We all know Rashi”s famous comment on Bamidbar 13:16: Moshe changed the name of Hoshea to Yehoshua with the prayer, “May Hashem save you (Y-a-h yoshiacha) from the designs of the spies.”

But if Moshe knew the reconnaissance mission was in peril, why only prepare Yehoshua? Why not exhort the other spies as well?

In fact, he did, according to Rav Samson Raphael Hirch. How? The answer is so obvious that I can”t believe I didn”t think of it until I read Rav Hirsch”s commentary:

Who utters a person”s name? Not predominantly the person himself, but everyone else. In other words, the name change would serve as a reminder to all the spies every time they called their colleague Yehoshua instead of Hoshea – the name by which they had known him until that point.

Almost against their will, they would have to ask themselves: One second, when did Hoshea”s name change and why? And the answer would hopefully keep them on the straight and narrow.

What exactly, though, was the nature of Moshe”s message to the spies? Rav Hirsch offers a two-part explanation:

1) Hashem who, in the past, always helped us (Hoshea) is also the one who will see to our salvation in the future (Yehohua).

2) Our certainty of victory (teshu”ah) and confidence of prosperity (sho”a) is Hashem (Y-a-h). Whether the Land of Canaan, therefore, appears favorable or unfavorable is immaterial.

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) – head of the Jewish community in Frankfurt, Germany for over 35 years – was a prolific writer whose ideas, passion, and brilliance helped save German Jewry from the onslaught of modernity.

Elliot Resnick, PhD, is the host of “The Elliot Resnick Show” and the editor of an upcoming work on etymological explanations in Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch”s commentary on Chumash.