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- Sefer Bamidbar
Question
Did megagrim scouts had evil intentions or no? Did Moshe know they had bad intentions?
Answer
ב"ה
Shalom,
The Torah says explicitly, that at the time Moshe sent the Meraglim to scout the land they were all men of integrity. (Bamidbar 13:3) Rashi comments that they were all "Tzadikim" , all righteous and worthy people at the time.
As I explained in my previous answer on this issue, based on the commentary of the "Da'at Zekenim" Moshe did not know or at least was not sure of any evil intentions.
Obviously, at a certain point this changed. One explanation mentioned in the book Mesilat Yesharim (Chapter 11) for this change was they feared of the loss of their dignity and social status once they enter Eretz Yisrael. Now in the desert they were recognized leaders, but they thought that upon entering Eretz Yisrael, that would be lost.
All the best

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