Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"And they came to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes and they cut down from there a vine with one cluster of grapes and they bore it upon a carrying-pole between two…" (13, 23)

Specifically two

On the words "and they bore it upon a carrying-pole between two" our Sages ob'm ask: Why did the Torah write "between two"? If it says "they bore it upon a carrying-pole", obviously two people carried it.

Our Sages answer that when the spies explored the Land of Canaan they obviously also went on Shabbat, for it says "at the number of days you explored the land, forty days".

If so, we can ask: It is understandable that they considered it permissible to transgress the prohibition of walking a distance from one domain to another at such an important time, as that prohibition is only from the Oral Law – but how could they permit themselves to carry a load on Shabbat? That is forbidden from the Written Law and it is one of the 39 fundamental labors forbidden on Shabbat!

The answer is "and they bore it upon a carrying-pole between two". The Halacha is that "two who carry are exempt from punishment". As we know, "In all forbidden labors on Shabbat we say – If one person did it he is punishable, two who did it are exempt from punishment."

SHABBAT SHALOM!!