Parshat Shlach 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Ye-hoshua

Twelve men are chosen for a mission. The mission will take
them to the Promised Land; soon the entire nation will
follow. In the end, the mission is a dismal failure: Ten of
the twelve emissaries prove to be treacherous, and
instead of bringing the People of Israel closer to the
Promised Land they cause the entire nation to remain in
the desert for forty years.

Even the most casual reading of this episode raises many

questions, not least of which is most primary question of
all: Why were these twelve men sent – and at whose
bidding? Whose idea was this? The textual evidence
seems self-contradictory: In this week’s parsha, God
Himself initiates the expedition:

‫ספר במדבר פרק יג‬

‫ (ב) שְלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִים וְיָתֻרו אֶת אֶרֶץ כְנַעַן‬:‫(א) וַיְדַבֵר ה’ אֶל משֶה לֵאמֹר‬
‫אֲשֶר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל אִיש אֶחָד אִיש אֶחָד לְמַטֵה אֲבֹתָיו תִשְלָחו כֹל‬
:‫נָשִיא בָהֶם‬
1. And God spoke to Moshe, saying, 2. Send men,
that they may spy the land of Canaan, which I give to
the People of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers
shall you send a man, every one a leader among
them. Bamidbar 13:1,2

On the other hand, in Moshe's retrospective of the events,

he recounts that the initiative came from the people, and
he gave his approval:

‫דברים פרק א‬
‫(כב) וַתִקְרְבון אֵלַי כֻלְכֶם וַתֹאמְרו נִשְלְחָה אֲנָשִים לְפָנֵינו וְיַחְפְרו לָנו אֶת‬
‫הָארֶץ וְיָשִבו אֹתָנו דָבָר אֶת הַדֶרֶךְ אֲשֶר נַעֲלֶה בָה וְאֵת הֶעָרִים אֲשֶר נָבֹא‬
‫ (כג) וַיִיטַב בְעֵינַי הַדָבָר וָאֶקַח מִכֶם שְנֵים עָשָר אֲנָשִים אִיש אֶחָד‬:‫אֲלֵיהֶן‬
:‫לַשָבֶט‬
22. And you came near me every one of you, and
said, We will send men before us, and they shall
search us out the land, and bring us word again by
which way we must go up, and to what cities we shall
come. 23. And the idea pleased me; and I took

1
 twelve men of you, one from each tribe; Dvarim
1:22,23

The more complete picture is that the idea to send scouts

ahead of the camp was a grassroots initiative which
eventually received official approval: The people asked for
the mission, Moshe agreed and God acquiesced. This is
actually a very significant nuance in understanding the
way the story unfolds. We begin to sense that the mission
itself was flawed from the very outset: God knew that the
plan was doomed to failure, but He nonetheless allowed
the people to follow their chosen path, despite its folly.
God directs them to send the leaders of each tribe.

The names of the twelve spies are enumerated, and the

we are informed that one name was changed:

‫ספר במדבר פרק יג‬

‫(טז) אֵלֶה שְמות הָאֲנָשִים אֲשֶר שָלַח משֶה לָתור אֶת הָארֶץ וַיִקְרָא משֶה‬
:‫לְהושֵעַ בִן נון יְהושֻע‬
16. These are the names of the men which Moshe
sent to spy out the land. And Moshe called Hoshea
the son of Nun - Yehoshua. Bamidbar 13:16

Why was this name changed? We are offered two different

interpretations – one by the Midrash and one by Rashi
(based on the Talmud1). Both are somewhat ominous:

According to the Midrashic tradition, Moshe renames

Yehoshua in preparation for the transfer of the mantle of
leadership. Moshe knew that it would be Yehoshua who
would lead the People into the Land. The prophecy of
Eldad and Meidad, recorded in last week’s parsha, echoed
through the camp:

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת סנהדרין דף יז עמוד א‬

.‫ יהושע מכניס את ישראל לארץ‬,‫ משה מת‬:‫ומה נבואה נתנבאו? אמרו‬
And what did they prophesy? They said, Moshe shall
die and Yehoshua shall bring Israel into the Land.’
Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 17a

