Complaints in the Desert

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Testing the Faith: The Israelites' Complaints at Rephidim
TANAKH
At Rephidim, the Israelites' complaints about the lack of water reveal their deepening frustration and lack of trust in Moses and God. The people, suffering from thirst, challenge Moses' leadership and question the purpose of their journey from Egypt. The text captures the intensity of their discontent and underscores the recurring theme of testing and trust in the divine plan.
The people quarreled with Moses. “Give us water to drink,” they said; and Moses replied to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you try יהוה ?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?”
Exodus 17:2-3
Divine Fire in the Desert
TANAKH
The Israelites' complaints in the desert led to an immediate and severe divine response, highlighting the gravity of their actions. The Book of Numbers recounts the Israelites' journey through the desert, including their complaints and the resulting divine punishments.
The people took to complaining bitterly before יהוה. יהוה heard and was incensed: a fire of יהוה broke out against them, ravaging the outskirts of the camp.
Numbers 11:1
The Crying That Echoed Through History
COMMENTARY
The crying of the Israelites upon the return of the spies is linked to the historical tragedies that befell the Jewish people, particularly the destruction of the Temples on the ninth of Av. Rabbi Bachya ben Asher, a 13th-century Spanish commentator, explores the connection between the Israelites' complaints in the desert and the subsequent calamities in Jewish history.
ותשא כל העדה ויתנו את קולם, “The entire assembly raised its voice,“ According to the plain meaning of these words the people commenced crying in the evening and kept crying all night long. We know that the spies had returned close to nightfall bringing with them a special kind of darkness, similar to the one we experience on the night of the ninth of Av when we mourn the destruction of the Temple. The prophet Jeremiah (Lamentations 1,2) refers to the repeated crying of the Jewish people on that night…
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 14:1:1
Rebellion and Justice in the Desert
COMMENTARY
The Korach rebellion in the desert challenges the very foundations of the system established by Moses, contrasting with the themes of justice and inclusion seen in other narratives. Rabbi Francis Nataf's essays on the Torah offer innovative perspectives by connecting various petition narratives in Bamidbar Rabbah, an 11th-century midrash on the book of Numbers.
Now that we have discussed these five petition narratives in the book of Bemidbar, we can see that their order is quite instructive. The Pesach Sheini story, along with that of Tzelofchad’s daughters and Menashe’s tribal leaders, sandwich the most objectionable counter-stories of the Korach rebellion and Gad and Reuven. The first narrative in this cycle is that of the men who buried the dead. This is followed by the story of Korach and his assembly. Like the sisters, the tribal elders and the men of Pesach Sheini, Korach and his followers challenge Moshe…
Redeeming Relevance; Numbers, CHAPTER 6 The Daughters of Tzelofchad and the Elders of Menashe; Identity, Interests, and Differentiation 27
The Instigators of Rebellion
COMMENTARY
The rebellion of Korach against Moses was not just a single event but involved multiple instigators and complex interactions. Ramban’s commentary on Numbers 16 delves into the specific roles of Dathan and Abiram, their instigation, and Moses' efforts to appease them separately from Korach.
AND MOSES SENT TO CALL DATHAN AND ABIRAM. Now Dathan and Abiram were the instigators of this controversy as much as Korach was, as Scripture states, Now Korach took … and Dathan and Abiram … and they rose up in the face of Moses with certain of the children of Israel etc., meaning that they were the ones who roused them together against Moses and Aaron. Then Moses spoke [once] to Korach and to all his company, and furthermore said to him: thou and all thy company, for it was to him [Korach] that he spoke first, since he was the leader amongst them…
Ramban on Numbers 16:12:1
Weeping Over Family Matters
COMMENTARY
The people's weeping in the desert reflects deeper issues concerning family dynamics and prohibitions on intermarriage among close relatives. In his commentary on Numbers 11:10, Rashi elucidates how the Israelites' complaints were not merely about their immediate discomfort but were also tied to these deeper family and ethical concerns.
