What if I told you that Israel were not condemned to wander in the Wilderness for 40 years as a punishment for the Sin of the Spies? That's what Shadal holds! Here's my attempt to understand his view.
I'm thinking about how the events of the Midbar gave the Israelites a chance to grow, and leave behind their old mentality and idolatrous ways that they had in Egypt. I wonder if Shadal would say that if they had fully internalized those lessons, e.g. reliance on Hashem, as taught by the Maan, then maybe they wouldn't have needed 40 years to drive home the lessons. They'd still have needed a few months, so that they could learn everything they needed to and for a new identity together, but they wouldn't have needed the supplemental training regimen of the 40 years.
Quite possibly. Seems like the allows for a minimal shiur of time spent in the Midbar (in his comments on Shemos) and the time that was actually spent in the Midbar.
Your questions regarding peshat and God's framing of the event are at their core directed at R Avraham ibn Ezra and Rambam.
It seems that all Shadal is doing in Bamidbar is tweaking Rambam's (and ibn Ezra's) theory of the Israelites needing to toughen up (having to die out) to take the land and being delayed in entering the land irrespective of the episode of the spies. Disagreeing regarding the need for natural means to defeat Canaan he substitutes his own idea of a national incubatory period.
In Shemos he doesn't take it quite as far, sufficing with the time spent in the desert prior to the spying episode to achieve the desired results, as opposed to immediate entry. There Shadal is of the opinion that they would have entered after about a year in the desert had the episode of the spies not occurred. In Bamidbar he seems to step it up requiring a much longer period to achieve the goal of national maturation.
I'm thinking about how the events of the Midbar gave the Israelites a chance to grow, and leave behind their old mentality and idolatrous ways that they had in Egypt. I wonder if Shadal would say that if they had fully internalized those lessons, e.g. reliance on Hashem, as taught by the Maan, then maybe they wouldn't have needed 40 years to drive home the lessons. They'd still have needed a few months, so that they could learn everything they needed to and for a new identity together, but they wouldn't have needed the supplemental training regimen of the 40 years.
Quite possibly. Seems like the allows for a minimal shiur of time spent in the Midbar (in his comments on Shemos) and the time that was actually spent in the Midbar.
Your questions regarding peshat and God's framing of the event are at their core directed at R Avraham ibn Ezra and Rambam.
It seems that all Shadal is doing in Bamidbar is tweaking Rambam's (and ibn Ezra's) theory of the Israelites needing to toughen up (having to die out) to take the land and being delayed in entering the land irrespective of the episode of the spies. Disagreeing regarding the need for natural means to defeat Canaan he substitutes his own idea of a national incubatory period.
In Shemos he doesn't take it quite as far, sufficing with the time spent in the desert prior to the spying episode to achieve the desired results, as opposed to immediate entry. There Shadal is of the opinion that they would have entered after about a year in the desert had the episode of the spies not occurred. In Bamidbar he seems to step it up requiring a much longer period to achieve the goal of national maturation.
I love your use of the phrase "incubatory period"!
Radical indeed. I'll probably have to read this again.
I like how AI decided all the Israelites in the desert ought to be wearing blue and white attire
I think your presentation and analysis do justice to Shadal and make sense, too. Shekoyach, and thanks for the credits!
Thank you for the feedback! That means a lot, especially coming from you. Shabbat Shalom!