1
Talmud Bavli Sotah 34b
‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה דף לד עמוד ב‬
.‫ יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים‬,‫ ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע‬+‫במדבר יג‬+ :‫ שנאמר‬,‫יהושע כבר בקש משה עליו רחמים‬

2
Moshe knew that eventually Yehoshua would lead the
nation; as they stood on the threshold of the Land of
Israel, he thought the time had arrived. Moshe changed
Hoshea's name as a symbol of his new status as leader of
the nation, just as God changed Avraham and Sarah's
names to reflect their new status as progenitors of great
nations. But Moshe had no illusions about the task which
he would leave to Yehoshua; he had witnessed his share of
rebellion on the part of the people. Their behavior had
pushed him to the brink.2 Moshe had every reason to
suspect that the People of Israel would present Yehoshua
with the same challenges they had presented him, and he
prayed on Yehoshua's behalf:

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשת שלח פרשה טז סימן ט‬

.‫ד"א כיון שראה משה אותן שהיו רשעים אמר ליהושע יה יושיעך מן הדור הזה‬
Another exposition: When Moshe saw that the others
were wicked men he said to Yehoshua: “May God
save you from this generation”. Midrash Rabbah
Bamidbar 16:9

Rashi's comments are of a similar vein, but offer an

alternative reading of Moshe's prayer: Moshe had a
premonition about the group chosen as scouts; he
believed them capable of treachery and feared for his
protégé's spiritual health. In order to spiritually fortify
Hoshea, Moshe calls him Yehoshua.

‫רש"י על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

:‫ התפלל עליו י’ה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים‬- '‫(טז) ויקרא משה להושע וגו‬
He prayed for him, may God (Y-A) save you from the
plot of the spies. Rashi Bamidbar 13:16

2
See especially Bamidbar 11:10-15: 'Then Moshe heard the people weep throughout their families,
every man in the door of his tent; and the anger of God was kindled greatly; and Moshe also was
displeased. 11. And Moshe said to God, Why have you afflicted your servant? and why have I not
found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? 12. Have I conceived all
this people? Have I fathered them, that you should say to me, carry them in your bosom, like a nursing
father carries the sucking child, to the land which you swore to their fathers? 13. From where should I
have meat to give to all this people? for they weep to me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat. 14. I
am not able to carry all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.15. And if you deal thus with
me, kill me, I pray you, at once, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my
wretchedness.

3
‫‪This explanation presents problems of its own: If Moshe‬‬
‫‪had a negative premonition, why did he proceed? Why not‬‬
‫‪delay or cancel the mission, or change the personnel? And‬‬
‫‪if Moshe felt the need to pray – why not pray for all of‬‬
‫‪them?3 Moreover, Hoshea ben Nun is called Yehoshua in‬‬
‫‪various earlier junctures in the narrative, a fact that led‬‬
‫‪some commentaries to posit that the name change took‬‬
‫‪place prior to the mission of the spies. They explain that it‬‬
‫‪was standard practice for leaders to rename people when‬‬
‫‪they began their duties in service of the king. 4‬‬
‫‪In fact, at no point before this mission is Hoshea referred‬‬
‫‪to by any name other than Yehoshua, leading the Ramban‬‬
‫‪to surmise that Moshe had changed his name to Yehoshua‬‬
‫‪long before this episode. Moshe's premonition was not‬‬
‫‪new; he had foreseen this mission, and its dangers, from‬‬
‫‪the beginning of Yehoshua's service, and changed his‬‬

