The parasha opens with the Hashem's words to Moshe:

Shlach lecha anashim..
"Send according to your understanding spies.."

Was the of sending  of the meraglim a Divine command??  Or was this Moshe Rabbainu's idea?  How are we to understand the opening words of this chapter that ended so tragically?

Rashi draws our attention to important background information to the story, which is found in Devarim.  The idea to send spies originated among the people, and it is apparent from the way they approached Moshe that their intentions were not innocent:
Vatikrivun eylie kulchem vatomeru nishl'cha anashim..
"And all of you approached me and you said, let us send men.."
The petition was done in an anarchical, riotous fashion (all of you = a mob, with no distinctions of age and rank in the delegation).  The intention, too, was evil.  Having just heard from Eldad and Meidad that Moshe Rabbainu was not to lead them into Eretz Yisrael, they wanted to rate the land for themselves, and check out and decide if they were capable of conquering it.  Why couldn't they just have followed the pillar of cloud faithfully in full trust?? Hadn't Hashem constantly shown them such great salvation and miracles in the past?  Why did they not believe Moshe who had already told them it was not necessary since Hashem had promised them only the very best!?

HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who sees the depths of the intentions in man's heart, knew that they would not let up.  So He provided a way out.  Let the spies be sent, but NOT according to the whim of the people, that is to "objectively" rate the land.  Let them send spies, but not of their choice.  Rather, and this is where our parasha opens, Shlach LECHA anashim, let the mission of the spies be in accordance with your (Moshe Rabbainu's) specifications and guidelines and thus possibly avoid the damaging effects.  Moshe Rabbainu did so.  He chose the Nesi'im (who started out tzaddikim)  as spies and instructed that they be sent only to scout out the routes of conquest, SOLELY in the context of Hishtadlus, and in order to gladden their hearts with a preview glimpse of the beauty and abundance of Eretz Yisrael.

How did the meraglim set out?  Did they go according to their original intentions or according to Moshe's revised version of goals?

Vayelchu vayavo'u..
"And they went and they came.."
Just as they returned with evil ideas, so they set out with evil ideas..

Let us focus on certain aspects that chazal point out.
Chet ha'egel was the root of churban bayis rishon, the first destruction.  It was actually only committed by three thousand people.  The sin was one of misplaced faith and breach of Torah shebichsav, the written Torah.  In the desert, the punishment was immediate, and the Teshuvah, repentance that followed was accepted.  Another opportunity was immediately given to bring the shechina back, through the building of the mishkan.
The galus that followed the churban bayis rishon too was limited.  After seventy years, the nation returned and rebuilt the Bais HaMikdash.

Misplaced emunah is a mistake that is, relatively speaking, simpler to rectify.  It can easily be disproven.  Teshuvah is simple and kapara, atonement is quick.

Chet hameraglim was the root of churban bayis sheni, the second destruction.  Here, the sin was not of misplaced, but  LACK of faith, lack of faith in Hashem, and lack of faith in Hashem's servant Moshe, the bearer of Torah sheb'al peh, the oral Torah. So, too, in the time of the churban bayis sheni.  It was in that time that the Sadducce sect sprung up, in the wake of aristotle and philosophy. They denied Torah sheb'al peh, they rejected the oral tradition and explained the Torah only according to their own intellect.    In the desert, the punishment was overall; entrance to Eretz Yisrael was postponed for thirty-eight years, and that entire generation were decreed to die out and not to enter the land.   The punishment that followed churban bayis sheni was (and is) much more drawn out.  Close to two thousand long and hard years of exile, and we still await the end, may it come soon!

Lack of emunah, faithlessness, heresy, "I only believe what I can understand and can prove with my intellect" is a flaw much much harder to deal with.  It can only be corrected by emunah.  The correction is a long and drawn out process, requiring mesirus nefesh and Divine assistance..

Also associated with churban bayis sheni is the sin of sin'as chinam, that is disunity, disharmony, unfounded hatred and fragmentation of the nation.  We find the roots of this problem in chet hameraglim, for already from the start, the nation approached Moshe Rabbainu in a mob. Sin'as chinam is directly associated with lack of faith, lack of faith in Chachamim, and lack of allegiance to Torah sheb'al peh.

Conclusion:

There is obviously an essential connection between unity and emunas chachamim and Torah sheb'al peh.

We mustn't expect disunity to be mended and peace to be achieved by dialogue or by songs  or by political manoeuvring of ANY kind.  The only formula for true peace, harmony and unity in Am Yisrael  is through Emunas chachamim, and the increased devotion and allegiance to Torah sheb'al peh.

When you learn gemara b'iyun or support its learning, you are doing a most significant service for the PEACE of our nation.

TALMIDEI CHACHAMIM MARBIM SHALOM BA'OLAM.

A gutten Erev Shabbos
from Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh