The Exodus and Its Lessons

This week’s Parsha, Beshalach, continues the account of the miraculous Exodus from the enslavement of Egypt. The monumental event occurred when Hashem visited the devastating plague of the firstborn on the hapless Pharaoh and his people. That entire night was one of unspeakable terror, as death came suddenly to all (non-Jewish) firstborn in the land. The destruction was so widespread that “there was no (Egyptian) house in which there were no dead. (Shemot 12:30)”

Pharaoh was now completely broken. He sought out Moshe in order to unconditionally surrender. In fact, he pressed Moshe to leave immediately, in the middle of the night. But Moshe, who for all practical purposes was now calling the shots, insisted that they would not leave just yet. He explained that they would not depart “like thieves in the night” but would exit triumphantly in the light of day.

However, the struggle was not yet over. Chazal (the Rabbis) say that the wicked, even on the doorstep of Geihenom (Hell), do not repent (Eiruvin 19a). Once the terrible plague passed, Pharaoh somehow managed to rebound. He convinced himself and his military that it would be a good idea to chase after Bnei Yisrael and return them to slavery.

After all the destruction he had been subjected to, is it possible that Pharaoh still wanted more? How can people be so devoid of reason and so self-destructive? There’s a warning here. Once you surrender your mind to any perverted ideology or wicked charismatic personality, you may not be able to reclaim it. You will then be consumed as a consequence of your own foolishness. The only One to whom we are to surrender is the Almighty, the Source of Chachma (wisdom) and goodness.

The Exodus was not complete until the pursuing army of Pharaoh was completely destroyed. Many of Bnei Yisrael were doubtful whether defying Egypt was such a good idea, and they hurled vituperation at Moshe. They taunted: “Were there no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the Wilderness?… Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Let us be, and we will serve Egypt?–for it is better that we should serve Egypt; than that we should die in the Wilderness!’ (Shemot 14:11-12)”

[Note to reader: Although these people said terrible things, we cannot judge them as they, together with their spouses and children, faced what appeared to be impending doom. In moments such as these when gripped by intense fear one should seek to cling tightly to one’s Emunah (faith) and strive mightily to keep his mouth shut. Sometimes there is nothing better for the soul than Shetika (silence)]

However, instead of disaster they witnessed a great deliverance. This took place as Hashem split the Sea of Reeds and drowned the pursuers in it. When Bnei Yisrael witnessed this overt demonstration of Divine might, “they believed in Hashem and His servant Moshe. (Shemot 14:31)” [But were any apologies to Moshe forthcoming?]

However, as the Rambam says, faith which is based on miracles, no matter how impressive, is not perfect (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapter 8:1). The sheer magnitude of the wonder of the splitting of the sea was not sufficient to prevent Bnei Yisrael from massive complaining and inappropriate rebelliousness when things did not go their way.

The Gift of Manna: Sustenance and Spiritual Growth

Despite being rescued from Egypt, BneiYisrael still faced many challenges. They would have to receive the Torah at Mt. Sinai and build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) before they could take possession of EretzYisrael (the Land of Israel). Thus, they would have to spend about a year in the wilderness even without being punished for the Sin of the Spies. Their most basic practical need would be for a source of water and nourishment to sustain them in the inhospitable lands they would traverse.

When the people entered the Wilderness of Sin and perceived its absence of resources, they complained bitterly to Moshe. They expressed regret that they had not “died by the Hand of Hashem in Egypt,” where, ostensibly, they “had it so good,” but instead had been brought “to this Wilderness to kill this entire congregation by famine. (Shemot 16:3)” It is hard to believe they could speak this way after all the miracles they had witnessed. However, we have to remember that true righteousness cannot come from merely experiencing extraordinary miraculous phenomena. It requires a great deal of work to overcome one’s emotions and internalize exalted ideals.

Hashem did not get angry with them for their inexcusable outburst but communicated to Moshe the eating plan that would sustain them in the desert. It was composed of two distinct entities: the Manna, which was a special food created by Hashem to sustain His People in the Wilderness, and the quail, which was a type of bird of the Phasianidae species that Hashem would cause to be brought to the area around their encampments.

There were distinct differences between the two edibles. The Manna was clearly superior, since it arrived at their doorsteps every morning covered in dew. Getting it required little effort on their part as they simply went for a short walk and retrieved it. It had many nutritional features, because it could be ground up and cooked or baked. In this way, it was something pleasant to the palate and satisfied man’s need for variety.

However, it came with Mitzvot (Commandments) attached to it. The most fundamental command was that one could not hoard or save it for the next day. Everything had to be consumed on the day it was gathered. That which a person sought to preserve was automatically spoiled. This process of spoilage did not apply on Friday when the people were commanded to gather a double portion which would provide for the Shabbat meal. On Saturday, all were prohibited from collecting the Manna.

Contrasting the Manna and the Slav

By contrast, none of these strictures applied to the Slav (quail), except, of course, that they could not hunt it on Saturday as that would constitute Chillul Shabbat (Desecration of the Sabbath). While the Manna was delivered to Bnei Yisrael every morning and required minimal effort to gather, the Slav came in the evening, an inconvenient time to go out and hunt.

Commenting on why the Manna was brought in the morning and the Slav was brought at night, Rashi says on Shemot 16:8, “Because they requested the bread (i.e., Manna which is referred to as bread) properly, for a person cannot exist without bread, but they requested the meat improperly, for they had many cattle and furthermore they could have gone without meat altogether. Therefore, He gave them the meat at a time which was inconvenient and uncomfortable.”

It should also be noted that no restrictions were attached to the quail. They could gather as much or as little of it as they desired. Anything left over for the next day or days would not necessarily rot. Unlike the case with the Manna, there was no specific connection between the Slav and their observance of Shabbat. It is also interesting to note that the Manna would produce satiation as it says, (Shemot 16:12) “…In the afternoon you shall eat meat and in the morning you shall be sated with bread…” However, while they would eat meat, it would not result in Seviut (fullness). What is the idea behind this?

In my opinion, the desert food plan instituted by Hashem was not directed only to their physical need for nourishment but was also intended to teach important ideas about life. The Manna represented the proper attitude that one should regard eating as a means to an end, not as a good to be pursued for its own sake. The Manna was the ultimate food product, as it addressed all of man’s nutritional needs. The Rabbis say that it was so perfectly constructed that the body absorbed and digested all of it with no need for excretion.

The sense of satisfaction it produced came from the fact that it engaged the mind insofar as it entailed the study and performance of the Mitzvot that were associated with it. The lesson is that if man is totally consumed in the pursuit of his physical needs, he will become weary and unfulfilled (see Bereishit 25:29 “Jacob simmered a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted”).

Rashi says that there was no reason for Bnei Yisrael to demand meat because they had no real need for it. Why then did they request it? Because of desire. Man’s lust for indulgent eating is invariably associated with meat. Delicious steaks, roasts, and hamburgers are the items that will inevitably appear at the tables where people get together to party and indulge.

The life of hedonistic indulgence, where people seek to gorge themselves with “wine, women, and song,” does not lead to a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. It is only an intelligent existence, where man satisfies his physical needs in order to engage in “higher” pursuits, such as study and performance of good deeds, that provides contentment. Ironically, the attainment of one’s fantasies leads to a sense of disappointment and makes one “tired,” i.e., disillusioned with life. That is why the Torah does not say that you will eat meat to satiation because the gratification of “desire” does not lead to a true sense of satisfaction.

Trust in Hashem: Lessons for Daily Life

An important lesson of the Manna story emerges from the fact that they were not permitted to hoard it for the morrow, and that whatever was “left over” immediately rotted. It seems that a person would be motivated to “hoard” the Manna because of his anxiety about the future. True, Hashem provided food today, but would He do so tomorrow? Bnei Yisrael were commanded to reach the level of Bitachon (trust) where they trusted Hashem completely and did not fret about the next day. Hashem wanted them to live in a state of security where they could devote the bulk of their energy to the pursuit of knowledge and human perfection.

On Friday, they were commanded to take a double portion, and this extra food did not spoil. That is because this extra Manna was not taken because of anxiety, but because of the determination to keep Shabbat and not engage in food gathering on the holy day. When a person acts intelligently out of his desire to serve G-d, his deeds will find favor with Hashem.

There are many significant takeaways from the story of the Manna. One of them pertains to the way we live our lives. We should not devote all our energies to the pursuit of material abundance and an ever-increasing desire for more. We should seek to overcome, to the best of our ability, our irrational anxiety about Parnasa (sustenance/livelihood). Every area of our lives should be governed by the fundamental ideal of Bitachon Bashem (trust in G-d).

This does not mean that we should just sit back and wait for the Manna to fall. We are not permitted to depend on miracles. But we must develop a source of Parnasa that is reliable and allows for sufficient leisure time to engage in meaningful spiritual activities.

In my opinion, the Manna in the Midbar (desert) was not just a one-time miracle never to be repeated; it is an ongoing phenomenon. Just as Hashem provided the Manna for our ancestors, so too, will He assist us to succeed in our endeavors, if they are based on the Manna principle: to live an intelligent life in which we obtain our true needs in order to get closer to Hashem and to serve Him properly.

May we merit to attain this.

Rabbi Reuven Mannhas been a pulpit Rabbi and a teacher of Torah for over fifty years. He is currently the Dean of Masoret Institute of Judaic Studies for Women and resides in Arnona, Jerusalem.

Questions? Comments? Please reach out to Rabbi Mann on WhatsApp 050-709-2372 or by email at: rebmann21@aol.com