS WERE UNABLE TO DO IT, Joshua and Caleb realized that they deserved to enter the promised land and that they would have a part and an inheritance. While THE SPIES were still traveling, they made a decision in council about them - JOSHUA AND CALEB - SINCE THE OTHERS WERE JEALOUS OF THEM THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CARRY THAT CLUSTER. AND THEY DECIDED IN COUNCIL TO MURDER THEM. Caleb stood up over the fruit and said, Fruit, fruit, if for your sake we are killed, why are we in your part? Immediately, THE CLUSTER made itself lighter, SO THAT ALL COULD CARRY IT. And they passed it on to them.

71. Rabbi Elazar said, They did not give THE CLUSTER to others, since it is clearly written: "And they carried it between two on a pole," INDICATING THE TWO INDICATED. Among all of them, there were no other two like them. From this, Joshua took a lesson at a later date, TO SEND JUST TWO SPIES, as it is written: "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly" (Yehoshua 2:1). Those two have already been explained by the ancient ones. When JOSHUA AND CALEB reached back to Yisrael and handed to them THE CLUSTER, they remained silent AND SAID NOTHING TO YISRAEL AT FIRST. IT WAS ONLY THE REST OF THE SPIES WHO SAID, "AND THIS IS THE FRUIT OF IT" (BEMIDBAR 13:27) and they pretended themselves to be the least.