S. Himelstein, pp. Further on we have the promises of Moses and the Israelites to the kings of Edom and Moab that the Israelites will not drink the latter's well water if the Israelites are allowed the right of passage through foreign land. The episode of the fiery serpents later in the parasha also involves water, and the parasha closes with a song of praise about the well , which sprang up for the Israelites in the desert. We often find water used as a metaphor and symbol for life and purity, especially in the words of the prophets. The meaning can be spiritual, but in our parasha the need for water is a real, physical need.
Water is a basic and urgent necessity for life in the desert.
The feeling of thirst and the fear of death, which are consequences of a water shortage, are understandable and real. These fears accompanied the Israelites from the start of their journey, witness the earlier episodes of the bitter waters of Marah and the case of Rephidim, as well as the Mei Meribah in our parasha. Thus it is clear to us why the Israelites resort to the mode of complaining when it comes to the problem of water. Of course, there are those who see these complaints as reflecting the general lack of faith which characterized many of the people who did not rely on G-d to supply their needs. There are other commentators who say this was not a physical thirst for water at all.