The Complainers

The case in the Torah of the מתאוננים, the complainers, caused Moshe Rabbeinu to throw up his hands in despair. He asked Hashem for help in leading this difficult nation.

The solution at that time was the establishment of the Sanhedrin. It was a body consisting of seventy of the wisest and most upstanding members of society. They continued to exist until 358 of the Common Era.

The situation with the complainers is very indicative of human nature in a negative sense. They suddenly forgot all of the miracles and the Divine protection they were now.

They were incited by the Eirav Rav, mixed multitude. They convinced them that Egypt was the “land flowing with milk and honey.” They remembered the watermelon and the gourds of Egypt, forgetting the oppression that they suffered.

Now they wanted meat and were sick of the boring Manna, that could taste like anything they wanted. They also complained about the laws of Family Purity, that they believed to be too strict. In Egypt, every type of promiscuous activity, could be found.

What we learn from this tragic episode is the danger of being a “complainer.” Such a person loses all sight of the blessings bestowed upon him. He emphasizes only the negative, which gives way to bitterness and self pity.

Sadly, there are many complainers that we meet daily. They must learn to count their blessings and see the cup as “half full” rather than “half empty.”

If we dwell on the negative, there are plenty of things we can complain about. The complainers in the desert did not have a “happy ending.” The Jewish people benefitted by being given a distinguished judicial body, that guided us through many difficult times.