Manna, The

We read in Exodus 16:15 that the heavenly bread fell, and “when the children of Israel saw [it], they said to one another, ‘It is manna,’ because they did not know what it was.” But what does “manna” mean?

When life runs smoothly without complications, we tend to take things for granted and expect things to continue sailing along. Unfortunately, for most of us, it is only when the arrows of misfortune strike that we wake up...

if G‑d wanted to miraculously ensure our survival in a desert, He needn’t have invented manna. He could have reduced our dependency on food. No appetite, no hunger, no problem . . .

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?

Manna, money, and Shabbat

We might be at home, or in the synagogue. We might be praying in Hebrew, or in another language. What are we trying to do when we pray?

The manna is to Jewish history what Shabbat is to the workday week: a precedent

I remember when we received my diagnosis of ALS; it felt like our whole world was falling apart. My wife, Dina, shared with me advice she received from a friend: At times like this, let go and allow G‑d to take over. It was the best advice. G‑d sent His b...

What does it mean to let go of the illusion of control—and to learn what it means to have enough. In this episode of Torah in Seven, we look at the slow work of cultivating trust rather than control.

G‑d can give us a family, a car, a house and a job, and I may not enjoy any of it. Why? Because no matter how good it is now, the shakiness of what about tomorrow steals the show and scares me.