Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
After freeing Benei Yisrael from Egypt, God provides them with miraculous food called מָן (mann). But the language that God uses to introduce it to them is surprising:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם
לֶ֖חֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ
לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתוֹרָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃
And God said to Moshe, “I will rain down bread for you from the sky, and the people will go out and gather each day that day’s portion—so that I may test them, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not.
What does it mean that the mann was a test? Here are two different answers. See if you can find support for each in the parashah.
אִם יִשְׁמְרוּ מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יוֹתִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא יֵצְאוּ בַּשַּׁבָּת לִלְקֹט:
The test was to see whether they would observe the mitzvot associated with the mann: that they should not leave any mann overnight, and that they should not go out on Shabbat to collect it.
מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם עֵינֵיהֶם תְּלוּיוֹת לִמְזוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם אֵלַי,
מִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יַאֲמִינוּ בִּי וְיֵלְכוּ בְּתוֹרָתִי.
Since every day their eyes will be turned to Me for food. As a result, they will trust Me and follow My laws.
Rashi looks closely at nearby pesukim to figure out what the test is. In the very next pasuk, God outlines the rules specific to mann. Rashi concludes that Benei Yisrael are being tested to see if they follow the rules.
Rashbam (Rashi’s grandson) considers Benei Yisrael’s behavior throughout the parashah. They are emotionally all over the place! Sometimes, they sing praise to God; other times, though, they express tremendous doubt about God, and even say that they miss slavery (Shemot 16:3). These are people who need to learn to trust that God will take care of them. Rashbam explains the mann “test” as a learning experience, one designed to help Benei Yisrael trust and obey God.
- Which interpretation do you find to be stronger? Do you have other ideas of what the test could be in this pasuk?
- What do you think? Can tests ever be things we learn from (and not just things that prove what we already know)?
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