‫‪3‬‬
‫‪These question were posed by the Akaidat Yitzchak Gate 77‬‬
‫ספר עקידת יצחק ‪ -‬שער עז‬
‫ד במאמר ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע‪ ,‬ועל דרך חז"ל (סוטה ל"ד ע"ב) יה יושיעך מעצת המרגלים הנה היה לו להתפלל‬
‫על כלם או להמנע מהשליחות לגמרי אחר שלבו ראה הרבה מדוע עצתם‪:‬‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫‪A well-known biblical precedent is Yosef being renamed Tzafnat Paneach by Pharoh; see Bereishit‬‬
‫‪41:45. Some of the commentators to offer this explanation are Rashbam, Chizkuni, Baaley haTosafot.‬‬
‫‪Rashi himself gives this interpretation in his commentary to Chronicles 2, 36:4‬‬
‫רשב"ם על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬
‫(טז) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע ‪ -‬כמו כך פירושו הושע בן נון שאמרנו למעלה שנקרא כן בבית אביו הוא אותו שקרא‬
‫משה [יהושע] כשנעשה משרתו והפקידו על ביתו שכך היה מנהגם כמו ויקרא פרעה שם יוסף צפנת פענח וכמו שאמר‬
‫נבוכדנצר ועד אחרי על קדמי דניאל די שמיה בלטשצר כשם אלהי‪:‬‬

‫חזקוני על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

‫(טז) אלה שמות האנשים ‪ -‬משבט לוי לא נשתלח מרגל לפי שלא היה לו חלק בארץ ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע לא‬
‫שקראו עתה יהושע אלא כך הפירוש הוא שקראו משה יהושע כבר כשנעשה משרתו ומצא חן בעיניו שכן הוא המנהג שכן‬
‫מצינו באברהם ושרה ויעקב דניאל חנניה מישאל ועזריה צדקיה שכבר שמו מתניה ונחמיה שנקרא התרשתא‪ .‬וי"מ שינה שמו‬
‫על שהוצרך להיות מן המרגלים ולעבור דרך עמלק בשם הושע‪.‬‬

‫דעת זקנים מבעלי התוספות על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

‫(טז) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע ‪ -‬מדרש תנחומא מה ראה לקרותו יהושע אלא ראה כלב שנטל שכרו בארץ שנאמר ויבא‬
‫עד חברון וכתיב במקום אחר ויתנו לכלב את חברון ויהושע נטל חלק עשרה אנשים של מרגלים ולכך הוסיף יו"ד בשמו שעולה‬
‫עשרה‪ .‬ולפי שקראה תגר כשנתחלקה משמה של שרי ופרע לה בכאן‪ .‬וי"א שנתחלקה ה"א בשם שרה וה"א בשם אברהם‪ .‬ובפ'‬
‫ואלו נאמרין מסיק שאמר לו משה יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים‪:‬‬

‫פירוש בעלי התוספות על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

‫ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע‪ .‬לפי הפשט לא עתה נקרא אלא מתחלה כשנעשה משרתו מצא חן בעיניו ושנה שמו לטוב כמו‬
‫שעשה הקב"ה לאברהם ולהבדיל בין קדש לחול בין טמא לטהור כן עשה פרעה ליוסף ונבוכדנצר לחנניה מישאל ועזריה‪ .‬לפי‬
‫שקורא אותו כאן הושע ובכל התורה כולה קורא אותו יהושע אומ' לך ששמו הושע אלא משה שינה שמו ומשבט לוי לא שלח‬
‫מרגלים לפי שאין להם חלק בארץ ואין עליהם לרגל‪:‬‬

‫רש"י דברי הימים ב פרק לו פסוק ד‬

‫ויסב את שמו יהויקים ‪ -‬כך דרך המלכים והשרים שמכנים למשרתיהם שם שהם רוצים דוגמא (בראשית מ"א) ויקרא פרעה‬
‫שם יוסף וגומר וכן (במדבר) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע וכן (דניאל א) וישם שר הסריסים שמות וגו' והכל כדי להודיע‬
‫שהוא מושל בו לכנות לו שם כרצונו‪.‬‬

‫‪4‬‬
name long before the mission set out.5 While this would
account for earlier usages of the name Yehoshua, we must
now face the question of the origins and impetus of the
spies' mission with even greater scrutiny: Did Moshe know,
much earlier on, that the people would ask to send spies
and that the mission would result in disaster? If so, why
did he take no steps to avert this chain of events?

