As the Jews begin their travels through the desert, God causes manna (food) to fall down from the heavens. In the words of the Torah, “Behold, I will rain down on you bread from heaven, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day that I may test them whether they will walk in my law or not.” (Exodus 16:4) One wonders: what test did the manna involve?

Ramban writes that it was a trial for them not to have food of their own. Indeed, the manna was the only alternative and was a food heretofore unknown.

For Ramban, although the manna provided daily food to satisfy the needs of the Jewish people, it did involve an element of emotional trauma. Notwithstanding that the Jews had never seen this kind of food before, they were expected to depend only upon the manna for sustenance. Additionally, the Jews were not permitted to store any food away. They could only gather what they required on any particular day. (Exodus 16:19) These elements caused psychological pressure in the hearts of the Jewish people and made the manna a true test.

Hizkuni sees it differently. He argues that since manna required no preparation, the Jewish people will have leisure time enough for everything.

For Hizkuni, the test of manna had nothing to do with psychological trauma. Bearing in mind that the Jews would effortlessly obtain their food, they were left with little challenge to sustain their families. The test that the Torah speaks of is how would they choose to use their leisure time—would it be squandered away, or would it be used wisely?

All too often, we believe that life’s tests involve suffering – how we overcome difficult challenges. Hizkuni presents another of life’s tests. At times, we are tested precisely when things go well. When we succeed, will we properly acknowledge it as a gift from God? When we have time on our hands, will we seek to intensify our commitment to God by studying Torah and doing more to fix the world?

This, in fact, is the force of Moshe’s words at the end of his life, “And Jeshurun (Israel) waxed fat, and kicked.”(Deuteronomy 32:15) In other words, when we have everything, when things are going very well, we often kick and forget God, who is the cause of all our successes.

Thus, the manna was a test. Not because it caused us to suffer, but because it made life easy. In contemporary times, when the Jewish people are living in relative prosperity, will we remember that it’s precisely now, with manna falling from heaven, that we face a most challenging test?

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Avi Weiss