Why were the Yidden punished Davka by: נְחָשִׁים הַשְרָפִים poisonous snakes for kvetching over the Mon? We can suggest that the: נָחָש הַקַדְמוֹנִי original snake was a superior creature; it was similar to humans, and it originally had hands and feet. Yet, he was dissatisfied, and he desired Chava. Similarly, the Yidden had the Gevaldige superior miracle food, Mon, yet they complained. As they acted in the same way as the: נָחָש snake, they were punished by being bitten by: נְחָשִׁים snakes. Moshe davened to Hashem, and Hashem told him to make a copper snake and raise it up on a Ness (high pole). Whoever was bitten would look up at the Ness and be healed. Why did they have to “look up” to the snake?
Your Inborn Nature to Complain Can Be an Asset
Perhaps Hashem was telling them to look “upwards” and channel their weakness of always complaining into an asset. The kvetching type is also a person who is: מְסוּגָל inclined to want to grow and become great, like when the Yidden said: לָמָה נִגָרַע בהעלותך ט ז “Why should we be left out of Korban Pesach?” which was a Chashuva Mitzva, and this complaining caused Pesach Sheini. And their: נְחַש נְחשֶת copper snake which symbolizes their sin, is on a high place, just like Chazal say: בְמָקוֹם שֶבַעֲלֵי תְשוּבָה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִיקִים גְמוּרִים יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד ברכות לד ב Baalei Teshuva are even GREATER than pure Tzaddikim!
When a person does Teshuva, he takes that very sin and it becomes the biggest Mitzva. And the Gr”a says that the: ג רֵ טְ קַמְ accusing angel you created turns into a: סַנֵיגוֹר advocating angel that Davka defends you. (Their sin was not having Bitachon, and looking upwards at the: נְחַש נְחשֶת copper snake symbolizes doing Teshuva by looking upwards and having Bitachon in Hashem. Chazal).
It is interesting that they complained about the Mon right after: מִיתַת אַהֲרֹן Ahron’s Petira. Perhaps because Ahron was known for being a Sameach B'chelko (which is why he was: לֵב שֶשָמַח בִגְדוּלַת אָחִיו a heart that rejoiced with his brother’s greatness). The Petira of Ahron probably weakened their own Madrega of Sameach B'chelko, and now for the first time, they complained about the Mon.
Notice how after: נְחַש נְחשֶת the copper snake, until the end of the Parsha, there are no complaints. We can suggest that they all did Teshuva. They were inspired by the: נְחַש נְחשֶת copper snake which was on a tall Ness, which makes you think big and appreciate as you look up towards Hashem and learn to have Bitachon (including thankfulness). Sure enough, soon afterwards they sang: עֲלִי בְאֵר עֱנוּ לָהּ כא יז Rise, O well, sing to it. For good reason Dovid was: נְעִים זְמִרוֹת יִשְרָאֵל ש"ב כג א the sweet singer of Israel. He was a Melech.
