ויאמר אליהם עלו זה בנגב [ועליתם את ההר] (שם יג יז). עם שהם עולים, אמר ר' ברכיה הכהן [ברבי] מצאו שלשה בני ענקים שם, אחימן ששי ותלמי (שם שם כב), למה נקרא שמו אחימן, שהיה אומר אחי מאן יבא עלי, ששי שהיא בריא כשיש, תלמיד שהיה הולך ועושה תלמים בארץ, ילידי הענק שהיו עונקים את החמה, כשראו אותם מרגלים נתייראו, מיד הלכו ואמרו כי חזק הוא ממנו (שם יג לא), אמר ריש לקיש הקישו כלפי מעלה, ובאותו עון נגזר עליהם גזירות רעות, מה הקב"ה אומר לירמיהו, לך אמור להם אין אתם יודעים מה הוצאתם מפיכם ליום המולה גדולה (ירמיה יא טז), אמרו ונהי בעינינו כחגבים (במדבר יג לג), אמר הקב"ה ויתרתי עליה, אלא וכן היינו בעיניהם (שם), מי יאמר שלא הייתם בעיניהם כמלאכים, ידעתם מה עשיתי אתכם בעיניהם, מה גרמתם לכם במספר הימים אשר תרתם את הארץ (שם יד לד), לא דיים כן אלא שלא נכנסו לארץ, אמר הקב"ה לישראל, בעוה"ז על ידי שהיו שלוחי בשר ודם, נגזר עליהם שלא נכנסו לארץ, אבל לעולם הבא אני אשלח מלאכי פתאום ויפנה דרך לפני, שנאמר הנני שולח (מלאך) [מלאכי] ופינה דרך לפני [ופתאום יבוא אל היכלו] (מלאכי ג א).
(Numb. 13:17): THEN HE SAID UNTO THEM: GO UP HERE INTO THE NEGEB, [AND GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY]. <They are> a people who go up.23Numb. R. 16:11; Tanh., Numb. 4:6, cont. R. Berekhyah the Priest [Berabbi] said: They found the three sons of the Anakim there, (i.e., according to vs. 22): AHIMAN, SHESHAI, AND TALMAI.24Cf. Sot. 34b. Why was the name of <the first> called Ahiman? Because he said: My brother (ahi), who (man) will come against me? <Why> Sheshai (ShYShY)? Because he was as sound as marble (ShYSh). <Why> Talmai?25Talmay, which means, “my furrows.” Because he went and made furrows (telamim) in the earth.26I.e., with his heavy steps. <Why were they called> (ibid., cont): THE CHILDREN OF ANAK ('NQ)? Because they wore (rt.: 'NQ) the sun about the neck.27According to Zeev Wolf’s commentary on Numb. R. 16:11, They were so tall that the sun seemed to rest on their heads. When the spies saw them they were afraid. Immediately they went and said (in vs. 31): FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE. Resh Laqish said: They struck against Heaven. Because of this transgression harsh decrees were issued against them. What does the Holy One say to Jeremiah? Go, say to them: You do not know what you have brought out from your mouth daily (according to Jer. 11:16): A GREAT TUMULT. They said (in Numb. 13:33): <MOREOVER THERE WE SAW THE NEPHILIM—THE CHILDREN OF ANAK ARE PART OF THE NEPHILIM—> AND IN OUR OWN EYES WE WERE LIKE GRASSHOPPERS. The Holy One said: I forgave them for that <remark>; but <then> (ibid., cont.) AND SO WE WERE IN THEIR EYES. Who would say that you were not like angels in there eyes? Do you know what I made you in their eyes? What have you brought upon yourselves? (Numb. 14:34:) ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT YOU EXPLORED THE LAND, <FORTY DAYS, EVERY DAY A YEAR…. > As though this was not enough, they did not even enter the land. The Holy One said to Israel: In this world,28This form usually denotes the end of a parashah, but it does not do so here; nor does it do so in the parallels in the traditional Tanhuma, 4:7 and Numb R. 16:11. because the representatives (literally: those sent) were of flesh and blood, it has been decreed over them that they should not enter the land; but in the world to come I will suddenly send my angel (mal'akh), and he shall clear a way before me. It is so stated (in Mal. 3:1): BEHOLD, I AM SENDING {A} [MY] MESSENGER (mal'akh) TO CLEAR A WAY BEFORE ME, AND <THE LORD WHOM YOU SEEK> [SHALL SUDDENLY COME UNTO HIS TEMPLE].
