Why Israel Wept by Families at Their Tent Doors

"Weeping by their families" (Numbers 11:10). Why were they weeping? They were not weeping over the bread; rather, over the affairs of their families. And they did not even need to eat meat, for they already had abundant flocks and cattle. Rather, they were seeking a pretext, how they might separate themselves from the Omnipresent, in order to permit to themselves the forbidden relations that had been forbidden to them — such as one's aunt or one's sister from his father, such as Amram, who married his aunt. At the time when they were commanded concerning the forbidden relations, they separated from their wives; for at first they had been permitted to them, but in the end they were forbidden to them. Therefore it says "by their families" — concerning the affairs of their families. "Each man at the entrance of his tent" (Numbers 11:10): the matters of the menstruant of his tent — this is his wife. Therefore, "and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and in the eyes of Moses it was evil," for it was over this matter that they were craving meat — in order to separate from the Omnipresent, so that the forbidden relations would be permitted to them.