S.A.L.T. - Tuesday
When God informs Moshe that Benei Yisrael will receive the daily ration of manna every morning, He also tells him of the purpose behind this method of feeding the people: "… that I may thus test them, to see whether they will follow My Torah or not" (16:4). In what way did the manna test Benei Yisrael? Rashi explains that God issued to Benei Yisrael two instructions regarding the manna. First, they were not to leave any for the next day (16:19), but rather trust that God will provide manna the following morning. Secondly, they were forbidden from leaving the camp to search for manna on Shabbat (16:25-27). It was to these two commandments that God referred when He described the "test" of the manna.
Why would specifically these two mitzvot reflect Benei Yisrael's overall obedience to the Almighty? How could He determine "whether they will follow My Torah" simply on the basis of their observance or neglect of these two commands?
An interesting answer is suggested by Rav Barukh Yitzchak Yissakhar Leventhal, in his "Birkat Yitzchak." In a certain sense, these two commands ran in direct opposition to one another. As mentioned, Benei Yisrael were not to save any manna for the following day in order to demonstrate their trust in the Almighty's ability to provide tomorrow's needs. By consuming all they received that day, they expressed their confidence in the manna's miraculous descent when they arose the next morning. On Shabbat, however, the opposite occurred. Moshe specifically instructed them to prepare a portion of manna on Friday for Shabbat (as we discussed earlier this week), and they were not to even show any curiosity as to whether manna fell on Shabbat morning. They were to believe absolutely that no manna would fall on Shabbat - the precise opposite attitude that was to guide their behavior during the week.
Herein, Rav Leventhal suggests, lies the particular significance of these two commandments. We demonstrate our commitment to mitzvot by observing even those commandments that appear to contradict one another. Chazal give several examples of this phenomenon. For instance, the Torah forbids wearing sha'atnez - clothing woven from wool and linen, but requires doing so when wearing tzitzit (with the authentic tekhelet) or when a kohen dons his priestly garments. Observance of seemingly contradictory laws serves as the clearest expression of obedience to the word of God. Therefore, God tested Benei Yisrael by issuing these two prohibitions - that during the week they could not leave manna for the next day, whereas on Shabbat they were prohibited from going out to search for manna.
In a cryptic passage, the Seforno (on this verse) alludes to an entirely different approach to this "test." Remaining loyal to the Almighty even when receiving one's sustenance effortlessly is, indeed, a formidable challenge. Man has a tendency to think of God and commit himself to His law specifically during times of crisis and uncertainty. The manna, Benei Yisrael's consistent and reliable source of sustenance throughout their sojourn in the wilderness, tested them to see if they would remain loyal to God even when they received their daily rations every morning without any effort.
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