Complaining

We went on a family walk that unfortunately became something of a long trudge, and Jordan was pretty annoyed about it. I didn't blame him, but the complaining was becoming difficult to bear. It happens that the Torah portion for this week deals with a lot of complaining (from the Israelites, who are in the wilderness, a long trudge if ever their was one). I told Jordan about it, and he wanted to hear the story. Numbers 11, if you are interested: here's Chabad's translation:

1. The people were looking to complain, and it was evil in the ears of the Lord. The Lord heard and His anger flared, and a fire from the Lord burned among them, consuming the extremes of the camp.
2. The people cried out to Moses; Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.
3. He named that place Tab'erah, for the fire of the Lord had burned among them there.
4. But the multitude among them began to have strong cravings. Then even the children of Israel once again began to cry, and they said, "Who will feed us meat?
5. We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
6. But now, our bodies are dried out, for there is nothing at all; we have nothing but manna to look at."

Nothing but manna! Jordan and I were quite amused by the idea that the Israelites had this delicious gift of food that rained out of the sky every day, and there they were, complaining that they missed the leeks and cucumbers in Egypt. But I am even more amused (sympathetically!) by Moses's reaction: He tears his hair out over all the complaining, saying something like "What did I do to deserve this -- give birth to them? Why don't you just shoot me instead?" Which says a lot about the patience expected of parents.

10. Moses heard the people weeping with their families,each one at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became very angry, and Moses considered it evil.
11. Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You treated Your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in Your eyes that You place the burden of this entire people upon me?
12. Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them, that You say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as the nurse carries the suckling,' to the Land You promised their forefathers?
13. Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are crying on me, saying, 'Give us meat to eat.'
14. Alone I cannot carry this entire people for it is too hard for me.
15. If this is the way You treat me, please kill me if I have found favor in Your eyes, so that I not see my misfortune."

The story concludes with God dividing Moses's spiritual burden among seventy elders, then practically burying the complaining Israelites in quail. He says something like "You want meat? Here's your meat," and then when they eat it, God kills them "with the meat still between their teeth."

In my liberal reform way, I felt compelled to discuss with Jordan that perhaps God was not being perfectly patient or fair himself in this story, and we brainstormed other responses that one might have when annoyed by complainers. (Rabbinic commentators, on the other hand, say the Israelites deserved it because they were faithless ingrates.) Jordan didn't seem disturbed by any of it; on the contrary, he was highly entertained, and enjoyed the rest of the walk quite a bit.