We have noted the Ramban’s comments regarding the

timing of Yehoshua's name change; we should not fail to
note the context in which the Ramban makes these
comments. Yehoshua is first introduced in the Book of
Sh’mot; even then, the Ramban notes, he is referred to as
Yehoshua, not as Hoshea. The context is the battle against
Amalek: Moshe summons Yehoshua to lead the forces:

‫ספר שמות פרק יז‬

ַ‫ (ט) וַיֹאמֶר משֶה אֶל יְהושֻע‬:‫(ח) וַיָבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִלָחֶם עִם יִשְרָאֵל בִרְפִידִם‬
‫בְחַר לָנו אֲנָשִים וְצֵא הִלָחֵם בַעֲמָלֵק מָחָר אנֹכִי נִצָב עַל רֹאש הַגִבְעָה‬
‫ (י) וַיַעַש יְהושֻעַ כַאֲשֶר אמַר לו משֶה לְהִלָחֵם‬:‫ומַטֵה הָאֱלֹהִים בְיָדִי‬
:‫בַעֲמָלֵק ומשֶה אהֲרֹן וְחור עָלו רֹאש הַגִבְעָה‬
8. Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in
Rephidim. 9. And Moshe said to Yehoshua, Choose for
us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I
will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in
my hand. 10. So Yehoshua did as Moshe had said to
him, and fought with Amalek; and Moshe, Aharon,
and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Sh’mot 17:8-10

We should also note that this earlier episode shares a key

theme with the episode of the spies: In both cases we find
the phrase “choose for us men” – in the earlier case, to
fight against Amalek, and in our present parsha, to
ascertain the lay of the Land of Israel. In fact, these two
episodes may have more in common than meets the eye:
At the end of the battle against Amalek we are told that

5
Ramban Sh’mot 13:9
‫רמב"ן על שמות פרק יז פסוק ט‬
‫ וכן כתוב (להלן לב יז) וישמע יהושע‬,‫(ט) ויאמר משה אל יהושע נראה מכאן כי משה מיום היותו לפניו היה קורא אותו יהושע‬
‫ הודיענו כי‬,‫ למבראשונה ידבר‬,)‫את קול העם והכתוב שאמר בענין המרגלים ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע (במדבר יג טז‬
‫) שאמר יה יושיעך מעצת‬:‫זה הושע בן נון אשר בחרו במרגלים הוא אשר קראו משה יהושע וכדברי רבותינו (סוטה לד‬
‫ להגיד כי בעבור זה המעשה שהיה משה יודע שהוא עתיד ללכת עם המרגלים קרא לו השם הזה או נאמר כי אז קבע לו‬,‫מרגלים‬
:‫משה אותו השם בפני העדה שלא יקרא שמו עוד הושע ויהיה שמו יהושע‬

5
Amalek was weakened, and Moshe is commanded to
transmit a message to Yehoshua:

‫שמות פרק יז‬

‫ (יד) וַיֹאמֶר ה’ אֶל משֶה‬:‫(יג) וַיַחֲלש יְהושֻעַ אֶת עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת עַמו לְפִי חָרֶב‬
‫כְתֹב זֹאת זִכָרון בַסֵפֶר וְשִים בְאזְנֵי יְהושֻעַ כִי מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק‬
:‫מִתַחַת הַשָמָיִם‬
13. And Yehoshua weakened Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword. 14. And God said to
Moshe, 'Write this for a memorial in a book, and
recite it in the ears of Yehoshua; for I will completely
put out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven. Sh’mot 17:13

Of all of Israel, it is specifically Yehoshua who is addressed;

the message is directed to Yehoshua above all others. On
one hand, this is understandable: Yehoshua was the one
chosen to lead the first battle against Amalek, but the
enemy was defeated yet not vanquished. Yehoshua had
won the battle, but the war was still undecided. There
would be another battle, and Yehoshua would be there –
waiting to defeat the enemy once and for all.

