In Parshat Shlach, we read about the 40 days that the scouts checked out the Land of Israel. We don’t know about all of the places that they went to but we do know the following (Bamidbar 13:21-24):
They went up and they scouted the Land from the desert of Tzin to the expanse at the approach to Hamat. They went up into the southern part of the Land and came to Hevron…They arrived at Nachal Eshkol (The Wadi of Eshkol) and from there they cut off a branch and one cluster of grapes…That place was called Nachal Eshkol, because of the cluster that B’nai Yisrael cut from there.
We don’t know exactly which wadi is Nachal Eshkol, but it must have been in the region of Hevron, which we read about in the prior verse. Today as well, there are still many wineries and vineyards in the area of Hevron.
In Devarim 1:24-25, when Moshe recounts the story of the scouts, he adds in a few more facts:
They turned and went uphill and arrived at Nachal Eshkol, and they spied it out. They took in their hand some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us. They brought back word to us and said, “Good is the Land that HaShem our God is giving us.”
The verses in Dvarim add that they went uphill which means that Nachal Eshkol is north of Hevron and we see that they were spying out that particular area.
Rashi brings the Sifrei to explain what they were doing there:
This teaches that they passed through Nachal Eshkol along four lines- through its length and breadth.
Chizkuni explains that this reminds us of the chapter dealing with hiring day labourers in the Talmud, Bava Metzia 91b. The Mishna teaches that workers may eat while walking from row to row in the vineyard and on their way back from the wine press. The Gemara elaborates that walking between job sites is like doing actual work. A different interpretation is that walking is not like doing work. If he was doing actual work while travelling between job sites, such as carrying implements, he would be Biblically permitted to take along produce to eat. We see from here that one who works with one grapevine may eat from another grapevine.
Since the scouts were “working” in the area, they were permitted to cut down the grapes and take them with them.
According to Sforno, all of the scouts, even the wicked ones admitted that the Land was good. Ramban points out that all of the scouts said (Bamidbar 13:27):“We came to the Land into which you sent us, and it indeed flows with milk and honey and this is the fruit.”
After experiencing Israel’s wine country and the gorgeous grapes that it produced, the scouts could not complain about Israel’s produce. Instead, they found other things to criticize.
May we all have the opportunity to visit Israel’s vineyards, taste the wine and bring some back home to share with friends and may we put our energy into all of the great things that Israel has to offer.
