BS”D
FLASK: FOCUSING ON
FAITH: PARSHAT BESHALACH
Shira Smiles shiur 2021/5781
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
One
of the great miracles the generation of the exodus lived with was the desert
food that sustained them for forty years, the daily allotment of manna that
fell from heaven. On the first day it fell, Moshe tells Bnei Yisroel “the
thing/word” that Hashem commanded, to collect an omer of manna lemishmeret/for
safekeeping so that future generations will know [and have physical evidence]
of this miracle, and place this jar before Hashem [in the Ark in the kadosh
kodoshim/Holy of Holies]. Moshe then repeats the command to Aharon, telling him
to, “Take one jar and put a full omer of manna into it and place it before
Hashem for a safekeeping for your generations.” Then the Torah records the fulfillment
of this command:“As Hashem had commanded Moshe, Aharon placed it before the Ark
of Testimony for safekeeping.”
Interestingly,
the Oznaim Latorah points out that while one usually takes a memento as
a souvenir at the end of a journey, here Hashem commanded Moshe to take the
manna on the first day of the journey. And if this was to be a reminder of the
manna that sustained Bnei Yisroel in the desert, why was it put in the Aron
Kodesh where no one would see it? If Hashem commanded this to Moshe, why then
is it Aharon who actually fulfills this mission?
The
Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh asks further questions to begin our discussion. In
our Torah which is so terse in its language, why are the instructions that
Moshe tells Bnei Yisroel repeated almost verbatim to Aharon. The Ohr Hachaim
explains that Hashem’s word to Moshe was relatively vague, requiring
interpretation. Moshe, in relaying the command to Aharon, fills in the blanks.
From the word mishmeret, Moshe understood that this manna must be kept
safe from two possibilities, both from theft and from becoming impure. The
place to protect the manna from either of these possibilities would be in the Aron
Kodesh, alongside the luchot.
Since
this command had been given before the Mishkan was built, Moshe understood that
the command was to be performed by Aharon who was destined to be the kohen
gadol, adds Oznaim Latorah. Because the command was first given to Moshe
and then relayed to Aharon, “As Hashem commanded Moshe,” precedes the
fulfillment of the command by Aharon.
Indeed,
many generations later the Prophet Yirmiyahu showed this flask to Bnei Yisroel
as proof that they should have full faith in Hashem for their sustenance as did
the generation of the desert; they can and must take time to study Torah.
But
this message was also for Aharon as a representative of the Tribe of Levi. The
Tribe of Levi would not get a portion in the Land of Israel. Rather, they would
be supported by the Torah through the people, for their mission was to be the
teachers of Torah to Bnei Yisroel, and Bnei Yisroel would support them in
return. Moshe Rabbenu himself was also enriched by the Torah/Luchot. When
Hashem told Moshe to “carve for yourself’ the second set of Luchot, Hashem gave
Moshe the stone chips that fell from the carving. With these, by being the
bearer and teacher of Torah, Moshe himself became rich, writes Rabbi Bachye.
It
is a message relevant for every generation, notes Rabbi Yoffe in Le’ovdecha
B’emes. For those who truly dedicate their lives to Torah study, Hashem
will always provide for their sustenance, just as he provided for those
following Hashem, wandering in the wilderness. Indeed, citing Rabbi Hutner, for
those who remain in Hashem’s Torah studying army all day, Hashem will provide.
All others must use the path of praying fervently for their sustenance. One
need not have reached the goal of living a completely spiritual life, continues
Rabbi Yoffe citing the Meshech Chochma. One can be at the beginning of
that journey, as Bnei Yisroel were upon just leaving Egypt, but if one resolves
to live a Torah life, of following Torah and mitzvoth, Hashem will provide for
him. In fact, it is at the beginning of the journey, at the start of a new
project that enthusiasm is at its highest, It is for this reason, suggests
Rabbi Kram in Vetalmudo Beyodo, that the manna was to be collected when
it first fell, and the wonder of it, awed Bnei Yisroel rather than at the end
of the forty year journey when the manna became routine.
Further,
the manna was placed alongside the Sefer Torah, writes Rabbi Pam referring to
Rabbi Bachye, to teach us that our job and workplace must also be conducive to
living a Torah lifestyle, the surroundings should be conducive to proper
behavior and our colleagues should be of moral character.
The
manna was generally not easily collected. Most of the people were required to
go quite a distance outside the camp to collect the manna. In effect, they had
to work for their sustenance just as most people need to go to work today,
writes Rabbi Belsky. In effect, there needs to be a balance between our own
effort/hishtadlus and our reliance on Hakodosh Boruch Hu, knowing that
our effort is the conduit through which Hashem will provide for us. Anyone who
understands this and puts his complete trust in Hashem, even though he does
major sins, says the Gr”a, is better than the Torah scholar whose faith is
weak. The manna teaches that relying on Hakodosh Boruch Hu will provide for us
through all the generations.
“This
is the thing that Hashem commanded,” to teach all the future generations to
have faith and to feel secure in knowing that Hashem watches over each of us
personally, that He orchestrates every moment of my life, writes Rav Aaron
Kotler zt”l.
Our
connection to Hashem and His to us is a pipeline, continues Rav Kotler. When
the parts are connected properly, the waters flow smoothly and freely. When
they are not connected properly or are blocked, the water never comes out the
other end or sprays out uselessly. If you think you are in control, you are
blocking the pipeline from Hashem down to you. The jar of manna was meant to be
a concrete reminder of our reliance on Hashem. It was also meant to remind us
that Hashem gives each of us according to our will, just as the manna tasted
like whatever the taster imagined. Additionally, each got according to his
personal needs each day, whether he was able to collect more one day or less
the next day.
