Rabbi Roodyn

י) אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אָקוּט בְּדוֹר וָאֹמַר עַם תֹּעֵי לֵבָב הֵם וְהֵם לֹא יָדְעוּ דְרָכָי

Forty years I quarreled with a generation, and I said, “They are a people of erring hearts and they did not know My ways.”

The Radak explains that this is a reference to the tragedy of the spies, who were sent to bring back a positive report about the land of Israel and instead brought back a negative one. As a result if this, Hashem was in a ‘quarrel’ with them for the forty years that they were condemned to wander in the wilderness.

The episode of the spies is one that can be understood from many angles. Within the context of this chapter of Tehillim however there is one perspective that is particularly pertinent.

The whole chapter has been discussing Hashem as the Creator and Sustainer of the world. His power is awesome beyond comprehension. This, coupled with his intimate involvement with this world on a constant basis, forms the foundation of our relationship with Him.

The spies doubted Hashem’s ability to conquer the land. They felt overwhelmed by the strength and number of its inhabitants and did not think that the Jewish people would succeed. They failed to recognise that they weren’t doing it by themselves, rather by Divine command. Rather than focussing on Hashem’s track record and ominpotence, they were overcome by their own inadequacy.

As a result of this lack of trust they were compelled to live with the consequence of their actions. They were forced to wonder in the desert for forty years in an unnatural environment, sustained by the Mon and never knowing when they would move on to their next station. The years of wondering in the desert forced them to develop a sense of dependency and trust in Hashem the hard way.