בס "ד

Integrar la Torá en la propia vida a través de la reflexión y la conversación puede ser una experiencia increíblemente divertida y atractiva. Es un viaje de descubrimiento, en el que la sabiduría ancestral y las enseñanzas intemporales cobran vida en nuestras experiencias cotidianas. A través de la reflexión, tenemos la oportunidad de sumergirnos en el rico tapiz de la Torá, extrayendo profundas ideas y lecciones que resuenan en nuestras vidas modernas. La alegría reside en los momentos "ajá", aquellos en los que un versículo o una historia de la Torá conectan de repente con nuestros retos, aspiraciones y valores personales. Y cuando participamos en conversaciones sobre la Torá con otras personas, se convierte en una exploración interactiva, en la que diversas perspectivas e interpretaciones mejoran nuestra comprensión. Estos diálogos a menudo despiertan el entusiasmo y la curiosidad intelectual, haciendo que el proceso de aprendizaje sea agradable y satisfactorio. La Torá se convierte en una parte vibrante y dinámica de nuestras vidas, que nos ofrece no sólo orientación, sino también una fuente inagotable de fascinación, conexión y crecimiento.

NOTA: No te sientas obligado a consultar todas las fuentes ni a responder a todas las preguntas, a menos que quieras hacerlo. Incluso una sola fuente o una sola pregunta te dará mucho material para debatir y meditar. Disfrútalo.

Some thoughts about Parshat Beshalach

When the Israelites entered the wilderness, they encountered a radical new experience of sustenance:

“Behold, I will rain down bread for you from heaven, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion each day, in order that I may test them—whether they will walk in My teaching or not.” (Exodus 16:4)

At first glance, this seems to contradict an earlier decree spoken to humanity as a whole:

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread.” (Genesis 3:19)

Is bread a gift from Heaven, or the product of human labor? Does sustenance come from effort, or from G-d?

The Torah’s answer is: both, but not at the same time, and not in the same way.

The manna was not meant to abolish work. It was meant to reframe it. In the wilderness, bread fell from heaven, but it did not fall in excess. Each person gathered only what was needed for that day, no hoarding, no stockpiling, no anxiety-driven accumulation. Those who tried to store it discovered that it spoiled. Sustenance was guaranteed, but control was not.

This was the test.

Not a test of obedience in the narrow sense, but a test of trust. Could a human being live without illusion, without pretending that tomorrow is secured by today’s excess? Could people learn that effort is required, but mastery is not theirs?

The manna did not erase the decree of “by the sweat of your brow.” The people still had to rise, go out, gather, and prepare. But the manna stripped labor of its false theology—the belief that survival depends entirely on human force, planning, or domination. Labor was restored to its proper place: a vessel, not a source.

King David later articulated this balance in a universal language:

“The eyes of all look to You with hope, and You give them their food at the proper time.” (Psalms 145:15)

“All”—not Israel alone. Humanity as a whole.

This verse does not deny effort. It denies autonomy. Fields, markets, skills, and systems matter, but they are not ultimate. The timing, sufficiency, and continuation of life are not in human hands. Even when bread comes through sweat, it is still given.

For Noahides, this teaching is foundational. It affirms a world in which human responsibility and Divine providence coexist. We are required to act, build, plant, trade, and work, but not to deify productivity, wealth, or control. Anxiety about tomorrow is often rooted in a quiet form of idolatry: the belief that if we do not secure everything, nothing will be secure.

The manna teaches another way. A disciplined way. A humane way.

Take what you need. Do your part. Trust the Giver.

Ahora, reflexiona sobre las siguientes preguntas:

  1. Why do you think the manna was given daily, rather than weekly or in abundance?
  2. How does the idea of “by the sweat of your brow” change when sustenance is still described as a gift?
  3. In what ways does modern life encourage hoarding, anxiety, or the illusion of total control?
  4. What would it look like to work diligently while still recognizing limits to human mastery?
  5. How might trust in Divine provision reshape the way we think about wealth, success, and security?

¡Shabbat Shalom!

Por el rabino Tani Burton

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