Parshah Messages
When Manna Wasn't Good Enough

The Children of Israel began to cry, and they said, "Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic… But now, our bodies are dried out, for there is nothing at all; we have nothing but manna to look at!" (Numbers 11:4-6)

Besides its abundance, accessibility, and the absence of a price tag, the manna was the perfect food. Nutritionally, it contained zero waste or excess. It was 100% absorbed by the body, and those who subsisted on a strict manna diet actually had no need to relieve themselves! Spiritually, the manna was "matterized" divine light, the same diet which the supernal angels consume. According to the Talmud, the manna's spiritual qualities had a profound effect on its eaters, and the Torah "could only be given to 'manna eaters'"! To top it all off, according to tradition, the manna miraculously assumed any taste which its eater fancied. Imagine how simple it was to prepare a meal for a family. "Mommy, what's for dinner tonight?" "Anything you wish, dear," would be the convenient reply…

An inborn nature must find an outlet in a person’s lifeYet, incredibly, the Israelites found reason to grumble: 1) They wanted free real meat (…without depleting their own herds in order to satisfy their craving). 2) The "cost" of the manna was prohibitive. (FYI, the cost = observance of the mitzvot.) 3) The manna "refused" to assume the taste of several vegetables (…whose taste was harmful for nursing infants).

Their lack of gratitude and the extent of their greed are unfathomable. Or are they?

It is human nature never to be satisfied with one's current possessions and achievements. The Mishna declares that "one who has 100 desires 200." Upon attaining 200, the person will crave 400—and this continues ad infinitum (or, perhaps, ad nauseam?...). G‑d imbued us with this nature for good reason: its purpose is to constantly impel a person forward in his spiritual quest, not allowing him to be content with spiritual heights scaled yesterday. This nature is also the spark which continuously drives scientists to unearth new discoveries and inventors to originate new inventions—which greatly improve our quality of life—leaving us with added time and energy to devote to serving G‑d.

This inborn nature must find an outlet in a person's life. If this quality is not used in pursuit of positive and productive objectives, then it deteriorates into an insatiable and pointless desire for more and more luxury and wealth. Man is blessed with a creative imagination; always capable of conjuring yet another "necessity" without which he absolutely cannot rest.

Resurrect a person who lived one century ago and drop him in any Western nation, and he will be absolutely convinced that the Messiah has arrived. It is unnecessary to belabor this point—suffice with a little thought about the differences between daily life today and the way our ancestors lived a few short generations ago. This revived person will rightfully thank G‑d for His tremendous kindness, for affording His creatures the means of living lives of tremendous prosperity, ease, and comfort.

…It will probably take no more than three weeks for this person to stop marveling about the miracle of air conditioning—and start complaining about the high energy bills it produces…

Torah only speaks of historical events which have a lesson relevant to all generations. The story of the "Manna Mutiny" has a powerful moral:

Strive for more and better in the areas of character, good deeds, and our relationship with G‑d and our fellows. But always be happy with the material bounty G‑d has granted.