Likkutei Sichos vol. 4 Beha’alotecha
A. The Manna
The Jewish people in the desert were privileged to receive the manna, food that descended from heaven (Source 1). Its taste would change according to the desire of the person eating it, and each individual experienced whatever flavor he wished (Source 2).
For the righteous, the manna fell ready for use at the entrance to their homes. For the average individuals, it fell outside the camp and required a small amount of preparation. The wicked, however, were forced to travel a considerable distance to gather it and had to exert greater effort in preparing it (Source 3).
Did they recite a blessing before eating it? Opinions differ. Some maintain that no blessing was recited, since it did not grow from the earth. Others state that each person recited the blessing appropriate to the taste he experienced. A third opinion is that they recited a unique blessing: “Who brings forth bread from heaven” (Sources 4–5).
The manna represents bread that comes without labor and without waste, unlike bread from the earth, which requires effort and contains waste. It brought about spiritual refinement among the Jewish people, making them more worthy of receiving the Torah. Although the wicked among them did not immediately repent, the manna certainly influenced them for the better, and the very act of eating it formed part of their process of refinement.
B. Shabbat and the Portion of the Manna
Our Sages teach that when a person is traveling and does not know which Torah portion to read on Shabbat, he should read the portion of the manna, because it was stated on Shabbat (Source 6).
The Rebbe asks: Other sections of the Torah were also stated on Shabbat, including the Ten Commandments. Why, then, was the portion of the manna specifically chosen?
The explanation is that the uniqueness of the manna is that its special quality remained intact even when it descended to the wicked. This parallels the nature of Shabbat, which exerts its influence upon all of creation, including the wicked.
This idea is reflected in the halachic ruling that a person who is generally not trusted regarding tithes is nevertheless believed when he says on Shabbat that he tithed his produce, because the awe of Shabbat rests upon him and he will not lie (Source 7).
This is because the light of Shabbat permeates all of reality, to the extent that even a wicked person is affected by it—not necessarily because he has repented, but because the holiness of Shabbat itself exerts an influence upon him.
C. “Earthly Torah” and “Heavenly Torah”
The revealed dimension of Torah resembles bread from the earth because it involves effort, questions, and differing opinions. By contrast, the inner dimension of Torah resembles bread from heaven—a Torah of light and clarity, free from questions and disputes.
However, one should not think that the inner dimension of Torah is reserved only for a select few. Just as the manna was given to all the Jewish people, including the wicked, and even brought about their refinement, so too the inner dimension of Torah has the power to influence every Jew and draw him closer to repentance.
Therefore, no one should be prevented from studying the inner dimension of Torah. On the contrary, every Jew should be brought closer to this “bread from heaven.”
