In this week’s reading the Torah relates about the Man (Manna). It contained in itself two opposite qualities: the highest level of richness and a terrible poorness.
One of the subjects in this week’s reading is about the מָן (man), the bread that came down from heaven. The blessing that people recited before eating this, which actually resembled small white balls, was that G-d gives us bread from heaven. Indeed, this bread literally descended from the heavens.
This bread from heaven, however, presents two contradictory aspects. On the one hand, it symbolized immense wealth. Our sages explain that it did not only come down as small white balls to eat, but it also descended with pearls, precious stones, and great wealth. Additionally, it could assume any taste a person desired. If someone wished to taste chicken, the מָן (man) tasted like chicken; if someone craved chocolate, it tasted like chocolate. Although I’m unsure whether chocolate even existed in that time and place, the מָן (man) could take on any flavor one desired. It was always sufficient, and it truly satisfied hunger, symbolizing the greatest wealth.
On the other hand, it also represented the greatest poverty, as it provided sustenance only for the day. There was no leftover for the next day; people had to wait for it to fall again from heaven the following day. Although the taste could be anything desired, the reality was that one only saw small white balls. Our sages noted that seeing what you eat is not the same as merely tasting it.
Thus, the מָן (man) embodied both the greatest richness and the greatest poverty simultaneously. This reflects the high spiritual origin of the מָן (man), a place capable of containing these two contradictory elements.
What does this teach us? There are two types of tests in life: the test of wealth and the test of poverty. The test of wealth might lead someone to think that their success is due to their own intelligence and ability—“My strength, the power of my hand, has produced this great wealth for me.” The מָן (man), however, reminds us that wealth comes from heaven; it is not purely a result of our own efforts.
On the other hand, the test of poverty might cause a person to think that the difficulties in their life come from G-d, blaming G-d for their hardships. But the truth is that we could not fully experience the greatness of the מָן (man), not because it lacked spiritual value, but because we were unable to integrate its infinite greatness into our lives. This led to doubts about whether it would fall again tomorrow and fears about what would happen if it didn’t.
The test of poverty teaches us not to think that our difficulties are caused by G-d. Everything that comes from G-d is good; there is no evil that comes from heaven. As the prophet says, “No evil descends from heaven,” but we might not always be able to recognize or understand this goodness, which is why we experience it as poverty. These two tests—wealth and poverty—are encapsulated in the same object, the מָן (man) itself.
This teaches us that whatever situation you are living through—whether it is great שמחה (simcha), joy, or deep poverty and hardship—you should know that this is a message from G-d, testing you and giving you the opportunity to reconnect with Him. In times of wealth and joy, don’t forget that it comes from G-d. And in times of poverty and difficulty, remember that it is your task to recognize that everything from G-d is good, and there is no evil that comes from heaven.
Parshat Talk from Rabbi Tuvia Serber
Source:
Based on a teaching of the Rebbe, Likutey Sichot vol. 4, parashat Ekev
The above is the a representation of the spoken text converted to written text.
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