"Then Hashem said to Moshe, 'Is My power limited? Now you will see if My word comes true for you or not!'" (Bamidbar 11:23)
On this verse, Rashi provides an extraordinary dialogue between Moshe and Hashem relating to Bnei Yisrael’s complaint against the Manna and their request for meat instead:
"[Moshe said to Hashem,] It is impossible to settle their argument. Since they seek only a pretext [- a reason to complain]. You cannot satisfy them, and in the end, they will find fault with You. If you give them beef, they will say, 'We asked for mutton (sheep meat).' And if You give them mutton, they will say, 'We asked for beef.’..."
Moshe’s opening words are striking: "It is impossible to settle their argument." Moshe seems to be saying that it is not just hard to please the people, he is saying that it is literally impossible to do so. With these words, Moshe reveals a profound psychological truth: Sometimes, people complain because they want to complain and not because they want whatever they are complaining about resolved.
"Since they seek only a pretext." A pretext, is a false or fake reason that hides the real reason for a course of action. The people did not really want meat. They wanted to complain - wanting meat was just an excuse to do so.
Rashi's commentary challenges us to examine ourselves honestly. When we ask for something, do we actually want to receive it? When we enter a conversation with another to resolve an issue, are we really open to a solution? And when we complain, would any response actually make us happy?
If we value the truth, then we need to examine our feelings and motives to determine what is really behind them.
