Think Big

What was wrong with the report of the meraglim, they did their job to give an assessment of the situation?  And what led these great men to stray from the correct path? 

The meraglim were not sent to give an evaluation if to attack or not to attack.  Their mission was just to find the least point of resistance to enter Eretz Yisroel.  While their report of the strength of the people they were trying to conquer may have been accurate, their error was in adding the words לא נוכל לעלות אל העם כי חזק הוא ממנו.  They gave an opinion that it would be impossible to conquer the land (Likutay Sichos volume 13.)  Why did people that saw such great miracles and a destruction of the entire Egyptian nation not feel that they could not be successful?  

The Shmiras Halashon (volume 2 on Shelach) says because the meraglim had something lacking in their emunah.  As it says in Devarim (1:32) וּבַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה אֵֽינְכֶם֙ מַאֲמִינִ֔ם בַּי״י֖ אֱלֹקיכם.  Despite all that they saw they still did not believe that they would be given the ability to conquer Eretz Yisroel.  The Sfas Emes (5631) echoes the same idea  ובאמת גם חטא מרגלים הי' חסרון אמונה כמ"ש אא"ז מוז"ל ע"ש.  He adds that when one has this perspective of a lack of ability, a lack of believe in one's abilities, it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.  כי ודאי הי' נראה לעיני שכלם שאין בכחם לכנוס שהרי באמת לא נכנסו. אבל אם היו מאמינים ומבטלים הסתכלותם לרצון השי"ת הי' זה עצמו מסייע להם לצאת מהטבע כמ"ש הקב"ה לאברהם צא מאיצטגנינות שלך כו' דכתיב בי' והאמין כו'.  When one thinks small, one will remain small.  It is only by thinking big that one can create new possibilities, new channels and worlds.  As the Sfas Emes (5640) says בפסוק כי לחמנו הם דאיתא ברש"י וכן היינו בעיניהם שהיו אומרים נמלים יש בכרמים כו'. ובמד' איתא החטא שלהם כי מי הגיד להם שמא היו אצלם כמלאכים ע"ש. אבל הכל אמת כי ע"י שהיו שפלים בעצמם כחגבים לכן כן היו בעיניהם כי הכל תלוי בעבודת האדם כמ"ש במ"א בפסוק ולאום מלאום יאמץ.  The meraglim viewed themselves as small and hence everything around them appeared too large to conquer.  Had they fully internalized the strength that was within them because of the commandment of Hashem, things would have become within reach.