Shelach 13:25 · unit 1 — at the end of forty days

Parashas Shelach · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 25

The Complete Passuk

וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃

They returned from scouting the land at the end of forty days.

Chabad.org — 13:25

Source Citation

Torah Temimah on מקץ ארבעים יום: Taanis 29a — the year Tammuz was full.

Sefaria — Taanis 29a · E-Daf — Taanis 29a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וּכְתִיב: ״וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם״. הָנֵי אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם נְכֵי חַד הָווּ! אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: תַּמּוּז דְּהַהִיא שַׁתָּא מַלּוֹיֵי מַלְּיוּהּ.

English: And it is written: “They returned from scouting the land at the end of forty days.” Those forty days were short one day! Abaye said: Tammuz of that year they made full.

Type of Learning

Calendar resolution of a day-count difficulty.

What Is Learned

The forty-day count is reconciled by treating Tammuz of that year as a full month.