ויאמר אליהם עלו זה בנגב [ועליתם את ההר] (שם יג יז). עם שהם עולים, אמר ר' ברכיה הכהן [ברבי] מצאו שלשה בני ענקים שם, אחימן ששי ותלמי (שם שם כב), למה נקרא שמו אחימן, שהיה אומר אחי מאן יבא עלי, ששי שהיא בריא כשיש, תלמיד שהיה הולך ועושה תלמים בארץ, ילידי הענק שהיו עונקים את החמה, כשראו אותם מרגלים נתייראו, מיד הלכו ואמרו כי חזק הוא ממנו (שם יג לא), אמר ריש לקיש הקישו כלפי מעלה, ובאותו עון נגזר עליהם גזירות רעות, מה הקב"ה אומר לירמיהו, לך אמור להם אין אתם יודעים מה הוצאתם מפיכם ליום המולה גדולה (ירמיה יא טז), אמרו ונהי בעינינו כחגבים (במדבר יג לג), אמר הקב"ה ויתרתי עליה, אלא וכן היינו בעיניהם (שם), מי יאמר שלא הייתם בעיניהם כמלאכים, ידעתם מה עשיתי אתכם בעיניהם, מה גרמתם לכם במספר הימים אשר תרתם את הארץ (שם יד לד), לא דיים כן אלא שלא נכנסו לארץ, אמר הקב"ה לישראל, בעוה"ז על ידי שהיו שלוחי בשר ודם, נגזר עליהם שלא נכנסו לארץ, אבל לעולם הבא אני אשלח מלאכי פתאום ויפנה דרך לפני, שנאמר הנני שולח (מלאך) [מלאכי] ופינה דרך לפני [ופתאום יבוא אל היכלו] (מלאכי ג א).
(Numb. 13:17): THEN HE SAID UNTO THEM: GO UP HERE INTO THE NEGEB, [AND GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY]. <They are> a people who go up.23Numb. R. 16:11; Tanh., Numb. 4:6, cont. R. Berekhyah the Priest [Berabbi] said: They found the three sons of the Anakim there, (i.e., according to vs. 22): AHIMAN, SHESHAI, AND TALMAI.24Cf. Sot. 34b. Why was the name of <the first> called Ahiman? Because he said: My brother (ahi), who (man) will come against me? <Why> Sheshai (ShYShY)? Because he was as sound as marble (ShYSh). <Why> Talmai?25Talmay, which means, “my furrows.” Because he went and made furrows (telamim) in the earth.26I.e., with his heavy steps. <Why were they called> (ibid., cont): THE CHILDREN OF ANAK ('NQ)? Because they wore (rt.: 'NQ) the sun about the neck.27According to Zeev Wolf’s commentary on Numb. R. 16:11, They were so tall that the sun seemed to rest on their heads. When the spies saw them they were afraid. Immediately they went and said (in vs. 31): FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE. Resh Laqish said: They struck against Heaven. Because of this transgression harsh decrees were issued against them. What does the Holy One say to Jeremiah? Go, say to them: You do not know what you have brought out from your mouth daily (according to Jer. 11:16): A GREAT TUMULT. They said (in Numb. 13:33): <MOREOVER THERE WE SAW THE NEPHILIM—THE CHILDREN OF ANAK ARE PART OF THE NEPHILIM—> AND IN OUR OWN EYES WE WERE LIKE GRASSHOPPERS. The Holy One said: I forgave them for that <remark>; but <then> (ibid., cont.) AND SO WE WERE IN THEIR EYES. Who would say that you were not like angels in there eyes? Do you know what I made you in their eyes? What have you brought upon yourselves? (Numb. 14:34:) ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT YOU EXPLORED THE LAND, <FORTY DAYS, EVERY DAY A YEAR…. > As though this was not enough, they did not even enter the land. The Holy One said to Israel: In this world,28This form usually denotes the end of a parashah, but it does not do so here; nor does it do so in the parallels in the traditional Tanhuma, 4:7 and Numb R. 16:11. because the representatives (literally: those sent) were of flesh and blood, it has been decreed over them that they should not enter the land; but in the world to come I will suddenly send my angel (mal'akh), and he shall clear a way before me. It is so stated (in Mal. 3:1): BEHOLD, I AM SENDING {A} [MY] MESSENGER (mal'akh) TO CLEAR A WAY BEFORE ME, AND <THE LORD WHOM YOU SEEK> [SHALL SUDDENLY COME UNTO HIS TEMPLE].