As a descendant of Yosef, Yehoshua was particularly well-

suited to defeat Amalek. At Yosef’s birth Rashi tells us of
the special trait that Yosef possesses that will allow him to
defeat Israel’s sworn and mortal enemy.

‫בראשית פרק ל‬
‫(כה) וַיְהִי כַאֲשֶר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת יוסֵף וַיֹאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל לָבָן שַלְחֵנִי וְאֵלְכָה‬
:‫אֶל מְקומִי ולְארְצִי‬

‫רש"י בראשית פרק ל פסוק כה‬

‫ שנאמר (עובדיה א יח) 'והיה‬,‫ משנולד שטנו של עשו‬- ‫(כה) כאשר ילדה רחל את יוסף‬
,‫ אש בלא להבה אינו שולט למרחוק‬,'‫בית יעקב אש ובית יוסף להבה ובית עשו לקש‬
:‫משנולד יוסף בטח יעקב בהקב"ה ורצה לשוב‬

Yosef and his descendants are the spiritual antidote to

"Amalekism"; only when Yosef is born does Yaakov feel he
will be capable of surviving the confrontation with
Esav/Amalek. Similarly, it is Yosef's descendant Yehoshua
who is chosen to lead the first battle against this old-new
enemy. Yet the war with Amalek had yet to be won;
Yehoshua knew it, as did Moshe. And so, when men are

6
sent to explore the Land of Israel, Moshe's instructions are
very precise:

‫ספר במדבר פרק יג‬

‫(יז) וַיִשְלַח אֹתָם משֶה לָתור אֶת אֶרֶץ כְנָעַן וַיֹאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם עֲלו זֶה בַנֶגֶב‬
:‫וַעֲלִיתֶם אֶת הָהָר‬
17. And Moshe sent them to spy out the land of
Canaan, and said to them, 'Go up this way through
the Negev (i.e., southward), and go up into the
mountain; Bamidbar 13:17

They are instructed to climb the mountain from the south.

When the so-called spies eventually return, this is one of
the few truthful elements of their dire report: The hated
and feared Amalekites occupied the land in the south.

‫במדבר פרק יג‬

‫(כט) עֲמָלֵק יושֵב בְאֶרֶץ הַנֶגֶב וְהַחִתִי וְהַיְבוסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי יושֵב בָהָר‬
:‫וְהַכְנַעֲנִי יֹשֵב עַל הַיָם וְעַל יַד הַיַרְדֵן‬
29. The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; and
the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, live
in the mountains; and the Canaanites live by the sea,
and by the side of the Jordan. Bamidbar 13:29

Moshe's instructions set them on a course that might well

have led to confrontation with the tribe of Amalek.
Therefore, the choice of Yehoshua as a member of the
scouting party becomes understandable: It was he who led
the first battle against Amalek; it was his ancestry and his
personal attributes that made him most suitable then, as
now, to lead the battle. It was clear from the start that
Hoshea ben Nun was the man for this job. Therefore,
before the first battle against Amalek, Moshe changed
Hoshea’s name – reflecting the primary task for which
Yehoshua was destined, the battle against Amalek. This
task was part and parcel of the mission on which the
twelve men were sent. Yehoshua, who led the first battle,
might here be given a chance to complete the mission for
which he had been chosen.

Was this Moshe's purpose in directing the emissaries along

this specific route? We must consider that Moshe had fully
intended to precipitate a decisive victory over Amalek at

7
this point. The nation stood on the verge of the Land of
Israel, about to fulfill God's covenant with Avraham,
Yitzchak and Yaakov. The only element still missing to
usher in this new era, the missing piece in the picture of a
redeemed world which Moshe saw unfolding before him,
was the eradication of the forces of evil represented by
the descendants of Amalek.

In changing Hoshea’s name to Yehoshua, Moshe sought to

address this last remaining element. Moshe's choice of the
new form of Hoshea's name was not random: adding the
letter “yud” to Hoshea created a string of letters which
constitute the first three of Tetragrammaton, the four-
lettered Name of God. "Hoshea" indicates salvation; by
transforming this name to include the Name of God,
Moshe includes God in the equation. Hoshea becomes
Yehoshua: God will be within him, there to aid, to bring
about their salvation.

