Beshalach - 6th Portion

Join me as we learn together for today, Friday the 6th Torah reading of Paras Bashalak, chapter 16 verse 11. Yesterday the Jewish people were told after complaining about that they had no food as they finished all their provisions that they took out with them out of Egypt. They complained to the Jewish complaining to God that they had no food and complaining to Mosha Aaron where God then tells Mosha Aaron about the food that will be coming from heaven the mana from heaven as well as the meat. Today we continue with the sto the Torah reading telling us about the gift that the Jewish people were given for the 40 days that they were 40 years that they were in the desert that the mana would they that they had the mana to eat for them and what the laws pertaining the mana was as well. Verse 11. And God spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the complaints of the Israelites, of the Jewish people, speak to them, saying at dusk, you will eat meat, and in the morning, you will eat bread to be satiated." And this way you will know that I am God your God. Verse 13. And it was in the evening and the quail came up and it covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. What is Slav? So Rashi explains that the word slav over here means it's a type of bird and very juicy, very fatty which we call quail. The fact that it tells us that the dew was a layer around the camp. What does this mean? from it seems that what it tells us here that the de was resting and covering over the mana and in another place it says in the book of numbers and when the de would come down that the mana would come on top of it so what would happen so how does that work out was the de below it or was the de on top of it so therefore rashi explains as follows first you would have one do that would come down and cover the ground and then the mana would cover it and afterwards and then you would have another dew that would come and cover it and it would be like it's sitting in a box. That's one of the reasons why we have on chabas we have the tablecloth which it covers the table on it is the kala and then on the we cover it again is to remind us of how the do and how the mana was covered do on the bottom de on top and the mana in the middle. So too the tablecloth and the covering of the kala and the kala in the middle. Verse 14. When the sun then rose and the layer of the dew evaporated, and behold, and behold, over the surface of the desert, there was a thin substance kakur packed like um and like a thin crust als. So the after they peeled back when you saw that the dew was no longer there they were able to see this thin layer of a thin crust that was on the ground. Rashi explains as follows when the sun was shining and therefore the dew was evaporated. So the dew that's on the mana came up towards the sun and therefore Rashi says and over here it gives you a little bit of a scientific uh fact you can see this clearly if you would take a hollow egg and you would let it sit and you would let it sit with the dew and then you would let cover the front of it and leave it in the sun you will see that once the shallow egg because it's very light and it's filled with dew, it will lift and will rise as the sun comes up because of the little hole that the dew went into it and then you leave it in the sun. It will rise and the rabbis explained the dew went up from the ground. So when the Torah tells us that when the sun as the dew came off the mana it was revealed the mana and then they were able to see the mana that was there on the face of the desert. What does the word do mean? Rashi says something very thin. The word means it was revealed. We don't have any other similarity to this word in the verse and therefore one can explain the word also from the terminology. The Torah the Mishna talks about something called which is a a leather box or small little boxes which people use to keep items in them like a jewelry box of some sort. And this is what another word can mean as well. When the mana was revealed from the dew rising saw, they saw there was a very thin layer of something underneath in the box between these two layers of dew. And the Aramaic translation is like something that's peeled. It peeled away the layer of the dew and therefore they saw something there. Like you find this uh in previously when it talks about that Jacob when he was peeling away the bark on the sticks and you saw the white on the sticks as well. So you can say one word of this is that they peeled the mana away from it. What does the kfur mean? Comes from the word ga which is in Hebrew ice cream but this is in French meaning something that was frozen like a thin layer of ice or frost that was there. It was thin layer of frost that was there on the ground. the stones of a gear which is a black stone which is made of very little pebbles and from it they make like a black tint if you want to call it like it says when it talks about the different types of dust where you're allowed to cover the blood from a animal that you need to cover. So there's different types of things that are mentioned and one of them is gear which is a very small black fine sand which they use many times for ink. The Aramaic translation uses something which is a small thin frost that was on the ground. It was a very very thin black thing but it looked and it was if it was something that was frozen on the ground on the ground to when you look at the explanation that the mana was so thin that it was lying on the ground like a carpet if you want to call it that it was all beautiful and even all along and it looked like that these um little seeds were connected all together like something that was um they were a little bit connected like one chunk so it was easy for people to collect. Dak very thin. It was um that the uh it was a very thin and smooth that it would slide and it was very thin on top. There is no other word in the that we can similarly translate and find a