Arrogance of Spies

In פרשת דברים, Moshe spoke about the tragic episode of the spies. Their betrayal of Hashem which led to בכיה של חינם, crying for nothing, took place on Tisha B’Av. This is one of the reasons why we fast. But the real lesson to be learned from the spies, is that despite the fact that those who cried, admitted their sin, it was not enough. The Torah tells us that shortly after this episode, a group of Jews, against Moshe’s wishes, decided to try and conquer the land prematurely. They were known as the מעפילים. They were ambushed and killed, as it was not the correct time to enter Israel. Many commentators point out that their apology was meaningless. We see this by their believing that they could enter early. This showed that they never truly abandoned their arrogance. This is what got them in trouble in the first place, and led to their ultimate downfall. Our Rabbis constantly warn us of the detrimental aspect of arrogance. It is a very horrible Midah, character trait, that is far more destructive than we realize.