Surprisingly, Yehoshua is the first person in the Torah

whose name includes the Name of God. The only other
person whose name has the same string of letters is
Yehuda, though his name comes from the word hodaya,
“thanks” and not from the Divine Name. And yet, the only
other “successful” member of the group of twelve scouts,
the only other to join ranks with Yehoshua and reject the
libelous report of the spies, was Calev - from the tribe of
Yehuda.

Yehoshua's name connects with a very particular Divine

Name. Rashi and the Talmud recount Moshe’s prayer for
Hoshea; in both versions, the Name of God that Moshe
employs is not a common form: “May God (Y-A) protect
you.” The form of the Divine Name Moshe invokes is
composed of two letters - “yud heh”. This particular form
appears only two other times in the Torah to this point.
The first is in the Song at the Sea:

‫שמות פרק טו‬

:‫(ב) עָזִי וְזִמְרָת יָה וַיְהִי לִי לִישועָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאנְוֵהו אֱלֹהֵי אבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהו‬
:‫(ג) ה’ אִיש מִלְחָמָה ה’ שְמו‬
2. God (Yud-heh)is my strength and song, and he has
become my salvation; he is my God, and I will praise

8
 ‫‪him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3. God (the‬‬
‫‪Tetragrammaton) is a man of war; God is his name.‬‬
‫‪Sh’mot 15:2,3‬‬

‫‪The second instance occurs immediately after the battle‬‬

‫‪with Amalek:‬‬

‫שמות פרק יז‬

‫(טז) וַיֹאמֶר כִי יָד עַל כֵס יָה מִלְחָמָה לה’ בַעֲמָלֵק מִדֹר דר‪.‬‬
‫‪16. For he said, Because God (Yud-heh) has sworn‬‬
‫‪that God (the Tetragrammaton) will have war with‬‬
‫‪Amalek from generation to generation. Sh’mot 17:16‬‬

‫;‪Both of these sources refer to God in the context of war‬‬

‫‪we might say they describe a God of War or God who goes‬‬
‫‪to war with the enemies of His People. Rashi notes that in‬‬
‫‪the latter source, which describes the unfinished battle‬‬
‫‪against Amalek, the word kes (throne), is written‬‬
‫‪defectively, in a shortened form of the more common word‬‬
‫‪kiseh. The truncated form teaches us that God’s throne is‬‬
‫‪incomplete, His Kingdom on Earth not fully realized, as‬‬
‫‪long as Amalek walks the earth, sowing seeds of hatred‬‬
‫‪and attacking all that is good. Rashi connects this‬‬
‫‪incomplete form with another word in the verse that is‬‬
‫‪written defectively: the two-letter Name of God, Yud-heh.‬‬
‫‪The message is the same: as long as Amalek exists, God’s‬‬
‫‪Name is incomplete:6‬‬
‫‪6‬‬
‫‪See comments of Kli Yakar, Haamek Davar and Meshech Chochma to Bamidbar 13:16, they all note‬‬
‫‪this connection between the battle with Amalek and the mission of the spies.‬‬
‫כלי יקר על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬
‫ויקרא משה להושע כן נון יהושע‪ .‬יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים‪ .‬יש להתבונן למה דווקא שם של יה‪ ,‬ולמה לא התפלל גם על כלב‪,‬‬
‫ונראה לפי שאמר להם עלו זה בנגב‪ .‬והמרגלים אמרו עמלק יושב בארץ הנגב‪ .‬פירש רש"י לפי שנכוו בו ישראל‪ ,‬וחשב בו‬
‫שמסתמא בעצה זו לא יהיה יהושע כי אדרבה הוא החליש את עמלק ואת עמו לפי חרב‪ .‬ולדורות מאותה מלחמה והלאה הוא ג"כ‬
‫בטוח במה שנאמר (שמות יז טז) כי יד על כס יה מלחמה לה' בעמלק מדור דור‪ ,‬ובאותה שבועה שהיתה בשם יה יהיה בטוח‬
‫לנצח את עמלק‪ ,‬ע"כ הוסיף לו משה יה על שמו כדי שיהיה נזכר לשבועה שהיתה בשם יה ובסבה זו לא יהיה בעצת מרגלים‬
‫שהפחידו את ישראל בעמלק‪:‬‬