similarity to it. Verse 15. And the Jewish people were afraid. They were they saw it and they were exposed to the substance and they're wondering what this is. And the Jewish people saw it and they said each other. This is man. What does it mean? It is a portion of food literally translated. They did not know what exactly what it is to call it by its name. Explained to them what this was. Who? This is the bread that God has given you to eat. The word prepared food. It is like the king prepared them gave them food every single day. They did not know what this food is that they had a name in its name. Verse 16. This is what God commanded that each person should collect according to what he needs. Anom of portion for what he needs. Each person according to what his head according to the person in his household should take Omar per headm which is about two and a half liters or quarts according to the number of people according to the amount of people that you have in your tent. You take an Omr per person. Verse 16. It's a type of measurement according to the amount of people that they were in each person's home. You would take a omare per head. Verse 17, so did the Jewish people. When they gathered, some gathered more and some gathered less. Why does it say that if there was Omar, how was there more and how was there less? to were those they collected a lot and those that collected a little but when they came home they measured it by the to each person according to what he collected that the guy that tried to collecting more didn't get more he got exactly per person in his home the person that collected less also did not have less than an per person this is one of miracles that happened with the uh with the immana that each person no matter how much he gathered. He collected whether he gathered more or less when he came home there was a omar per person in his home. Verse 18 but when they measured they measured it by the omar as we mentioned miraculously each one each person got an gathered more much had no excess. And the one who gathered less had was lacking nothing. Each person gathered according what they needed to eat. Verse 19 said to them, "Do not leave have any leftovers. Do not leave any over it until the morning." Verse 20. However, there were those that did not listen to Moshe. And there were the people that left over. Who were those people? as we're soon going to see when it mentions it's referring to those same people that we mentioned in the beginning of the book of Exodus who they left it over until the morning and became full of maggots and it became putrid. It smelled became upset at them as well became angry at them. is that are called at every case. But what is that? That it got maggots, worms. This is the terminology. When something goes spoiled, it gets maggots in it. It became ruined and therefore began to smell. This is actually the Torah says it the opposite way. First actually, it started to smell and gave off a bad smell and became spoiled. Once it was spoiled then it got full of maggots. This is the way usually things become spoiled. First it's a gradual step. It starts to smell. It starts to spoil and then it starts having maggots in it as well. Verse 21 and they collected each morning every morning every person according to what he needed to eat. And then when the soon when the sun grew hot, it would melt and they would and it would not be there and it would become liquids. As we see over here, Rashi explains it would then melt in the sun. Whatever is left in the field melted and from it became streams and the deer would come and drink from it. These canals would then go in streams at different places and even the nations of the world were able to taste it in their water and then when they would taste the mana they would understand and appreciate the greatness of the Jewish people. The word ofamus means pure pes not boiling water not cold water but lukewarm lukewarm lukewarm water just lukewarm water that became hot because of the sun and it would then melt away and that's the way the water would continue to go down into different canals and streams away the word venamus means and melted we find similar in detractive Sanhedrin where it talks out something which is a solid and melts into a liquid. Verse 22 and it was on the on the sixth day and they collected a double portion of bread which was a double portion which is two for every person and all the leaders of the tribes came and they told Moshe verse 22 when they started measuring how much they have in their tents they found that they had two double the amount The explains instead of the word which means double bread, he translates it to mean a weird kind of bread, a different kind of bread. That that day on Friday the man was different in its taste and in its smell. If it's only coming to tell you that there was two already says the following word says that there were two Omar for one. So why does it have to say that they had a double portion of bread to tell you that the bread that was collected on Friday was different in taste and smell they told they asked him what's going on why is today different that we're getting to from here we can learn that Mosha still has not yet taught them about the laws of Shabas which he was meant to tell themishi which we learned learned previously in verse 5 when God was telling the laws to Moses would be on the Friday will prepare until they asked why do we have double what's going on here oh then he came along and told them this is actually what God told me to tell you that you're supposed to have double on Friday because you're not supposed to cook on chabas therefore because Moshe delayed in telling them this therefore later on in verse 28 Eight when Moshe complains until when are you going to complain that you're not going to follow the laws and he did not take Moshe did not exclude Moshe meaning he says until when to the Jewish people but he says may you complained meaning why are you refused to