As the conquest of Israel is underway, the leaders of Reuven and Gad approach Moshe and ask him to grant them the lands already conquered for grazing (Bamidbar 32), Moshe, with uncharacteristic fury, accuses them of following in the footsteps of the original ten tribal spies who had discouraged the Jews from entering the land. "And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men," Moshe blasted them. What's behind Moshe's anger and what's the connection to the sin of the spies? Is it merely a casual connection or is there something deeper there? The motives of Reuven and Gad are obvious, but those of the spies remain unclear. Why were influential and prominent men so driven to discourage the settlement of Israel? Rebellions by the Jews in the desert largely fell into two categories. There were mass rebellions over shortages of food and water, or general panic, and attempted coups by the powerful against Moshe. The revolts o...