hedging one's bets

The Sheiris Menachem contrasts the story of the maapilim after cheit ha'mergalim as recorded in Shlach (14:40-44):

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיַּֽעֲל֥וּ אֶל־רֹאשׁ־הָהָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֶּ֗נּוּ וְעָלִ֛ינוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָמַ֥ר הֹ׳ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃

 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֛ה אַתֶּ֥ם עֹבְרִ֖ים אֶת־פִּ֣י הֹ׳ וְהִ֖וא לֹ֥א תִצְלָֽח

וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

with the way the same episode is recounted in our parsha (1:41-43):

תַּעֲנ֣וּ׀ וַתֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלַ֗י חָטָ֘אנוּ֮ לַהֹ׳ אֲנַ֤חְנוּ נַעֲלֶה֙ וְנִלְחַ֔מְנוּ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖נוּ  הֹ׳ אֱלֹקינוּ וַֽתַּחְגְּר֗וּ אִ֚ישׁ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י מִלְחַמְתּ֔וֹ וַתָּהִ֖ינוּ לַעֲלֹ֥ת הָהָֽרָה׃

 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הֹ׳ אֵלַ֗י אֱמֹ֤ר לָהֶם֙ לֹ֤א תַֽעֲלוּ֙ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֣חֲמ֔וּ כִּ֥י אֵינֶ֖נִּי בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְלֹא֙ תִּנָּ֣גְפ֔וּ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃ 

 וָאֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וַתַּמְרוּ֙ אֶת־פִּ֣י הֹ׳ וַתָּזִ֖דוּ וַתַּעֲל֥וּ הָהָֽרָה

Notice the additions here, the stress on תַּחְגְּר֗וּ אִ֚ישׁ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י מִלְחַמְתּ֔וֹ, on taking up arms, the plan נַעֲלֶה֙ וְנִלְחַ֔מְנוּ to go up and to wage war, Moshe's admonition not only not to ascend the mountain, but again, the repitition לֹ֤א תַֽעֲלוּ֙ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֣חֲמ֔וּ not to wage war.  

Why did Hashem reject the teshuvah of the maapilim?  Why was it not possible for them to pick up where things left off before the meraglim episode?  The Torah here is cluing us in to the answer.  

Rashi comments earlier in the parsha (1:8) on  רְאֵ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ that אין מערער בדבר ואינכם צריכים למלחמה. אילו לא שלחו מרגלים, לא היו צריכים כלי זיין.  Hashem promised Eretz Yisrael would be ours without the need for battle, without the need to even take up arms.

The meraglim were not ready to accept Hashem's promises at face value.  Although it seemed like they wanted to make amends, the maapilim were not ready to do so either.  נַעֲלֶה֙ וְנִלְחַ֔מְנוּ ...תַּחְגְּר֗וּ אִ֚ישׁ אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י מִלְחַמְתּ֔וֹ  They were ready to go up to Eretz Yisrael, but just in case that promise of not needing arms and not needing battle did not materialize, they wanted to hedge their bets.  Better to pack some ammunition as well.

You can't hedge your bets on emunah.  Either you trust or you don't trust, but it can't be both.