Just as Israel had displayed sullenness and lack of faith upon
approaching the sea, so did they upon leaving it. Hardly had they seen
that the Egyptians met death in the waters of the sea, when they spoke
to Moses, and said: "God had led us from Egypt only to grant us five
tokens: To give us the wealth of Egypt, to let us walk in clouds of
glory, to cleave the sea for us, to take vengeance on the Egyptians,
and to let us sing Him a song of praise. Now that all this has taken
place, let us return to Egypt." Moses answered: "The Eternal said, 'The
Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, yes shall see them again no more
forever.'" But the people were not yet content, and said, "Now the
Egyptians are all dead, and therefore we can return to Egypt." Then
Moses said, "You must now redeem your pledge, for God said, 'When thou
hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon
this mountain.'" Still the people remained headstrong, and without
giving heed to Moses, they set out on the road to Egypt, under the
guidance of an idol that they had brought with them out of Egypt, and
had even retained during their passage through the sea. Only through
sheer force was Moses able to restrain them from their sinful
transgression. [72] This was the second of the ten temptations with
which Israel tempted God during their wanderings through the desert.
[73]
There was one other difficulty with the people that Moses had to
overcome: The sea cast up many jewels, pearls and other treasures that
had belonged to the Egyptians, drowned in its waves, and Israel found
it hard to tear themselves away from the spot that brought them such
riches. Moses, however, said, "Do you really believe that the sea will
continue to yield you pearls and jewels?" [74]
From the sea they passed to the desert Shur, a horrible and dreadful
wilderness, full of snakes, lizards, and scorpions, extending over
hundreds of miles. So deadly is the nature of the snakes that dwell in
the desert, that if one of them merely glides over the shadow of a
flying bird, the bird falls into pieces. [75] It was in this desert
that the following happened to King Shapor: A cohort that he sent
through this desert was swallowed by a snake, and the same fate
overtook a second and a third cohort. Upon the advice of his sages, he
then filled the hides of animals with hot coals wrapped in straw, and
had these cast before the snake until it expired. [76]
It was then a proof of Israel's great faith in their God, that they
obeyed Moses, and without murmur or delay followed him into this
frightful wilderness. [77] Therefore did God reward them for their
trust in Him, for not only were they not harmed by the snakes and
scorpions during their many years stay in the desert, but they were
even relieved of the fear of the reptiles, for as soon as the snakes
saw the Israelites, they meekly lay down upon the sand. [78] For three
days they marched through the desert, uncomplaining, but when their
supply of water gave out, the people murmured against Moses, saying,
"What shall we drink?" While crossing through the Red Sea they had
provided themselves with water, for, miraculously, the sea flowed sweet
for them; and now when the supply was becoming exhausted, they began to
give expression to their dissatisfaction. On this occasion they again
betrayed their faintheartedness, for instead of seeking advice from
their leader Moses, they began to murmur against him and against God,
even though at present they had not yet suffered from lack of water. So
poorly did they stand the test to which God has put them, for in fact
the very ground upon which they trod had running water beneath it, but
they were not aware of this. God had desired to see how they would act
under these conditions. [79]
The people were all the more exasperated because their joy, when they
sighted the springs and hastened to draw from the, turned to keenest
disappointment when they tasted of the water and found it bitter. These
deluded hopes cast them down spiritually as well as physically, and
grieved them, not so much for their own sakes as for those of their
young children, to whose pleas for water they could not listen without
tears. Some of the thoughtless and fickle of faith among them uttered
the accusation that even the former kindness had been granted them so
much as a benefit, but rather with a view to the present and much
greater privation. These said that death by the hand of the enemy is to
be thrice preferred to perishing by thirst; for by the wise man, speedy
and painless departure from life is in no way to be distinguished from
immortality; the only real death, however, is slow and painful dying,
for the dread lies not in being dead, but in dying.
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. [80] 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. [81]
The ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, differ from the ways of man:
Man turns bitter to sweet by the agency of some sweet stuff, but God
transformed the bitter water through the bitter laurel tree. When
Israel beheld this miracle, they asked forgiveness of their heavenly
Father, and said: "O Lord of the world! We sinned against Thee when we
murmured about the water." [82] Not through this miracle alone,
however, has Marah become a significant spot for Israel, but,
especially, because there God gave to Israel important percepts, like
the Sabbath rest, marriage and civil laws, and said to the people: "If
you will observe these statutes, you will receive many more, the Ten
Commandments, the Halakot, and the Haggadot; the Torah, however, will
bring you happiness and life. If you will diligently endeavor to walk
through life uprightly, so that you will be virtuous in your dealing
with men, I will value it as if you had fulfilled all commandments, and
will put upon you none of those diseases that I brought Egypt. If,
however, you will not be mindful of My laws, and will be visited by
diseases, then will I be you physician and will make you well, for as
soon as you will observe the laws, shall the diseases vanish." [83]
The cause for the want of water at Marah had been that for three days
the people had neglected the study of the Torah, and it was for this
reason that the prophets and elders of Israel instituted the custom of
reading from the Torah on Saturday, Monday and Thursday, at the public
service, so that three days might never again pass without a reading
from the Torah. [84]
From Marah they moved on to Elim. From a distance palm trees made the
place look inviting enough, but when the people came close, they were
again disappointed; there were not more than three score and ten palm
tress, and there were of stunted growth owing to a lack of water, for
in spite of the presence of twelve wells of water, the soil was so
barren and sandy that the wells were not sufficient to water it. [85]
Here again the marvelous intercession of God in favor of the fate of
Israel is shown, for the scant supply of water at Elim, which had
hardly sufficed for seventy palm trees, satisfied sixty myriads of the
wandering people that stayed there for several days. [86]
The men of understanding could at this place see a clear allusion to
the fortune of the people; for there are twelve tribes of the people,
each of which, if it prove God-fearing, will be a well of water,
inasmuch as its piety will constantly and continually bring forth
beautiful deeds; the leaders of the people, however, are seventy, and
they recall the noble palm tree, for in outward appearance as well as
in its fruits, it is the most beautiful of trees, whose seat of life
does not lie buried deep in the roots, as with other plants, but soars
high, set like the heart in the midst of its branches, by which it is
surrounded as a queen under the protection of her bodyguard. The soul
of him who has tasted piety possesses a similar spirit; it has learned
to look up and ascend, and itself ever busy with spiritual things and
the investigation of Divine beauty, disdains earthly things, and
considers them only a childish play, whereas that aspiration alone
seems serious. [87]
It was at Elim, where, at the creation of the world, God had made the
twelve wells of water, and the seventy palm trees, to correspond to the
twelve tribes and the seventy elders of Israel, that Israel first took
up the study of the law, for there they studied the laws given them at
Marah. [88]