By Zev Dever

capitalist life, only to enslave myself to the bonds of kupa asefot, and a lentil heavy diet, but i know that the god of kvutsati life will strengthen my heart against the pharaoh of capitalism and materialism (despite the fact that blues not a great color on me). but I can still complain at every turn like the Jews do right?

II.) The second thing that caught my interest is how much the Jews complain! Pretty much the rest of the parsha consists of the Jews complaining until god gives them what they're begging for. at least 8 times in this parsha the Jews complain to Moses and Aaron. "we're gonna die" then they get saved. "We're thirsty" then they get water. "We're hungry" mana from the sky. "We liked meat in Egypt" quals for some reason. "We want to get more food on Shabbat" double portions Friday morning.

Eventually moses calls them out, saying when you complain to me you know you're really just complaining about god.

But this is how god wants it. God knew the people would need bread and water right? so why wait until they're begging for it? classic manipulation technique number 2, touche god! Establish a burning need for something in people, and only then provide for that need, they must feel the hunger in order to appreciate their dependance on you to be sated.

SO how to look at this positively? I'll be honest I'm at a loss. The one suggestion i could think of is to see this as strong example of how peoples physical needs have to be met in order to lead fulfilling lives. As educators at machaneh we provide for the physical intellectual, and in many cases emotional well being of chanichim to whom we are responsible. So let's not be despotic like god about and remember that if we want our chanichim to self actualize, rather than wander through the desert like sheep, complaining the whole way, we must make

sure their more basic needs are met, to enable them to grow and choose their own path.

What is interesting also is that throughout their complaints the israelites seem to glorify their past in Egypt, recalling only the good things (like meat) and forgetting the bad, (like ya know, whippings and forced labor). This seems a fairly natural human condition as well, to remember the past as better than it was while seeing the present/future as more bleak than it is.

IV.) The last thing i found that I care to burden you with was the story of first battle the Israelites face. the parsha tells us that "Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim". Joshua (soon to lead the people after moses) takes an army to fight them while moses prays above the battle with his staff outstretched. When his staff is raised the israeltes are winning, and vice versa. Indeed Aaron and Hur have to help him hold his hand up through the night. eventually Joshua's forces weaken Amalek to the point of victory, and then it says something interesting: After the battle god instructs Moses to build a shrine as a monument to the battle and says "that there shall be] a war for the Lord against Amalek from generation to generation."

What does that mean? Sould we all be beating down amalakites in our spare time? There are many interpretations out there but one that seemed fun, culty, and perhaps poignant, comes from numerology. It indicates that there's no record outside of this story of any nation called Amalek, but that this word has the same numerological value (240) as the word "doubt". Indicating that this story at the end echoes what was

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