Shelach 13:31 · unit 1 — for he is stronger than He

Parashas Shelach · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 31

The Complete Passuk

וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

But the men who had gone up with him said: We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.

Chabad.org — 13:31

Source Citation

Torah Temimah on כי חזק הוא ממנו: Sotah 35a — R’ Chanina bar Pappa: read as against Heaven.

Sefaria — Sotah 35a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: דָּבָר גָּדוֹל דִּבְּרוּ מְרַגְּלִים בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה. ״כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ״, אַל תִּקְרֵי ״מִמֶּנּוּ״, אֶלָּא ״מִמֵּנוֹ״ — כִּבְיָכוֹל אֲפִילּוּ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא כֵּלָיו מִשָּׁם.

English: R’ Chanina bar Pappa said: A great thing the spies said at that hour. “For he is stronger than we” — do not read “than we,” but “than Him”: as it were, even the Master of the house cannot remove His vessels from there.

Type of Learning

Al tikrei — vowel/reading shift of ממנו.

What Is Learned

Their words are read as denying even Heaven’s power to take the land.