‫העמק דבר על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

‫(טז) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע‪ .‬ידוע המדרש בפרש"י יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים‪ .‬והוא פלא אם ידע משה שמרגלים‬
‫יקלקלו כ"כ לא היה לו לשלחם‪ .‬אלא כך הדבר‪ .‬דכבר נקרא יהושע במלחמת עמלק ומזה הטעם שהתפלל משה עליו שיושיעו‬
‫במלחמתו‪ .‬אך לא היה זה השם כי אם לשעה זו בשעת מלחמה‪ .‬ואח"כ נשתקע זה השם וחזרו וקראו אותו הושע‪ .‬עד אותה שעה‬
‫שנתברר שיהושע מכניס ישראל לארץ אם ע"י נבואת אלדד ומידד‪ .‬אם מזה שהבין משה שלא תהי' ביאתם לארץ בדרך נס‬
‫נגלה כ"כ שהרי הסכים הקב"ה למרגלים‪ .‬וא"כ יהי' ע"י יהושע ע"כ ברכו לחלוטין בזה השם‪ .‬מיהו נסמך זה השם לכאן‪.‬‬
‫ללמדנו שבזו התפלה נכלל מלחמת היצר ג"כ‪ .‬אם תהיה עצתם לרעה יהיה נושע בה' גם בזה‪ .‬וע' מש"כ ס' דברים ל"ב מ"ד‪:‬‬

‫משך חכמה על במדבר פרק יג פסוק טז‬

‫(טז) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע ‪ -‬יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים (סוטה לד‪.):‬‬
‫פירוש‪ ,‬דהעם יראו אחרי מלחמת עמלק ממנו וכיו"ב‪ ,‬ולזה אמרו המרגלים עמלק יושב בארץ הנגב כו'‪ ,‬ולזה ירא משה אם‬
‫ישמעו מהלוחם מלחמת עמלק‪ ,‬כי הוא הנלחם עם עמלק (ס"פ בשלח)‪ ,‬אם הוא ירפה ידי העם‪ ,‬הלא תאבד תקוה מנהם‪ .‬ופשוט‪.‬‬

‫‪9‬‬
 ‫רש"י שמות פרק יז פסוק טז‬
‫ ידו של הקב"ה הורמה לישבע בכסאו להיות לו מלחמה ואיבה‬- ‫כי יד על כס יה‬
‫ נשבע הקב"ה‬,‫ ואף השם נחלק לחציו‬,‫ ולא נאמר כסא‬,‫ ומהו כס‬,‫בעמלק עולמית‬
‫ וכשימחה שמו יהיה‬,‫שאין שמו שלם ואין כסאו שלם עד שימחה שמו של עמלק כולו‬
‫ זהו עמלק‬,‫ שנאמר (תהלים ט ז) האויב תמו חרבות לנצח‬,‫השם שלם והכסא שלם‬
‫ (תהלים שם) וערים נתשת אבד זכרם‬,‫שכתוב בו (עמוס א יא) ועברתו שמרה נצח‬
)‫ (תהלים שם‬,‫ הרי השם שלם‬,‫ מהו אומר אחריו (תהלים ט ח) וה' לעולם ישב‬,‫המה‬
:‫ הרי כסאו שלם‬,‫כונן למשפט כסאו‬