The
students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked a very logical question. Why did
Hashem send a ration of manna on a daily basis? Would it not have been more
efficient to send the full ration of manna once a month or once a year instead
of every day? But Hashem wanted Bnei Yisroel to come to Him every day, to
believe in Him. As Rabbi Schlesinger explains, there was no guarantee that
there would be food each day. Each night, when the food had been completely
consumed, the father would teach the child to have faith that Hashem would
provide for them again the next day. Similarly, we also do not know what
tomorrow will bring. In this regard, it is harder for someone on a fixed salary
to develop full betachon/faith/reliance in Hashem than for someone self
employed who cannot know what he will earn the next day. [One of the lessons of
the current pandemic is that for many people, both salaried and self employed,
there is no guarantee that money will be available, often for even the basic
necessities. We are learning the hard way that Hashem controls our financial
health as well as our physical health. CKS] Hashem wants to connect with us,
and therefore He asks us to approach Him in prayer three times a day.
This
lesson in faith is the theme of the entire parsha, continues Rabbi
Schlesinger, citing Rabbenu Bachye. This theme is so strongly part of the
splitting of the sea, It was not only that the sea didn’t split until Nachshon
ben Aminodov jumped into the water, but also that the sea did not split
completely from end to end. It was that the sea split only right in front of
Bnei Yisroel as they advanced. Bnei Yisroel saw only water in front of them,
moving toward the water and trusting that the sea would continue to open into a
dry path before them. Then, as soon as they passed, the waters returned to
their original state.
In
a sad commentary, the Ohel Moshe explains that we don’t need the manna
to teach us faith today, for in the Diaspora our lives are constantly
precarious [like a fiddler on the roof]. We have no choice but to put our trust
in Hakodosh Boruch Hu. The manna was the overt miracle meant to open our eyes
to the daily, concealed miracles around us.
In
relaying the instructions for saving the manna, Moshe called the container in
which it is to be stored a tzintzenet. This is the only time the word
appears in the entire Tanach. Rabbi Leibel Eiger understands this to mean more
than just a flask or jug. Rabbi Eiger sees in this word the word tzon/sheep
repeated twice. Bnei Yisroel are My sheep, the sheep I shepherded in the
wilderness (Tehillim 95), for if I look to Hashem as my Shepherd, I will never
want/lack [for anything]. (Tehillim 23). And we know that it is not by bread
alone that we live, but by that [word] which emanates from Hashem’s mouth.
(Devarim 8:3) It would be Aharon who put Hashem’s word into the Ark, and so Moshe
deduced that it should be Aharon who would put the flask of manna into the Ark
alongside Hashem’s word, showing that both come directly from Hakodosh Boruch
Hu. Not just food, but all our necessities come from Hashem, from our safety
crossing the Sea to our shidduchim, as difficult as the splitting of the sea.
Aharon was the one who brought us closer to Hashem, and Aharon would
symbolically put the two together in the Aron Kodesh.
The
manna was such a spiritual entity that it was truly meant to be only in the
strict spirituality of the kodesh kadashim, writes Rabbi Sternbach. By
putting the manna that Hashem fed us in the desert in the aron kodesh,
Hashem show us that He is always just as concerned with our physical needs as
He is with our spiritual needs.
In
response to Hashem’s giving us the manna, Moshe Rabbenu composed the first
blessing of Birkat Hamazon/Grace after Meals. By reciting this blessing,
we are both acknowledging that Hashem is the Provider of the food we have just
eaten and also thanking Hashem for this gift which we have not earned. The
blessing further praises God for providing food for all His creatures, both
large and small because of His loving kindness, and we will never be left
wanting. From the highest heaven Hashem is still concerned for the lowliest
creatures. How often do we rise from rote recitation to actually recite these
blessing with the full heart and mind that it is Hashem’s benevolence that
provides sustenance for us, asks Rabbi Levenstein? We no longer have this jar of
manna, but according to out tradition, it, along with the Holy Ark was hidden
somewhere under the Beit Hamikdosh when King Yoshiyahu sensed the impending
Temple destruction and exile.
This
jar of manna was not destroyed, writes the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh. It was
saved for generations. Just as the Prophet Yirmiyahu took it out to show to the
people at that time, so will the Prophet Eliyahu show it to Bnei Yisroel at the
arrival of Moshiach.
However,
if this jar of manna was in the kadosh kodoshim where only the kohen
gadol could enter and only once a year, how could Yirmiyahu have taken out
this jar of manna to show to the people? Vayovenu Bamikra proposes a
novel understanding of our verses that solves this dilemma. He suggests that
there were in fact two commands, The first was for all of Bnei Yisroel to
collect and save an omer of manna to show and teach future generations
how Hashem sustained us in the desert. It was from these jars of manna that
Bnei Yisroel ate upon capturing the land until they could plant and reap their
own crops, and it was from these jars that Yirmiyahu showed his generation that
Hashem will sustain them. Then, after the Mishkan was erected, Moshe told
Aharon to fill another jar with manna to be put into the Ark in the Mishkan for
safekeeping.
While
we no longer have the privilege of a physical jar of manna as a constant
reminder of Hashem’s providing for us, we must maintain its message from
generation to generation, we must teach it to our children, and always remember
that we are Hashem’s beloved flock.