It is sometimes difficult to understand how demanding and ungrateful the Israelites behaved the moment they escaped from their Egyptian masters. It is as if all the plagues God had sent down upon the land never happened, culminating in the terrifying night of the "Passover;" as if generations of torturous slavery had not finally been left behind; as if God had not used Moses and Aaron again and again to show the divine favor for this band of people. The recurring attitude among the Israelites seems to be one big gripe.

Yet is this really very difficult to understand? After living as slaves in Egypt for so long, the Hebrews had lost their own sense of identity except as slaves. Slaves labor long and hard, but as valuable property, slaves are also looked after. The food might have been poor…