Rabbi Yehuda says: Israel said at that time: ‘Is it not so, that the Holy One blessed be He took us out of Egypt only for five matters: First, to give us the plunder of Egypt; second, to bear us on the clouds of glory; third, to split the sea on our behalf; fourth, to take our vengeance from the Egyptians; fifth, to recite song before Him? Now, He has already given us the plunder of Egypt, borne us on the clouds of glory, split the sea on our behalf, taken our vengeance from the Egyptians, and we recited song before Him, let us return to Egypt.’
Moses said to them: ‘This is what the Omnipresent said to me: “For as you saw the Egyptians today, [you shall not see them ever again]”’ (Exodus 14:13). They said to him: ‘They have all died already. Let us return to Egypt.’ He said to them: ‘Let us repay our promissory note, for so said the Holy One blessed be He to me: “When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God upon this mountain”’ (Exodus 3:12).
Rabbi Elazar says: They did not travel by the word of the Almighty, but rather, Moses forced them to travel with a rod. Because they saw the carcasses of the Egyptians, who had enslaved them with mortar and bricks, floating on the water’s surface, they said: ‘No one remains in Egypt. “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). Let us craft an idol and it will lead us and we will return to Egypt.’
Could it be that they spoke but did not act? The verse states: “They refused to heed and did not remember Your wonders” (Nehemiah 9:17). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai says: There was an idol in the possession of Israel and Moses removed it [hisia] from Israel. That is why it is stated: “Moses led [vayasa] Israel.”