THE ENTIRE PEOPLE?
If one had to find a common theme in this parsha, it is that the Jewish people complained to Moshe. Some complained about their inability to bring the Paschal offering and others complained about the Manna and the lack of meat. Some just complained for the sake of complaining.
Upon hearing their complaint about the Manna and the absence of meat in their diet, the Torah relates that G-d was angered and Moshe was distressed. Moshe then addresses G-d with his own “complaint.”
“Why have You done evil to Your servant; why have I not found favor in Your eyes, that You place the burden of this entire people upon me? Did I conceive this entire people or did I give birth to it, that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a suckling, to the Land that You swore to its forefathers?’ Where shall I get meat to give this entire people when they weep to me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat?’ I alone cannot carry this entire nation, for it is too heavy for me! And if this is how You deal with me, then kill me now, if I have found favor in Your eyes, and let me not see my evil!”
When examining this section one is struck by Moshe’s choice of words. He speaks of the “burden of this entire people” that G-d placed upon him. Why does he stress that it was the burden of the entire people? Moshe then reemphasizes this point when he asks G-d, “Did I conceive this entire people?” And again a third time Moshe asks G-d, “Where shall I get meat to give this entire people?” Moshe then reiterates this theme a fourth time, “I alone cannot carry this entire nation…”
It seems that Moshe’s difficulty was that the entirety of the people were involved in this rebellion. But we have to understand this: why would it have been so much different if it hadn’t been the entire people? Would it have been any better if it was only a majority of the nation?
Moreover, it is hard to believe that Moshe implicated the entire Jewish people in this act of rebellion. Obviously, the Levites always remained faithful to G-d. Isn’t it likely that they, or at least a significant number of them, did not complain? One may also assume that there were other righteous individuals, such as Yehoshua, Kalev, Nachshon, etc., who did not join the complainers. So, why did Moshe emphasize “the entire people?”
WHY SUCH A STRIDENT REACTION?
To answer this question, we must first answer another question: Why did Moshe react so stridently to their complaints? This was not the first time Moshe had confronted complaints. In the Book of Exodus (15:23; 16:2-3) the Torah recounts that shortly after the Jewish people departed from Egypt they complained about the lack of drinkable water and then about their lack of food. In the first instance, Moshe cried out to G-d, but did not complain about the people. In the second instance Moshe simply rebuked the people mildly and relayed G-d’s response to them. Moshe did not complain to G-d about his inability to lead these fractious people and provide for their needs.
The question that arises therefore is why did Moshe react so strongly now? What was so different about their complaint at this point?
THREE DIFFERENCES: PATTERN, PRETEXT, PERSUASION
To answer this question one could suggest that Moshe’s desire to “abdicate” was motivated by three characteristics inherent in the complaints in this parsha that differed from the earlier complaining.
First, Moshe was particularly chagrined that it was not the first time they complained. By repeatedly complaining they were establishing a pattern of cantankerousness. Moshe was concerned that their grumbling would become a permanent
This would not augur well for the future. Moshe, therefore, was justifiably apprehensive that they had become a nation that would never be able to handle adversity and that with the first sign of hardship in the future it would fall apart. This pattern suggested their immaturity. Hence Moshe compares them to children and asks G-d “Did I conceive this entire people or did I give birth to it, that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a suckling.’”
Second, Rashi explains that the grievance about the lack of meat was meritless because the Jewish nation left Egypt with sheep and cattle. Their only reason for complaining for meat was as a pretext to complain about G-d. This was more than just a bad habit or a sign of immaturity. It reflected a deep seated pathology. The people were plagued by their inability to show appreciation for the good they had received and demonstrated a resistance to authority.
Upon further analysis of the events of this parsha one can find a third, perhaps even more troubling, aspect to their complaints.
To understand the unique nature of the complaints that so troubled Moshe that he asked to be relieved as leader we should cite an earlier verse describing the complaint about the lack of meat:
“The rabble that was among them had strong cravings. The children of Israel were also influenced and began to cry (with them). They said, ‘Who will give us meat to eat?’”
What emerges is that the rabble rousers (who, as Rashi explains, were the Egyptian converts who joined the Jewish people for ulterior motives) involved in this act of rebellion were supported by the rest of the Jewish people. However, there was a more troubling aspect to their alliance with the riffraff. It was the fact that they could so easily be swayed by the fringe. It demonstrated an inherent weakness of the majority that it was so easily influenced by a small but noisy minority.
In Moshe’s mind, while it might be possible to rehabilitate one who has become a chronic complainer, it is more challenging to rehabilitate one who has acquired an ingrained resistance to authority. Moshe feared that it would be next to impossible to reeducate one who has no backbone. Those who are perennially influenced by their intellectually, spiritually and morally inferior fellows will always be unable to resist the pressures of assimilation. How could such a people survive for the long term?
We now see why Moshe emphasized the “entire” people. If one segment of the people had rebelled, Moshe could have accepted the reality that there will always be those who rebel. However, he saw how a small group of agitators influenced the majority of the people. That was, he feared, a sign that would indicate that the lowest common denominator of the nation would prevail. It is this realization that prompted Moshe to request that G-d relieve him as leader.
Yet, notwithstanding all of the above, we beat the odds and survived. Moshe’s concern was not for naught; tragically there were many Jews who fell to the wayside under the pressure of assimilation. Even so, we survived as a people and have even flourished.
THE SECRET OF OUR SURVIVAL
The secret to our survival is, ironically, the very same three reasons that concerned Moshe about the people.
First, we have a pattern of complaining. As mentioned above, this week’s parsha describes the righteous complaints of those who were precluded from bringing the Paschal offering. The daughters of Tzelaphechad complained when they thought that they would not inherit their father’s share of the Land of Israel. Throughout history Jews have complained to G-d, ad masai, how much longer do we have to suffer in Galus-exile?
Second, we do have a deep-seated resistance to all forms of authority. While consciously or even subconsciously, we may pledge allegiance to all forms of authority, our essence only accepts G-d’s authority. On his way to the exile imposed by the Soviet regime, the Previous Rebbe declared that our souls have never gone into exile! The soul’s essence always remains steadfastly connected to G-d and His Torah.
Third, even as a small minority we have the power to influence others. G-d chose us to bring His message to the entire world. And within the Jewish people themselves, there have always been select individuals and groups who kept Judaism alive and spread G-d’s message throughout the world. In our generation the Rebbe, with but a small army of followers, ignited a post-Holocaust Jewish revival which brought the light of Torah and Mitzvos to millions of Jews. By so doing we have brought the entire Jewish people—and indeed the entire world—to the cusp of the ultimate Redemption. As the Rebbe told us repeatedly, we are the last generation of exile and must prepare for the imminent Redemption.
THREE DIMENSIONS OF COMPLAINTS FOR REDEMPTION
The lesson for us in these last moments of exile is that we must heed the three positive characteristics that have enabled us to maintain our existence:
First, we must be persistent in demanding of G-d to bring on the Redemption through Moshiach. The fact that we already demanded it yesterday and many days before does not suffice. Just as the Jews were persistent in their complaints, we too must complain persistently that we want Moshiach now!
Second, just as the Jews then appeared to be complaining about meat while really complaining about G-d, in a similar vein, while we demand Redemption for all its material and spiritual benefits, our true underlying demand is to see G-d’s presence fully revealed and that He be recognized as the sole power in this world.
Third, we must not be deterred by the fact that we are still a minority in this regard. The Rebbe told us in his historic talk (of the 28th of Nissan, 5751) that we need but 10 stubborn people to bring about the Redemption! May we be among the privileged 10 who will bring us to the Promised Land with Moshiach at our head!