| Lechem Mishneh: The Spiritual Side of Manna |
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| Written by Rabbi Shai Specht |
 The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have
brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:3)The journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai symbolizes spiritual growth. Israel leaving Egypt can be compared to an infant’s growth. The baby has to learn to walk, to talk, and to eat solid foods. Israel's first forty-nine days in the wilderness were filled with growing experiences. Soon after leaving Egypt, their food supplies were exhausted. Facing starvation, the children of Israel cried out, again complaining that it would have been better to have died in Egypt with a full stomach than to die of starvation in the wilderness. Miraculously, the Almighty sent a flock of quail for meat, and introduced them to the angelic bread with which they would be sustained in the wilderness for the next forty years. Every morning, a layer of dew settled over the camp of Israel. When the dew evaporated, it left behind a thin, flake-like covering that the Torah compares to frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked, "What is it?" The Hebrew word man (מן) means "what." Manna essentially means "whatchmacallit." ☺ Manna was amazing stuff. It had all the nutrition necessary to sustain a large population for forty years. It appeared every morning and in an adequate amount so that no one went hungry. It could be cooked, boiled or baked. However, if anyone tried to hoard it, it turned rancid overnight. On Friday’s there would be a double portion of Manna for Shabbat because on Shabbat we must concentrate on our spiritual well being without the worry of where our food comes from. Manna can teach us about money and materialism. Creator provides adequately for our needs, sometimes in scarcity, sometimes with abundance, but always with sufficiency. "He who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack" (Exodus 16:18). When we try to hoard wealth, it can turn into something spiritually ugly. Just as the manna turned rancid and wormy, hoarded wealth sickens the soul. It causes us to cling to material things. We no longer need to rely on The Almighty because we can rely upon our savings and investments. The Lechem Mishna therefore, reminds us that we are spiritual beings who need to work in partnership with The One. Lechem Mishna teaches us to appreciate what is before us without reaching for what is next. The Midrash asks why the Torah needs to tell us that they received two Omers per person if we already know that they got a double portion (Lechem Mishna). It must be, concludes the Midrash, that the words “Lechem Mishna” are not needed to teach us they got a double portion; they are mean to be expounded upon. It should be read not Lechem Mishna (a double portion), rather as Lechem M’shoon’eh (different or changed bread). In honor of Shabbat, they received a “changed” Manna with a superior smell and taste. Creator endowed Israel’s very first Shabbat, with that special Shabbosspice which graces the Shabbat food with its sublime and exquisite taste. In Shemot 16:25, we read; “And Moshe said (concerning the Manna) eat it today, for today is Shabbat to to the LORD, you won’t find it (the Manna) in the field.” (Shemos16:25) Rabbi Yechezkhel of Kuzhmir said, “ .. .eat it today. . .” can be read in Hebrew, “Eat the day, eat the day itself!” The sweetness and beauty of Shabbat is so delicious that it can only be experienced by biting into it and savoring its taste. Rabbi Shai Specht  Cantor/Family Educator A member of the International Federation of Rabbis www.RabbiShai.com 
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