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I'll give begins a series of frustrat- you meat — you'll eat it not just one ing and annoying stories of day, not just two days or five days or 10 Israelite reluctance and resistance. days or 20 days, but for a solid month, Though they know that ahead of them until it comes out your noses and is lies a rich land, eretz zavat chalav loathsome to you! I'll teach you to wail udvash — "a land flowing with milk and whine about having to leave the and honey" — the people repeatedly `wonderful place' that was Egypt!" cry out, "Woe is us, we'd better turn Moses, so caught up in his own around!" complaining, lets God's Of course, this isn't the sarcasm go right over his first time that these fright- head, and says, "So much ened and passive Israelites meat,s God? The people were ready to give up and here number 600,000, and go back. that's just the men. They're Even two books ago, in all going to get that much Exodus, within only three meat? Where are there • verses of the magnificent flocks or herds enough for Rabbi Joseph miracle of the splitting of that; are there enough fish P. Klein the sea, the Israelites com- in the sea for that?" Special to the plain that they have no And God answers, "Do Jewish News water to drink! How can you really think, Moses, they so soon have doubts that God can that I am limited in what I can do?" do wonders with water?! • And we the readers are thoroughly And here in this week's reading . embarrassed. These are our ancestors? (Numbers 11) we come to a particu- We're supposed to point to them with larly embarrassing episode. The people pride? Who would have believed that are weeping in their desert tents that this people Israel back then would be they only have manna to eat. They our people Israel today? But though miss the meat and veggies they were the Israelites are whining in their wan- served in Egypt. dering, we know that they will indeed Never mind they were slaves then. pull themselves together, that they will Never mind that God has freed them. affirm a covenant with God that will All they can think of is food! sustain them into us, 3,500 years later. And as God burns hot with anger In finally figuring out who they at the people, Moses registers up his were, they found strength in their com- own complaints — as if God hasn't munion with God and in their com- already heard enough whining from munity under God. the Israelites! Moses schries, "Why go while it is somewhat embarrass- have You, God, treated me so poorly? ing to read these stories of our ances- Why have I not found some favor in tral leaders, way back at the beginning your eyes that you have laid the burden of our people — there is an ennobling of these people on me alone? reassurance that from them rose this "Did I give birth to them, that now enduring andworld-changing nation. You make me lift them to my breast - We are they, and they are we — and and nurse them? Why do I have to the chosen people are still choosing carry them to the land You promised themselves. ill them? Conversations "Now where am I going to get meat This story is a valuable, teachable for them to eat? If this is the way You moment. What qualities of the Israelites God are going to treat me, then just kill (the "children" of Israel) are important me now and put me out of my mis- for us to share with our children as we ery!" This is Moses our leader? help them to grow? God, it appears, is "up to here" with the lot of them. So in a marvelous Joseph P. Klein is rabbi of Temple example of divine humor, God declares Emanu-El in Oak Park. to the people: