A Name That Stuck – Parshas Beshalach 5770
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Loading ...ויראו בני ישראל ויאמרו איש אל אחיו מן הוא כי לא ידעו מה הוא… (טז:טו)
“The Jews saw it (Heaven-sent food) and they called it “Monn” for they didn’t know what it was…” (16:15).
It always perplexed me to understand what the lesson of this verse is. Why do we have to know that the Jews did not know what the Manna was? Also, why did the name, “Monn, what is it?!” remain? Once they figured out what it was, the name should have been changed appropriately?
I believe that understanding what is being taught here will prove very relevant to us all. Hashem took the Jews out of Egypt with great miracles and fanfare. Now they were in the dessert and needed food to eat. Hashem wanted the Jews to dedicate themselves to the undisturbed study of His Torah. This is precisely what they did.
This practice of dedication to Hashem’s Torah and the study and fulfillment of its beautiful and life-altering lesson, relates to every one of us.
It can be quite expensive following the Torah laws! Not working on Saturday incurs a great financial loss for us. Sending our children to private religious schools costs thousands more that the free public system. Giving up time from work to learn Torah with a study partner takes much effort and dedication. Buying only Kosher food is a price to pay as well.
We may take these things for granted, but this is something worth contemplating. Certainly those that commit themselves to the Kollel and teaching lifestyle are well aware of the trials of making ends meet. Yet, they all do. They have their needs met! In fact, the Jews are one of the most prosperous races on planet earth. Not everyone is middle or upper class, but even those in need are generously cared for by the warm community members. No one is hungry and most people have the clothes, food and medical care that they need. Hashem has promised to care for those that turn to Him and to never let them down (Tehillim 37:25, 145:14)!
The Manna represents Hashem’s care for the Jew’s wellbeing in the desert. Hashem made sure that everyone had enough food for their daily needs. More so, the Midrash states that every morning the Jews found two thousand years worth of food that had fallen from the sky! However, every person was only allowed to collect one Omer, his daily need, no more and no less! After everyone took, the sun came out and all the leftovers melted away, only to repeat itself again the next morning. What was the purpose of this strange occurrence?
The Gemara (Yuma) explains that Hashem wanted the Jews to always feel that they needed Him to provide for them. If they were to have a large silo stored up, they would stop relying on Him.
So why did 2000 years worth fall daily? Rav Eliyahu Dessler zt”l explains that this fortified the concept. We must see that Hashem is all capable, He is unlimited in the amount of bounty which He can bestow upon us! This is the first perspective. The second idea expressed is that we should pray to Him and ask Him personally to fill our needs!
Indeed, our livelihood is often a mystery, we don’t know how it worked out or how things came together. The struggle is for the purpose of us recognizing how much Hashem does for us. The solution is brought about in a way that we can only credit Hashem!
The name that the jews gave to the Monn was most appropriate and on-target. “What is it!?” Indeed, our livelihood is miraculous and often unexplainable.
This is a most relevant and timely lesson of the Monn.
