The Torah relates that after the Jews spent a bit less than a year’s time at Mount Sinai, G-d indicated to them to begin their travels toward the Land of Israel.
While the Jews encamped, they dwelled in a specific format based on their tribes. So too, they traveled in a detailed sequence.
When they were only three days into their trip to Israel people already started to ‘Kvetch’ about the difficulties of travel and began rebelling against G-d. G-d responded by eliminating the instigators through a fiery display.
Who were these rabble-rousers? They were a group of Egyptians who joined the Jewish people during the Exodus from Egypt. They are referred to as the Airev Rav – the mixed multitude. This same group was the instigators in leading Jews to worship the golden calf.
There is yet a third incident where the mixed multitude caused damage.
As an introduction: The existence of the Jews in the desert was totally miraculous. They were protected and enveloped by six protective clouds, they were fed Manna from Heaven each day, and they were hydrated and bathed with water that emerged from a rock. A pillar of fire illuminated the night and a spiritual cloud led them and pointed them in the correct direction.
The mixed-multitude were, as we say in Yiddish, “Nish Ahein Und Nish Aheir.” They didn’t fully belong to the Jewish Nation since they lacked a total commitment, and they also disassociated themselves from the Egyptians. Their joining the Jews was based on the miracles they witnessed during the plagues. However, once the going got rough or they faced challenges, they were quick to rebel and draw the Jews along.
When the Jews were instructed to encamp in tribunal order, the mixed multitude were not included in the encampment. This made the trip difficult for them since they did not benefit from the clouds of glory and it prompted them to complain.
The mixed multitude were also beneficiaries of the Heavenly miraculous Manna. The Manna tasted like any type of food a person thought of while eating it.
However, the mixed multitude found fault in the Manna as well. There were five foods that the Manna could not taste like, they are, cucumbers, onions, garlic, melons and leeks; items that are harmful for a nursing child. They began to complain about these missing ingredients and how much better it was back in Egypt. They also became bored with the plain white look of the Manna that had the same texture each day. They complained to Moshe that they wanted to eat meat. The complaint for the lack of ‘meat’ also had a connotation that they missed the licentious lifestyle they had in Egypt.
Mind you, there were plenty of cattle fit for slaughter, yet they wanted to be fed meat as a hand out from G-d. They were able to incite some Jews to complain as well.
Moshe was clearly upset with this complaint and felt it was too difficult for him to handle the nation. He wanted to hand in his resignation as the leader of the Jewish nation, but G-d would not accept it. Instead, G-d designated seventy prophets to share the burden of leadership with Moshe.
G-d told Moshe that He would provide the nation with meat, and Moshe wondered where it would come from.
The following day G-d provided the nation with a thirty day stock of low flying quail. The nation eagerly caught, collected and stored huge amounts of quail.
Then tragedy hit. The rabble-rousers and many of the Jews died from eating the quail due to their terrible affront to G-d by complaining and expressing that it was better back in Egypt.
When G-d told Moshe that He would provide meat for the nation, the verse states, “Not only will they have enough for 1 day, and not only for 2 days, and not only for 5 days, and not only for 10 days, and not only for 20 days. They will have enough for 30 days!”
The obvious question is why didn’t the Torah cut to the chase and say initially, they will have enough for 30 days?
The Rokeach explains in a fascinating way. If you tally all the number of days that the Torah states, it amounts to 68 days.
Sixty-eight is the number of Shabbat and Biblical holidays during the year; 51 Shabbos’ (which don’t overlap with holidays) – 1 day of Rosh Hashana – 1 day of Shavuos – 7 days of Pesach – 8 days of Succos.
The Torah thus highlights these numbers to hint to us, that on 68 days during the year the Jews will have a special Mitzvah to eat and enjoy meat!
