The daily strengthening from our teacher, the holy gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a — The spies were great Tzaddikim, so why did they make a mistake?

“Every one of them was a leader” (Bamidbar 13:2)

“For the tribe of Asher: Setur son of Michael” (ibid. 13:13)

“Moshe will die, and Yehoshua will bring [them] in” (Sanhedrin 17a)

“The people saw that Moshe was delayed in coming down from the mountain, and the people gathered against Aharon and said to him: ‘Get up, make us a god that will go before us, for this man Moshe who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him’” (Shemos 32:1)

Tuesday, 18 Adar 5785 — The Jewish people did not believe Moshe died, but the spies and Miriam became confused

These are his holy words:

Now we are speaking about the spies, who were the greatest Tzaddikim in the world. They were all acting by the word of Hashem; they went by the word of Hashem. They were not simple people—rather, “every one of them was a leader” (Bamidbar 13:2). They were all leaders.

They went by the word of Hashem, but the spies had one mistake: they thought they were wiser than Moshe Rabbeinu. That is the entire mistake. It did not help that they were leaders; it did not help that they went by the word of Hashem.

The spies were the greatest Tzaddikim. Setur son of Michael was humble; he did everything in secret—every act of righteousness. But they did not have Emunah in Moshe Rabbeinu. They heard the prophecy, “Moshe will die, and Yehoshua will bring [them] in” (Sanhedrin 17a). The moment they heard “Moshe will die,” suddenly they became “faithful” to Moshe.

What do you mean, ‘faithful’? Moshe said to enter—what do you have to do with a prophecy that Moshe will die? Moshe did not die at all! Moshe lives!

It is written in the Gemara in Shabbos that the Satan showed them Moshe’s bed—the Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) lives!

They call Breslov Chassidim “toiteh chassidim” (dead chassidim), but in truth they are the “toiteh chassidim”—they are “dead rebbes.” We have a Rebbe who lives and endures. The Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) never died—he lives and endures. He is with us everywhere; he walks with us everywhere. He lives and endures. The “toiteh chassidim” are them—they are the ones called “toiteh chassidim.”

When the Jewish people saw Moshe’s bed, that is when they broke. They said, “Where is Moshe? Where is Moshe?” They did not know—he had already ascended to Heaven; he was late; he said “six.” Because Moshe said he would return at 12 noon, and they made a mistake in the day, since they calculated from the day Moshe went up to Har Sinai—but the day he went up is not counted as a full day; it was only six hours.

The Satan said to them: “Six has already arrived—so why didn’t Moshe come? He said that at six he would come down.” “Do not read ‘bosheish’ (delayed), but ‘ba shesh’ (six has come)” (Shabbos 89a). For at the time Moshe ascended on high, he told them: “At the end of forty days I will return.” Forty days passed according to their calculation and Moshe did not return, so they went to make the calf. They said: “If Moshe hasn’t come until now, then he will never come.” At the end of forty days, the Satan came and confused the world—darkness, gloom, lightning, thunder, rain, snow.

The Satan said to them: “Listen, six has come—something is not right here. Why isn’t Moshe arriving? Where is he?” They told him: “He ascended on high.” He said to them: “But Moshe is dead—I will show you that he is already dead.”

They did not listen to him. They said: “So what if you show us that Moshe is dead—there is no such thing as Moshe dying! So what if Eldad and Meidad are prophesying that Moshe will die—there is no need to pay attention to that at all.” But the spies and Miriam became confused.