Parshat Beshalach 5782
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha about Keriyas Yam Suf, the completion of the process of Yetzias Mitzrayim. But after Bnei Yisrael totally leave the clutches of the Egyptians, and before they receive the Torah in next week’s parsha, there is an interim period. And it is precisely during this in-between period that Bnei Yisrael receive the Mahn. Why was it appropriate for the Mahn to be given to Bnei Yisrael precisely during this time frame of after Yetzias Mitzrayim, yet before they received the Torah.
The Meshech Chachmah learns from here an important lesson about Hashem’s Providence and efforts on our behalf. One might think that the only one who can rely on Hashem is the one fully immersed in Torah and Mitzvos. And before he reaches that stage he should fear for his life and for his sustenance. Therefore, Hashem gave the Mahn to Bnei Yisrael before Matan Torah. He is teaching us an important lesson. Even prior to performing the mitzvos, He will protect those who express a desire and an interest in following His way. After leaving Mitzrayim and experiencing the level of faith they did, ויאמינו בד' ובמשה עבדו, and even experiencing prophecy, ראתה שפחה על היום מה שלא ראה הנביא יחזקאל, they were certainly ready and willing to receive the Torah. And this preparedness was sufficient for them to merit the Mahn and merit in physical and spiritual protection from Hashem.
The Sfas Emes also focuses on the timing of the Mahn and he stresses how the Mahn was a necessary step in being able to receive the Torah. The Mechilta on our parsha teaches, לא ניתנה תורה אלא לאוכלי המן. The Torah was only given to those who eat from the Mahn. Eating the Mahn, which the Gemara in Yoma 75B refers to as the food eaten by the angels, was essential in purifying the bodies of Clal Yisrael in order to allow them to receive the Torah. When we read the Haggadah at Leil HaSeder, we count the wonderful gifts we received from Hashem, כמה מעלות טובות למקום עלינו, and one of the blessings we count is receiving the Mahn which is on the list prior to receiving the Torah. In order to reach the level of being able to receive the Torah, we had to first receive the Mahn.
On a deeper level, He explains that when Moshe Rabbeinu took Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, there was a significant change in the world. The Tikunei Zohar teaches that the world reverted back to the situation of before the sin of Adam Harishon. And just as Hashem placed Adam in Gan Eden as a preparation for serving Him, now after Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael received the Mahn from Gan Eden as a preparation for receiving the Torah. This is referenced in the words which describe the Mahn as (Chapter 16, Pasuk 31) כזרע גד לבן. The Gematria of the first letters of these words, the Rashei Teivos, is 53, which is the Gematria of Gan. And the last letter of each of these words, the Sofei Teivos, spells the word Eden. This is hinting at the fact that the Mahn itself was sustenance from Gan Eden and necessary to receive the Torah.
Another significant event which took place at this juncture between Yetzias Mitzrayim and Matan Torah was receiving the mitzvah of Shabbos. Chazal say it is referenced in the words (Chapter 15, Pasuk 25), שם שם לו חוק ומשפט, and it is also explicitly commanded when the Mahn is given. This is also because of a return to Gan Eden and before the sin of Adam Harishon. When Adam was placed in Gan Eden, the pasuk says (Bereishis, Chapter 2, Pasuk 15), ויניחהו בגן, and the Medrash Rabbah (16, 4) teaches that we learn from here that Hashem gave Adam the mitzvah of Shabbos, just as the pasuk says in next week’s parsha, (Chapter 20, Pasuk 10), וינח ביום השביעי.
This was the same Shabbos Bnei Yisrael received in our parsha. The Gemara in Shabbos 118A refers to the Shabbos in our parsha as שבת ראשונה, the first Shabbos they were commanded. The Sfas Emes teaches, this is because it paralleled the first Shabbos in history,שבת ראשונה , given to Adam Harishon. And the Zohar Hakadosh teaches that every Shabbos we receive a נשמה יתירה directly from Gan Eden. This is why the mitzvah of Shabbos was commanded precisely after Yetzias Mitzrayim, when Bnei Yisrael were now gearing up to receive the Torah and were now connecting back to the holiness of Gan Eden. And this why both the Mahn and Shabbos were now able to be experienced by Clal Yisrael and provide the necessary prerequisites for receiving the Torah.
Good Shabbos
Print this article