A wonderful moment, right? A sign of divine favor. But the Israelites weren't exactly thrilled. They turned to Moses and, essentially, said, "Thanks, but no thanks. We've had better."
Ouch.
They reminded Moses of God's promise to Abraham, their forefather: "I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore." (Genesis 22:17) A promise of boundless, limitless blessing. And they felt Moses' blessing fell a little short.
Why this… dissatisfaction? According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, they felt Moses, being "a creature of flesh and blood, limited in his powers," couldn't possibly deliver the kind of blessing God had in mind. It wasn't that they didn't appreciate the gesture, but rather, they knew a greater blessing was out there, waiting to be claimed.
Moses, ever the wise leader, understood their concern. He acknowledged his limitations, explaining, "I give you my blessing, but the blessing of God remains preserved for ye." He reassured them that God's blessing – the truly unlimited one – was still available. He prophesied that God “will bless you unlimitedly, and multiply you as the fish of the sea and the sands on the seashore, as the star in the sky and the plants on the earth.”
What's so striking about this little story is the Israelites' audacity. They weren't afraid to ask for more, to expect more, to hold God to His promise. They knew the difference between a blessing from a human being and a blessing from the Divine.
It makes you wonder: Are we settling for limited blessings in our own lives? Are we forgetting the boundless potential that's been promised to us? Maybe, like the Israelites, we need to remind ourselves – and perhaps even gently remind the universe – that we're ready for the full, unlimited blessing that awaits. Perhaps, it's waiting for us to ask for it.