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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
The Torah (Exodus 16:2) relates that a month after leaving Egypt, there was no food for Klal Yisroel to eat. “The entire assembly of the children of Israel (even the most righteous) complained against Moshe and Aharon… why did you take us to this Wilderness to die by famine?” Subsequently, the Almighty instructed Moshe and Aharon, “that He will shower them food from ‘Heaven’ on daily basis, in order to test them if they will study Torah on a continuous basis. On Fridays they will gather as usual one portion but it will turn into two portions; one for that day and one for Shabbos.” The Malbim explains that in these quoted passages are many profound lessons.
Initially it seems incongruent for Hashem to gift them the מן, manna, after all, they didn’t properly pray or beseech Him for food; rather they came en masse complaining that it is incorrect that their source of sustenance has been depleted.
In פסוק ז’י, it states, “And in the morning you will all see, perceive the glory of Hashem.” In משלי, Proverbs 17:15, it states, לועג לרש מחרף עושהו, One who mocks a pauper insults his Maker.” The honor and glory of Hashem, כבוד השם, is that every living being is provided with their sustenance, for if otherwise, it would imply that it was created and placed in a negative state, which would be a degradation to Hashem’s nobility. It therefore logically follows that when Hashem decreed that one be a pauper, he arranged that a person of means would be the provider, by inculcating a sense of mercy and compassion to generously contribute to the needy. If on the contrary, one ridicules a poor person for their ineptness, one is in effect disparaging Hashem, for as a consequence of one’s inaction, it creates the impression that there is a person without their necessary needs taken care of.
The expression for the aforementioned idea is, “מאן דיהוב חיי יהיב מזוני, One that creates, gives life must provide sustenance.” It is inconceivable that Hashem would create a being and not provide for them. After leaving Egypt with very little food, they were miraculously sustained by Hashem’s benevolence; each morsel of food satiated them. Recognizing their dependence on Hashem’s benevolence with acuity, they without hesitation demanded to be provided for.
The Vilna Gaon explains the two expressions in the ברכה of שמע קולינו, תפילות ותחנונים, prayer and supplication (entreatment) as follows: The word תפילה describes the idea of a person who tries to persuade another to accept his view. One says to the Almighty, You are the benefactor of wisdom, health, sustenance, serenity, repentance…. it behooves of You to act accordingly with me.” But this logical demand must be coupled with תחנונים, to entreat and beg Hashem to gift one from His largesse. Klal Yisroel at that point, with utter, perfect clarity said to Hashem; You must help for otherwise we will die! Due to their innate, sincere, unequivocal definiteness, Hashem presented them with a profound gift – a food spiritual in nature.
In contradistinction to regular bread – or all food – that requires much effort to create edible, nutritious food, for then a completed food would be showered upon them. Moreso, the food מן השמים, from the Heaven would contain primarily spiritual nutrition (ע’ אלשיך הקדוש). Despite all weather conditions, it would be provided on a daily basis and would just require slight effort to gather it. In this manner, Klal Yisroel could and would be required to judiciously use every possible moment to study Torah.
There were many profound lessons to be learned. 1) All פרנסה, sustenance comes directly from Hashem. 2) The main nourishment a person needs is the spiritual food that is bequeathed by Hashem. 3) A person should limit their quest for material needs to their locale; for the One who creates is the One who sustains. 4) If one has their needs sufficiently provided, one shouldn’t be concerned or worried about the future. If one would dedicate oneself to Torah study, he will be enabled by Hashem to acquire his needs with limited effort. 5) The Torah states on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring, I will double what they pick everyday. To attain any level of spirituality requires thoughtful and focused preparation. 6) On Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, the Heavenly Court decides how much one will be provided with; this only applies to one’s needs during the week. On Shabbos one’s decreed provisions are commensurate to one’s preparation and desire to rejoice with Hashem. 7) The more one honors the Shabbos, the greater one’s spiritual activity; the result will be the increase in Hashem providing one’s needs.
The Torah states (16:16), “This is what Hashem has commanded, gather from it for every person according to what he needs – an omer per person – according to the number of your people, everyone according to whomever is in his tent shall you take.”
Three lessons: 1) Don’t take more than you need, a lesson for the future generations. To procure more than one needs, indicates a lack of true unequivocal trust in Hashem. As it states in תהלים קכ”ח, Psalms 128, “יגיע כפיך כי תאכל, אשריך וטוב לך, If one but expends effort for their momentary needs and not more, then one will be praiseworthy and will be blessed in the World to Come.” 2) One should not eat more than one needs and also not starve oneself, but eat to satisfy oneself. 3) Every man is obligated to provide for their wife and children, for the wife is to be a צנועה באהל and the children should be learning.
A Holocaust survivor related that though in the concentration camps one never knew what tomorrow would bring, they were able to live and survive due to the lessons of the מן, manna, ingrained in the psyche of every Jew, “Live one day at a time.”
