במדבר, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ״ג

At the conclusion of their reconnaissance mission, just before returning to the Israelite camp, the spies converge at a location that would soon become the very symbol of their expedition. This broad valley or plain was not originally known by its famous name; rather, the Torah retroactively calls it the Valley of Eshcol in anticipation of the monumental cluster of grapes the men would soon harvest there [אבן עזרא, הכתב והקבלה, אלשיך, ביאור יש"ר]. More than just a geographical landmark, this gathering spot marks the critical moment where the spies' collective plot to slander the land practically takes shape [מלבי"ם].

To secure a sample of the land's produce, the men sever a remarkably thick vine branch [רש"י, ביאור יש"ר, מזרחי]. The primary approach among commentators is that they did not harvest the fruit separately from the wood. Instead, they cut the branch while a single, colossal cluster of grapes remained attached, allowing them to transport the heavy fruit without the grapes crushing one another under their own immense weight [רש"י, שפתי חכמים, מזרחי, גור אריה, לבוש האורה]. Alternatively, some suggest that cutting such a thick branch served an additional purpose: to provide physical proof of the extraordinary size and strength of the land's trees [אלשיך]. Others propose that this sturdy branch was actually used as the raw material to craft the poles needed to carry the fruit [חזקוני, פענח רזא].

The size and weight of the grape cluster were so abnormal that a single person could not possibly lift it. The most straightforward understanding is that two men carried the cluster suspended from a single pole [רלב"ג, ביאור יש"ר, שטיינזלץ]. Other perspectives suggest that the spies either took turns carrying the heavy load along the journey [הכתב והקבלה], or that two men began the task before the others eventually joined in to help [העמק דבר]. However, the central interpretive tradition paints a much more complex picture. Because a carrying pole naturally implies a pair of bearers, the mention of an additional pairing indicates a multiplicity of poles. According to this view, eight spies worked together to carry the massive cluster using an intricate grid of intersecting or stacked wooden poles, where the men positioned lower down supported those above them. The sheer weight of the fruit required an extraordinary, combined display of human strength, which commentators compare to the effort needed to lift massive boulders [רש"י, תורה תמימה, ריב"א, רא"ש, גור אריה, הדר זקנים, רבינו בחיי, ברכת אשר].

This specific division of labor exposes the hidden motives of the group. While eight men carried the grapes, a ninth carried a fig, and a tenth carried a pomegranate, leaving Joshua and Caleb entirely empty-handed. The primary approach among commentators is that the spies did not transport these fruits to fulfill Moses' command to bring back the goodness of the land. Instead, their intention was purely to slander it. They planned to present the gigantic fruits as terrifying evidence, arguing that just as the land produces monstrous, abnormal fruits, it also breeds invincible giants. Recognizing this malicious intent, Joshua and Caleb completely refused to participate and abstained from carrying anything [רש"י, רבינו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד, פענח רזא]. In stark contrast, an opposing tradition suggests that Joshua and Caleb, driven by a deep love for the land, were actually the ones who carried the colossal cluster entirely on their own. In this view, the other spies simply could not bear the burden, and the ability of Joshua and Caleb to shoulder the weight served as a clear sign that only they were truly worthy of entering and inheriting the land [רבינו בחיי, צאינה וראינה].