We are told that some gathered
much manna and some little. But
when the amounts were measured,
there was neither excess nor deficien-
cy. We are reminded of the teaching
of ben Zoma in Pirkei Avot: "Who is
rich? The one who rejoices and is sat-
isfied with his portion."
One person is not necessarily rich-
er" because of a larger income than
another; accumulating more may not
necessarily mean having more. The
experience of the manna is profound:
We can find satisfaction and plenty in
making the best of what we have.
A third lesson derived from the
story of the manna is its connection
to the Shabbat, traditionally intro-
duced to the people here as a practice
for the first rime. On the sixth day of
the week, they gathered a double por-
tion, without at first understanding
why.
Moses explains the Sabbath:,There
will be no manna falling on the
ground; there is to be no baking nor
boiling. No one was to leave home on
that day, but rather they were to rest,
enjoying the two days' food which
had been provided for them.
For the first time, our people
enjoyed a day of rest. The desert and -
food from heaven" experiences began
"food
to teach these former slaves lessons of
humanity and of the free spirit.
Moses instructs Aaron to keep
some manna in a jar as a sign for all
the ages. That jar has, of course, been
lost, but not the story. It is read, not
only one week each year, but in the
daily prayer book. It is recalled by
those who bless two loaves of challah
on Friday evening.
The lessons of the "bread from
heaven" continue to guide us:
Remember God's presence daily; be
content with your portion; see the
Shabbat as an opportunity for cele-
brating human freedom. Li

Conversations:

Why are we so preoccupied with
spending more to find happiness?
How can we learn to rejoice in our
friend's (or competitor's) success as
much as in our own? What are
some of the most meaningful ways
for you to observe Shabbat?
Which are the most difficult?
What do we do daily that express-
es our thanksgiving to God? What
are lessons learned from the
matzoh as well as the manna?

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Detroit Jewish News

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1999

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