Trusting Hashem

Every parent wonders when a child is ready to leave the shelter. Parshas Behaaloscha ends with Bnei Yisrael leaving Har Sinai like a child running from school, complaining about the man and demanding meat. Why would the generation that saw all those miracles act so badly? And if their reasons were sincere, why was the punishment so heavy? A reading of their motives answers it, and it speaks to how we choose schools, friends and timing for our children. A short mashal about a young tree and a strong wind makes the point.