Hoshea's name is changed to Yehoshua. When he is given

the extra yud, his name now also has reflects the
"incomplete" Name of God, with three of the four letters of
the Tetragrammaton. He is now ready for the battle
against Amalek; he is prepared to complete God's throne,
to complete God's Name. The question is, are those
accompanying him worthy? Will they rise to the occasion?
If faced with battle, will they have the courage and moral
fortitude to defeat Amalek? The answer is – no. They did
not face battle, but they were so terrified by the prospect
of confronting Amalek that they infected the hearts of the
entire nation with their own fear. They were not prepared
for the battle of the future; overcome by fear, they
retreated into the past. The time to enter Israel had
arrived; the fulfillment of the hopes of their fathers, the
prophecies bestowed upon their ancestors, the realization
of the dream that had sustained them through their years
of slavery was within reach - yet they chose to remain in
the desert. If the way to the Promised Land was via war
with Amalek, they chose exile. Amalek was a feared
enemy, and they were unwilling to fight. Their names did
not contain God’s name, as their hearts did not contain
God’s presence: they were unprepared to fight God’s
battle.

The Talmud records an Oral Tradition that the names of the

spies listed in the parsha were assigned ex post facto;
these were their names after the debacle:

‫ב‬/‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה דף לד‬

‫ דָבָר זֶה‬,‫ אמַר רַבִי יִצְחָק‬,"‫ לְמַטֵה רְאובֵן שַמועַ בֶן זַכור‬,‫"וְאֵלֶה שְמותָם‬
‫ וְאנו לֹא עָלָה‬,‫ עַל שֵם מַעֲשֵיהֶם נִקְרְאו‬- ‫ מְרַגְלִים‬,‫מָסֹרֶת בְיָדֵינו מֵאֲבותֵינו‬

10
‫ שֶסָתַר מַעֲשָיו שֶל הַקָדוש‬- "‫ "סְתור‬,"‫ "סְתור בֶן מִיכָאֵל‬,‫בְיָדֵינו אֶלָא אֶחָד‬
,‫ אף אנו נֹאמַר‬,‫ אמַר רַבִי יוחָנָן‬.ְ‫ שֶעָשָה שונְאו מָך‬,"‫ "מִיכָאֵל‬,‫בָרוךְ הוא‬
- "‫ "וָפְסִי‬.‫ שֶהֶחְבִיא דְבָרָיו שֶל הַקָדוש בָרוךְ הוא‬- "‫ "נַחְבִי‬."‫"נַחְבִי בֶן וָפְסִי‬
:‫שֶפָסַע עַל מִדותָיו שֶל הַקָדוש בָרוךְ הוא‬
And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuven,
Shammua the son of Zaccur. R. Yitzchak said: It is a
tradition we received from our forefathers that the
spies were named after their actions, but only with
one has it survived with us: S'tur the son of Michael.
[He was named] S'tur because he undermined [satar]
the works of the Holy One, blessed be He; and
Michael [was so named] because he suggested that
God [El] was weak [mak]. R. Johanan said: We can
also explain [the name] Nahbi the son of Vofsi. [He
was named] Nahbi because he hid [hikbi] the words
of the Holy One, blessed be He; and Vofsi [was so
named] because he stepped over [pasa] the
attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He. Talmud
Bavli Sotah 34b

Yehoshua, who had God in his heart, received God in his

name; the other members of the group who rejected God,
were given names of calumny, and are remembered in
infamy to this very day.

We might say that Moshe’s prayer – both of the versions of

his prayer - came true in an unexpected way: Because of
the sin of the spies the entire generation perished;
Yehoshua was saved from the plot of the spies, and from
the wickedness of that entire generation. The time to pass
the baton of leadership had not arrived; Moshe continued
to lead the nation for an entire generation – some 39
years after the sin of the spies. Yehoshua would indeed
lead the People into the Land of Israel, but not the
generation that sent the scouts to the land; the next
generation, the generation of their children and
grandchildren, joined Yehoshua in his march of conquest.

When Yehoshua led the People into the Promised Land,

they did not travel from the south; they entered from the
East. The confrontation with Amalek was avoided once
again – postponed, but not cancelled. The battle against
Amalek still awaits us. To win this war, we must put God

11
on our lips and in our hearts. Only when we are able to
rise to that challenge, to face our enemy without fear, with
complete faith in the salvation of God, will we truly fulfill
our destiny. Only then will God's Name and God's throne
be complete.

12