בכה למשפחתיו [THEN MOSES HEARD THE PEOPLE] WEEP THROUGHOUT THEIR FAMILIES — i.e. the members of each family gathered together and wept in order to display their discontent in public. Our Rabbis, however, said that למשפחתיו means “the people wept because of family affairs” — because of the intermarriage of blood-relaltives that had been forbidden to them (Sifrei Bamidbar 90; Yoma 75a).
Rashi on Numbers 11:10:1
Divine Solutions to Leadership Burdens
COMMENTARY
When Moses felt overwhelmed by the complaints of the Israelites, God provided practical solutions to ease his burden. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the divine response to Moses' distress in Numbers 11, highlighting the appointment of seventy elders and the provision of quail.
God then comforted him. First, He told him to gather seventy elders with whom to share the burdens of leadership, then He told him not to worry about the food. The people would soon have meat in plenty. It came in the form of a huge avalanche of quails.
Studies in Spirituality; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Behaalotekha; From Despair to Hope 15
A Child's Distress for Divine Presence
COMMENTARY
The emotional reactions of the Israelites reflect their deep desire for God's continued presence, much like a child's distress when a mother threatens to leave. The 19th-century Torah commentary Haamek Davar by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin explores the relational dynamics between the Israelites and God's presence during their desert journey.
They mourned. Even though a child does not wish to listen to his mother’s admonishments, the moment she attempts to leave him he begins to cry. He is willing to endure even chastisement if she will only continue to watch out for him. Similarly, although the B’nei Yisrael were punished many times in the desert, they were dismayed when God threatened to take His Shechinah away.
Haamek Davar on Exodus 33:4:1
Miraculous Waters
MIDRASH
Amid the Israelites' complaints about their harsh conditions, Moses offered a brief prayer. In Legends of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg describes how God swiftly answered Moses' plea by instructing him to use a piece of laurel inscribed with God's name to transform the bitter water into sweet, drinkable water.
While they indulged in these lamentations, Moses prayed to God to forgive the faint of heart their unseemly words, and, furthermore, to supply the general want. Mindful of the distress of the people, Moses did not pray long, but uttered his request in a few words; and quickly, as he had prayed, was his prayer answered. God bade him take a piece of a laurel tree, write upon it the great and glorious name of God, and throw it into the water, whereupon the water would become drinkable and sweet.
Legends of the Jews 3:1:78
Thirsting for Torah
COMMENTARY
The lack of water at Refidim was a direct consequence of the Israelites' neglect of Torah study, which is metaphorically compared to water. Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, in his 18th-century commentary Or HaChaim, connects the physical and spiritual realms by explaining the Israelites' physical thirst as a result of their spiritual neglect.
ויחנו ברפידים ואין מים, they camped at Refidim and there was no water, etc. According to Bechorot 5 the name "Refidim" is an allusion to רפיון ידים מן התורה, a slackening of adherence to Torah which itself is compared to water. Inasmuch as the Israelites neglected the study of Torah, G'd neglected to provide them with water.
Or HaChaim on Exodus 17:1:1
Correcting the Sin of Evil Speech
HALAKHAH
Before redemption can occur, it is crucial to address and correct the sin of lashon hara (evil speech) committed by the spies. In his seminal 19th-century work Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan meticulously outlines the laws of proper speech, drawing from the Torah, Rabbinic texts, and early commentators.
Furthermore, is it not well known that exile had already been decreed upon us because of the act of the spies (viz. Tehillim 106:25-27): "And they murmured in their tents [against the land]. They hearkened not to the voice of the L–rd. And He lifted up His hand [in oath] against them… to scatter them in the lands," as Rashi and the Ramban explain there (Bamidbar 14). And the sin of the spies — was it not that of lashon hara! (viz. Arachin 15a). Therefore, it is imperative that we correct this sin before the redemption can take place.
Chafetz Chaim, Preface 6
Struggles in the Wilderness
COMMENTARY
Nation-building is not just about laws and societal roles but also about overcoming physical and spiritual challenges. The Book of Numbers recounts the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, highlighting their struggles and rebellions as they transition from receiving divine laws to facing real-world trials.
