Torah and the Spies

A month or two ago, someone (I forget who) asked me for a source for the idea that the sin of the spies was a desire to live outside of Eretz Yisrael, where they could learn Torah and deal only in spiritual matters, instead of entering the Land, where they would have to deal with the pragmatics of life as a sovereign state, running an army, government, and the like.

I mentioned I thought it was in the Ramban. I now found that the source is the Shlah Hakadosh, from kabbalistic precedents. It is also mentioned, I believe, in Michtav Me'eliyahu. The Lubavitcher Rebbe goes into this in his Sicha on Parashas Shelach, 5747.

If anyone remembers who I was discussing this with, please lead them to this post. I appreciate it.

Good Shabbos! UPDATE 19/6/13: The source for this is the S'fat Emet on the sin of the spies. - Found in נגיעות בשפת הלב by R Yair Dreyfus.