The Israelites certainly did, wandering in the wilderness after the incredible Exodus from Egypt. And their doubts, as we'll see, had serious consequences.
Rabbi Jochanan, son of Nuri, as quoted in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (Chapter 44), pulls no punches. After all the miracles, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea… after all that, the Israelites still managed to test God ten times! Ten times! As Numbers 14:22 puts it, "Yet have they tempted me these ten times." Can you imagine?
But what exactly were these "temptations"? Were they grand acts of defiance? Subtle rebellions?
The text suggests a deeper issue: slander. They weren't just questioning; they were actively bad-mouthing the Almighty! They grumbled, they complained, and they ultimately declared, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" (Exodus 17:7). That single question, dripping with doubt, is the crux of the matter. They'd witnessed firsthand the power of God. They’d escaped slavery in the most dramatic way imaginable. Yet, faced with the hardships of the desert, they immediately assumed abandonment.
This wasn't just about physical comfort. It was about a crisis of faith. They were questioning the very presence – the Shekhinah, the divine presence – in their midst. They felt forsaken. Lost.
And what was the result of this lack of faith? Well, that's a story for another time. But this moment, this questioning in the desert, opened the door for Amalek. Remember that name. We'll be hearing more about them, and about the lasting consequences of that moment of doubt, very soon.
So, what's the takeaway? Perhaps it's a reminder that even after witnessing miracles, faith requires constant nurturing. It's a choice we make, day after day, to believe in something bigger than ourselves, even when the desert stretches out before us. And maybe, just maybe, it's a warning against letting doubt become slander, against forgetting the miracles we've already witnessed in our own lives.