Parshah Messages
Rationed Food for the Soul

This is the thing that the L‑rd has commanded: Gather of [the Manna] each one according to his eating capacity, an "omer" for each person, according to the number of persons, each one for those in his tent you shall take. – Exodus 16:16

The story of the Manna seemingly reveals G‑d's "Politically Correct" side. Every Jew, man and woman, senior citizen and small child, large and small, received the exact same portion of Manna—exactly one omer [an ancient measure] of the heavenly food.

One need not consult a nutritionist to realize that different people have different dietary needs based on their age, body mass, gender, metabolism, etc. Is distributing equal food portions G‑d's way of demonstrating the importance of absolute equality amongst all humanity -- even at the expense of common sense? Or is there a deeper significance to the strict rationing of the Manna?

Judaism is actually a strong proponent of different roles for different people. G‑d did not create everyone equally; instead He created many types of people, each group perfectly suited for performing its G‑dly mission on this world. However, there is a powerful common factor which all Jews share—a Divine soul. While this soul expresses itself differently in different people, the divine core of every Jew's soul is identical. Thus, those traits which emanate from the very essence of the Jewish soul are exactly alike in every member of the Jewish nation. The Manna represented one of these core soul-qualities – faith and unconditional trust in G‑d – and therefore was evenly allocated to every Jew, regardless of his/her physical nutritional needs.

Is there a deeper significance to the strict rationing of the Manna?Our sages explain that besides the obvious benefits of having a "free lunch" for forty years, the Manna also presented the Jews with a daily opportunity to hone their faith "skills". Putting the leftovers of the Manna casserole into the freezer for another night was not allowed. Every night found the Israelites staring into a bare refrigerator and pantry; and out the window lay a great expanses of barren, foodless, desert sand. Their only source of hope was their faith in the A-lmighty's kindness, confidence that G‑d would once again send sustenance from Heaven.

For forty years, the Jews' shopping list consisted of… faith in G‑d. Their 401k plan was… faith in G‑d. Their insurance was… faith in G‑d.

For forty years, the faith-characteristic of the soul was exercised and polished every day. The Jewish soul always possessed this faith – it is a basic element of the Divine soul – but the "Manna Experience" brought this quality front and center. This faith was then passed on to all future generations, providing them – us – with the ability to trust in G‑d no matter how empty the food cupboard or bank account may be.