With the rebellion narratives of Part II, which not coincidentally take place as soon as Israel sets out on its journey through the wilderness, the idealistic order of Sinai is broken, and the people (and Moshe) must deal with the harsh reality of life in the desert. It becomes clear that nation-founding involves not only the giving of laws and the arranging of societal roles, but also the developing of the ability to cope with physical and spiritual challenges to survival.
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox, Numbers, On the Book of Numbers and Its Structure 47
Moses' Call to Unity and Faith
SECOND TEMPLE
Moses' speech to the Israelites emphasizes the divine promise of liberty and prosperity, urging unity and faith to overcome challenges. In his first-century historical work, Josephus recounts Moses' strategic and motivational speech to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land of Canaan.
How Moses Sent Some Persons To Search Out The Land Of The Canaanites, And The Largeness Of Their Cities; And Further That When Those Who Were Sent Were Returned, After Forty Days And Reported That They Should Not Be A Match For Them, And Extolled The Strengh Of The Canaanites The Multitude Were Disturbed And Fell Into Despair; And Were Resolved To Stone Moses, And To Return Back Again Into Egypt, And Serve The Egyptians.
1. When Moses had led the Hebrews away from thence to a place called Paran, which was near to the borders of the Canaanites…
The Antiquities of the Jews 3:14:1
Moses' Leadership Strategy
COMMENTARY
Moses' strategic reasoning for appointing elders to help manage the people's complaints reveals the psychological and social dynamics of diffusing anger and frustration among the Israelites. In the Tur HaArokh, Jacob ben Asher delves into Moses' leadership challenges and his request for assistance from the elders, as recounted in the Book of Numbers.
לא אוכל לבדי שאת, “I cannot carry this burden all by myself.” Nachmanides writes that Moses did not request that the elders become his assistants in his supplying meat for the people, for where would they take it from? Moreover, he was quite aware that even if a large number of providers would be appointed, whenever they would find reason to complain these complaints would continue to be addressed to him, seeing that it had been he who had taken them out of Egypt, and the source of all their complaints were always traced to that event…
Tur HaArokh, Numbers 11:14:1
The Ten Trials of the Israelites
MISHNAH
The Israelites repeatedly tested God’s patience during their journey, demonstrating a lack of faith. Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, enumerates these ten trials, providing insight into the ethical and spiritual challenges faced by the Israelites.
Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea. [With] ten trials did our ancestors try God, blessed be He, in the Wilderness, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).
Pirkei Avot 5:4
Moses: Desert Miracle Worker
JEWISH THOUGHT
Moses' actions in the desert, such as sweetening the bitter waters and providing manna, established him as the primary troubleshooter and human representative of divine will for the Israelites. The Book of Numbers, part of the Torah, details Moses' evolving role as the intermediary between God and the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.
Through the trials of the Exodus, Moses’ role as chief interpreter of God’s wrath in the form of the plagues created a distant hero figure for the Israelites and one who incrementally won their trust. Until the Israelites crossed the sea, they were still ostensibly led by Pharaoh as residents of his empire. But after the crossing, when they landed in a desert free of Pharaoh’s constraints, Moses became their chief advisor and the human representative of divine will. The biblical text records that only once they crossed that sea did they truly “believe in God and Moses, His servant…
Leadership in the Wilderness; Authority and Anarchy in the Book of Numbers, Part II, Chapter 7; The Dark Hours of Leadership 17
God's Response to Complaints
LITURGY
God directly responds to the complaints of the Children of Israel by providing them with meat in the evening and bread in the morning, demonstrating His provision and care. This passage from the 'Chapter of Mannah' in the weekday Siddur recounts God's provision of quail and manna to the Israelites in the desert.
Adonoy spoke to Moses saying, "I have heard the complaints of the Children of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘In the afternoon you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread; and you will know that I am Adonoy, your God.'" And it was in the evening that flocks of quail rose and covered the encampment; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the encampment.
Weekday Siddur Sefard Linear, The Morning Prayers, The Chapter of Mannah 6

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