parsha in pdf - Hevrat Pinto
parsha in pdf - Hevrat Pinto
parsha in pdf - Hevrat Pinto
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The Path To FollowEikeiv504A <strong>Hevrat</strong> P<strong>in</strong>to PublicationAv 20 th , 5773July 27 th , 2013Under the Direction of Rabbi David H. P<strong>in</strong>to Shlitawww.hevratp<strong>in</strong>to.org | hevratp<strong>in</strong>to@aol.comEditor-<strong>in</strong>-Chief: Hanania Soussan32 rue du Plateau 75019 Paris, France • Tel: +331 48 03 53 89 • Fax: +331 42 06 00 33The Manna Awakens Faith <strong>in</strong> Div<strong>in</strong>e ProvidenceWhen the Torah describes the manna that descended for theChildren of Israel, it states: “He afflicted you and let you hunger,then He fed you the manna that you did not know, nor did yourforefathers know, <strong>in</strong> order to make you know that not by breadalone does man live, but from the mouth of Hashem does manlive” (Devarim 8:3).We need to th<strong>in</strong>k about this. The Children of Israel journeyed <strong>in</strong> the desert for40 years, and dur<strong>in</strong>g all that time – every day, morn<strong>in</strong>g after morn<strong>in</strong>g – Hashemsent them the manna, food described as “the bread of the mighty” (Tehillim 78:25).The manna descended at the entrance of their tents, mean<strong>in</strong>g that all they hadto do was to go out and gather what they needed to eat. The manna possessedextraord<strong>in</strong>ary qualities: It was digested entirely by the body, and a person eat<strong>in</strong>git could perceive any flavor that he desired <strong>in</strong> it, as the Gemara tells us: “RabbiAbahu said: Just as the <strong>in</strong>fant f<strong>in</strong>ds very many flavors <strong>in</strong> the breast, likewise Israelfound many flavors <strong>in</strong> the manna as long as they were eat<strong>in</strong>g it” (Yoma 75a). Itwas truly spiritual nourishment.As a result of this spiritual nourishment, the Children of Israel merited, as theSages say, for “the Torah [to] only [be] given to those who eat the manna.” TheBa’al HaTurim po<strong>in</strong>ts out an allusion <strong>in</strong> the verse: “He made them eat the mannato make them understand – this teaches us that when they ate the manna, itgave them discernment. It is said <strong>in</strong> Ezra, ‘You gave them the manna to teachthem.’ This signifies the concept that the Torah was only given to those who eatthe manna.” In fact the manna, s<strong>in</strong>ce it was spiritual food, rendered the Childrenof Israel fit to receive the Torah. Only after eat<strong>in</strong>g it did they became worthy ofreceiv<strong>in</strong>g the Torah.This means that spiritual abundance descended from heaven and took the formof the manna. Spirituality donned physicality, all so that men could be capable ofeat<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong> this world. The Torah was only given to those who ate the manna, forby the constant spiritual abundance that it provided, the manna rendered themfit to receive the Torah.In that case, why does the verse state that the manna was given “<strong>in</strong> order tomake you know that not by bread alone does man live, but from the mouth ofHashem does man live”? Was there no other objective <strong>in</strong> send<strong>in</strong>g them the manna,such as to prepare them for receiv<strong>in</strong>g the Torah, and to give them discernment,as the Ba’al HaTurim says? Furthermore, what is the significance of the Torahbe<strong>in</strong>g given only to those who eat the manna? Have we, who do not eat manna,not received the Torah? Therefore what does it mean that “the Torah was onlygiven to those who eat the manna”?It seems that everyth<strong>in</strong>g results from the same th<strong>in</strong>g. When they left Egypt,the Children of Israel were <strong>in</strong> a difficult spiritual situation, hav<strong>in</strong>g breechedthe 49 gates of impurity. Just a little more, and they would have breached the50th gate. In fact their spiritual situation was so bad that the m<strong>in</strong>ister<strong>in</strong>g angelsasked the Creator of the universe how the Children of Israel differed from theEgyptians, s<strong>in</strong>ce “these are idolaters, and those are idolaters.” However the HolyOne, blessed be He, was aware of and understood their virtues. They were thedescendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which is why He chose them fromRabbi David P<strong>in</strong>to Shlitaamong all the peoples and wanted to give them the