follow the commandments because in this case Moshe also delayed in telling the Jewish people the commandments now that the Jewish people asked Moshe tells them the commandment pertaining Shabas verse 23 Three. He says to them, "This is what God has spoken about. It will be a day of rest, a holy shabas, which is tomorrow. Whatever you wish to bake, bake today. Whenever you want to cook, cook it today. Whatever is left over, whatever you want to set aside as leftover, leave it on the side for safekeeping." Is for safekeeping until the morning. That means whatever you want to set aside for yourself, leave it for safekeeping for the next day. Verse 23. Whatever you want to cook in bake in the oven, bake today for two days. Whatever you want to cook, the word cook is specifically in water. Bake is specifically without water. Generally, baking works with bread and cooking is about foods that you're making and cooking on the stove. Baking is in the oven. The word means for safekeeping. So, you shall have it for the next day. Verse 24, and they set it aside until the morning like commanded and it did not become putrid and there were no maggots in it. Verse 25. And Moshe said to them, "Today you can eat it. The leftovers you can eat it today because today is Shabas for God. Today you will not find any mana in the field." because every single morning they would go out and collect. So they came on Shabas morning to ask should they go out and collect should we go out and collect told them this is what you have left over this is what you're supposed to eat in the evening of came back to him and said should we eat it he said no it's the evening and therefore you don't have to go out he saw that they were concerned okay maybe that's it we are done we're not getting any more food saidim Today you won't find it any longer. Why does he say today you won't find it? Today you won't find it tomorrow and the man is going to continue to fall. And don't you worry. Verse 26. Therefore, he explains to them that six days a week you would collect it. You're going to gather on the seventh day Shabas. It's Shabas. There will not be any mana. You will not go out and collect. Shabas and therefore why does the Torah say it again? This comes to include that also on the holidays as well and it was on the seventh day. So there were people that went out to collect but they found nothing. Verse 28. God said to Moses, "How long will you all refuse to observe my commandments and my teachings?" Why did he say this? Because some people neglected to keep the commandments. As we'll see, Rashi explains Michelle. This is a terminology that people use, a very uh frequent language that people say. together with the thorns, you also take out the cabbage. Meaning, when you come to take out the thorns, you're also sometimes taking out the good stuff with it as well. When you're taking out some weed, sometimes you're getting out the flowers as well. Meaning, in this case, because the evil people do something wrong, so too the good ones get reprimanded for it as well. Meaning, even though there were only a few people that went out to collect on Shabas, however, Hashem reprimands all of them, even though it was only a few of the bad that did something wrong. Verse 29. Look at this wonderful, unbelievable miracle that God has given you the Shabas. Therefore, see the miracle that God gives you on Friday, a double portion of bread. Each person should stay where they are. No one should leave his place on the seventh day. Verse 29. Look that God gave you the Shabas and you can see it clearly with your eyes that God is warning you about the observance of Shabas. Shabas. God is making a miraculous event that you can all see every eve of Shabas that he's giving you bread for two days that you should not go out and collect and from this words we learn from here we learn from this verse that the amount of area of space that a person's allowed to go once he leaves the shabas the shabas is the 2,000 that one is not allowed which is about oh a little bit over a half a mile that one is not allowed to Leave city limits on Chabas. Once you leave that area, you have the four Amus, the four hand breaths around your area which you're allowed to roam in. Why is it four? Three Amos for your body. Usually the average height or size of a person is three. One that you can stretch. This gives the person the ability that he has to move around in those four arms. This is one should not leave a space. Meaning these are the 2,000 of Shabas which are measured outside city limits to all four ways. Not how some want to explain. It's not clearly uh it's not clearly stated about the prohibition of the of leaving that area. the actual prohibition of not leaving your area and city limits of those 2,000 is actually a rabbitic commandment but it's based and we have a reliance on a verse by the very fact that the Torah says it about the people that were collecting the money. So it's not a biblical commandment per se. It is a rabbitic commandment that relies on a verse for its authenticity and veracity. Verse 30. Verse 30. And the people rested on the seventh day. Verse 31 Israel. And once the Jewish people have seen that this is something that is going to be common and it's falling, the Jewish people called this, they gave it a name. Man, mana. What was this man? The who? Kazeda Godlo. It was like a corander seed, but it was loan. It was white and it tasted like pastry fried in honey. Rashi it was part of like a herb that it has the name and Rashi gives it as we know the English word as well as colandry. It's seed. It's that comes out from this grass is round but not white. But the mana was white and therefore the Torah has to add but it was white because usually a colander seed is black is a different color. So therefore he tells the only way that is compared to it is wants to show that it was round like a bowl. This is what was these round things. It was not like that plant because who love and it was