When the nation of Israel is worthy,

it rises higher than the stars of heaven –

but when it falls, it resembles the sand 

which everyone tramples underfoot   

(Midrash Ohr haAfeila on Gen. 22:17)

Moses and  Bnei Yisrael

The relationship between Moshe Rabenu and Am Yisrael was uniquely complex. While Moses’ loyalty and devotion to his flock after he had assumed the leadership was unwavering, the nation’s attitude to Moses veered between admiration, awe and submission on the one hand and resistance, resentment and aggressiveness on the other.

Many factors give rise to this phenomenon. The fact that Moses was an “outsider” not raised among his people was seen as partly detrimental and partly advantageous. This is already apparent in his earliest dealings with Am Yisrael; they “bow their heads” in recognition that Moses is coming to them with an authentic Divine message (Ex 4:31) but quickly turn bitter and accusatory one chapter later when the slavery intensifies (5:20-21). Later, after the Exodus, they “believe in G-D and His servant Moses” ((14:31) and echo their leader’s ecstatic and prophetic song; yet barely three weeks later they complain bitterly about Moses’ leadership (16:3).

A watershed moment comes at Sinai.  When, two days before the Revelation, Moses comes to the people with a message from G-D that “the people will hear as I (G-D), speak to you (Moses) and believe in you (as My principal servant and their supreme teacher and leader) for posterity” (19:9), the nation has other ideas. According to the Mehkhilta (redacted by Rashi) the nation was not satisfied with........

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