Torah. S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>in</strong> their presentcondition – despite hav<strong>in</strong>g witnessed the ten plagues <strong>in</strong> Egypt, and despite thefact that they saw the sea split, experienced prophesy, and sang the song by thesea – they were still not worthy of receiv<strong>in</strong>g the Torah. He therefore led them for40 days, and on each of these days they proceeded from a gate of impurity to agate of purity. Hence they worked to strengthen the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of Judaism with<strong>in</strong>themselves, the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of Torah. It was only after 49 days, on Sivan 6, that theybecame worthy of receiv<strong>in</strong>g the Torah. Dur<strong>in</strong>g that time, the Holy One, blessedbe He, sent them an additional gift that would make them fit to receive the Torah,namely the manna. The manna prepared the Children of Israel by <strong>in</strong>fus<strong>in</strong>g themwith faith <strong>in</strong> the Creator of the universe. By eat<strong>in</strong>g the manna day after day, theChildren of Israel filled themselves with the knowledge that “not by bread alonedoes man live.” That is, we are not our own masters <strong>in</strong> this world, def<strong>in</strong>itely not,for there exists a Creator, One Who directs all there is. Everyone benefits from<strong>in</strong>dividual providence – “from the mouth of Hashem does man live” – and no onelifts a f<strong>in</strong>ger on earth without cause. Everyth<strong>in</strong>g results from the extraord<strong>in</strong>aryprovidence of the Creator of the universe. This is what the Holy One, blessedbe He, <strong>in</strong>fused <strong>in</strong>to the Children of Israel by means of the manna, the bread ofheaven, the bread of the mighty, which by its very nature contradicts all the lawsof nature. That is, how could someth<strong>in</strong>g physical be completely absorbed by thehuman body, be<strong>in</strong>g here one m<strong>in</strong>ute and gone the next? How could it changetaste accord<strong>in</strong>g to a person’s thoughts? If it were physical, it had to be limitedto a s<strong>in</strong>gle taste, and if it were spiritual, how could it possess size and shape?This occurred solely because the physical is also spiritual by nature, solelybecause the Holy One, blessed be He, directs the world and is the One Whogives life to all His creatures. He is the One Who, <strong>in</strong> His goodness, renews eachday, cont<strong>in</strong>uously, the work of Creation.The Creator of the universe <strong>in</strong>fused this understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the Children ofIsrael, which is precisely why the Torah was given to those who recognized thistruth. This was the special understand<strong>in</strong>g that was given to them by hav<strong>in</strong>g eatenthe manna, for if a person realizes that his entire life depends on G-d’s will – if hebelieves with complete faith that the Creator watches over all of His creations,and that everyth<strong>in</strong>g happens accord<strong>in</strong>g to His will – he will then realize that if G-dso desires, he will live, and otherwise…. With that understand<strong>in</strong>g, a person willcerta<strong>in</strong>ly do the Creator’s will as he should, so that He may grant him life. Hencethis understand<strong>in</strong>g preceded the giv<strong>in</strong>g of the Torah, tak<strong>in</strong>g place <strong>in</strong> a way that wasconducive to complete obedience to the Creator of the universe. Furthermore, thepo<strong>in</strong>t is not that the Torah does not belong to us – to us and to our descendants– just because we did not merit eat<strong>in</strong>g the manna. Rather, it is that the giv<strong>in</strong>g ofthe Torah must only come after this <strong>in</strong>credible realization, a realization that wasthe privilege of those who ate the manna, namely that “from the mouth of Hashemdoes man live.” In fact man’s task is to carry out the Creator’s will, for He is theOne Who governs the world. Thus a person who acknowledges everyth<strong>in</strong>g thatwe have said will stand at the same level as those who ate the manna, and asa result he is worthy of receiv<strong>in</strong>g the Torah and study<strong>in</strong>g it. As the Sages havesaid, a person must acquire the fear of G-d before learn<strong>in</strong>g Torah, for “the fearof Hashem is the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of wisdom” (Mishlei 1:7).