In Parashat Beshalah, Beneh Yisrael complain. A lot.
When they found themselves trapped at sea by the Egyptian army, they complained.
When they traveled for three days right after the miraculous splitting of the sea, they complained. When they found themselves without food, they complained.
When they again had no water, they complained.
But they did not just complain. They told Moshe that it was a bad idea to leave Egypt – where they had lived as slaves. Each time something went wrong, they said that they wished they had remained in Egypt, and they should never have left.
Why? Why did they repeatedly express their wish to return to Egypt?
Because even after all the miracles they witnessed and experienced, they still did not appreciate what it meant to be part of Hashem’s special nation. They did not fully understand the difference between being part of our nation and belonging to a different nation. They still felt unsure about who they were.
Hashem does not get angry at the people even once throughout this parashah. Until they arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, they were excused for not appreciating what a great blessing and privilege it is to have the Torah, to live a Torah life. But after they received the Torah, they were punished when they complained and wished they could return to Egypt – because once they had the Torah, they should have realized what a great life they had, and appreciated how great it is to be a Torah Jew.
Our Sages teach us that the greatest mitzvah a Jew could perform is קידוש ה' – bringing glory to Hashem and to the Jewish People by conducting himself in a polite, courteous and ethical manner. And the gravest sin a Jew could commit is חילול ה' – bringing shame to Hashem and to the Jewish People by acting impolitely, discourteously or unethically. Why is this such a big deal? Why do we place so much importance on what other people think of us?
One answer is that the way we act shows how we feel about being Torah Jews. If we act kindly and pleasantly, wear a smile and greet people in a friendly way, it shows that we feel good about who we are, that we are happy with our lives. If a Jew is calm, smiley and patient while waiting online, while traveling, while working in the office, while running errands and or while doing any of the things that often make people agitated – it shows that he is happy and content with his life. It shows that he feels so good about himself that he doesn’t get bothered by trivial things. It shows that he feels so comfortable with who he is that he does not feel he needs to push other people out of the way, complain, or fight to get everything he wants.
This is why קידוש ה' is so crucial. Not so much because of what people will say about us, but because of what it says about ourselves, about our feelings towards our religion, towards our being the Jewish Nation.
There’s an old song that goes, “If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it – if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”
We should feel so happy to be who we are that we should want to show it. This does not mean bragging. To the contrary – people brag because they’re not comfortable with who they are, and so they feel the need to advertise themselves. It means walking around with a smile, with energy, with confidence, with a positive attitude, with a friendly demeanor, and being patient and composed when things don’t go our way.
Before Beneh Yisrael received the Torah, they were excused for falling apart and complaining every time there was a problem. But once we received the Torah, now that we know how beautiful and fulfilling Torah life is, we have no excuse. Even when things get difficult, we should be happy, we should know it, and we should really want to show it.