white. What does it mean? like a pastry but like you take like a do you fry it in oil and they would call it about a pastry that was fried in oil. Verse and Moshe said to them, "This is what God commanded an Omar full of it. You should take from it. You should keep it for safekeeping for future generations. So they should be able to see the bread that I fed you in the desert. as when I took you out of Egypt, what's this safekeeping? Liga, you'll put it away for safekeeping for future generations. When did the God have to show it to the Jewish people as we mentioned a few days ago in the time of when was rebuking the Jewish people? And it said, "Why aren't you studying Torah?" The Jewish people would respond. You want us to stop working and go study Torah all day? Where are we going to get money from? That's when he took out that little bit of mana that was hid away from the time of Moses. And he said, "Look at this generation see at the people in the desert." He doesn't say, "Hear what God said," but he uses a terminology. Look, because he showed them that little bit of mana. But then this is the way the Jewish people survived in the desert. God has God has many different messengers. To those that follow and study Torah, God will send you what you need. You need to follow what God tells you when you study Torah. God will already take care and give you everything you need. Verse 34. Moshe said to take one urn an earthenware of ern one earn one urn of earthenware and in this earthenware ern put in it a po full of mana of mana and place item in front of for gener for safekeeping for future generations. What is a type of earn as the tarum translates? You should put it before God. What does it mean before God in front of the ark where there would be the two tablets as well? though that the Torah is telling us about something that hasn't yet happened because the ark hasn't been bu made the temple hasn't been built. The Jewish people haven't received the ten commandments. This verse actually came later on once the ark was built. That's where they placed this of the mana. Why does it say now? It tells us now because since we're talking about the mana, but really it's referencing to later about when the Jewish people actually did it. Verse 34. God commanded Moshe and Aaron put it in before the ark of testimony for safekeeping. Verse 35. And the Jewish people ate this mana for 40 years until they came to an inhabitant land. They ate the manaan until they came to the edge of Cananan. Rashi arim sh. Why does it tell us 40 years? was technically missing 30 days because of the first 30 days they still had the provisions that they had when they came out of Egypt because on the 15th of year was the first time the mana came down and on the 15th of Nissan 40 years later is when it stopped as it says it comes to tell us that these cakes these b cookies that the Jewish people the mas that they took out of Egypt also tasted like the mana and therefore those 30 days make it a complete 40 years. What does it mean to inhabited land after they came into the Jordan after they crossed over the Jordan River? Because these this land that was on the other side of the Jordan was more important and better than that. This the land of Cananan was more important was just as important and even better than the land on the other side of the Jordan because Moshe prays to God and asks can I please go and see the land that's on the other side of the Jordan because Moshe knows what was on this side of the Jordan because he was there and he's asking God I want to see something better meaning the word means settled inhabited but Moshe knew that the other side is better and therefore he asks of God to go to the other side on the edge of Cananan at the beginning of the borders before they even cross the Jordan. This is what we call the plains of Moab. Seemingly it looks like that there is a contradiction in the two in the two verses because from one verse it says until they came to inhabited land and then later on in the verse it says until the edge of Mo even before they crossed the Jordan. So when did it happen? Did they eat the mana until once they even after they crossed the Jordan or it stopped already on the other side of the Jordan before they crossed? So which one is it? At the plains of Mo before they crossed the Jordan Mosha when Mosha died that's on the seventh of when the month stopped falling. However, they continued to enjoy it. They still had from it from that month until they brought the Omar sacrifice the 16th of Nissan a month later over a month later which was now already in the new side over the cross the Jordan that they ate from the grain of the land of Israel once the day after Pes. So what we see over here is until they came to the Abbott did land, they ate from the mud, but the mud stopped falling already at the edge of the Jordan River in the plains of Moab when Moshe died. That explains the two verses which seemingly are contradictory. They're not contradictory ones when it stopped falling and ones when they stopped eating it. Verse 36, the and how what size is a omare? What measurement is that? who is a tenth of an apha and a three is then six a giving you the breakdown is four lugan so that means in every apha you have 72 lugan aug vim is six eggs the size of six eggs which gives you then an apha makes it 432 is aa so if you want to do the math Now a tenth of an apha of an apha is mela is 43 and a fifth 43.2 would give you a tenth of 432 eggs that go to an apha and that's your breakdown. This is also the same shear for when one has to separate kala from making dough is 43 bim which 43 bayim which is 43 eggs which is about every bay is roughly about two and a half ounces and so if you do the math that gives you the ability of when of how much it was 43 uh.2 of those eight it's 43.2 so it's about 86 a little more or 86.4 Four ounces would be the amount of man that a Omr was. This concludes the Torah reading for the sixth day of parasal.