Why was Israel complaining about the quails in the wilderness?
Israel complained about the quails because they did not have the flesh pots of Egypt. They missed the meat and provisions they had enjoyed there, so they grumbled in the wilderness, longing for the food of Egypt and expressing discontent.
Les explains that during the episode of the quails, Israel was complaining because they no longer had the flesh pots of Egypt. They craved the food they had in Egypt and grumbled against Moses and Aaron. This murmuring was nothing new; they had been complaining almost since the day they left Egypt. Later, at Numbers chapter 14, the congregation wept and wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness, showing their continued discontent as they approached the border of the promised land. Les notes this was a sad state of affairs.