Did the Israelites Pray Properly at the Red Sea
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Question
Hello Rabbi, In Exodus 14:10, the children of Israel cry out to the Lord in prayer when they see the Egyptians behind them. In Exodus 14:12, the children of Israel complain to Moses about the situation, saying they would have preferred to stay in Egypt. How do these two things reconcile? A person who prays and cries out to the Lord knows that everything is from the Lord and for the good, and therefore does not complain?
Answer
Hello Rabbi
Regarding what is said in verse 10, that they cried out to the Lord, Rashi writes: "They took hold of the craft of their ancestors."
The commentators Bartenura and Gur Aryeh explain that this is not said in praise but as a reproach, that they did not pray with a full heart but did so only as the craft of their ancestors.
Their proof is from what is said in verse 12, that they complained about Moses.
Source
Exodus 14:10-12.
Gur Aryeh and Bartenura there.