Exodus 16 The First Snow Globe

“Moses said, ‘This is what God has commanded: Let one omer of it be kept throughout the ages, in order that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.’ וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מִמֶּנּוּ לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ אֶת־הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר הִאֲכַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּהוֹצִיאִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a jar, put one omer of manna in it, and place it before God, to be kept throughout the ages.’” (32-33) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן קַח צִנְצֶנֶת אַחַת וְתֵן־שָׁם מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מָן וְהַנַּח אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי ה׳ לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם׃Why does God command Moshe to save Mann? Malbim explains that this was a sign for future generations that God sustains those who study Torah. Rashi gives a more specific answer. He explains that the Mann was saved so that the prophet Jeremiah could show the jar when the people complained about following God and being able to earn a living.“Behold the word of the LORD! Have I been like a desert to Israel, Or like a land of deep gloom? Then why do My people say, ‘We have broken loose, We will not come to You any more?’” (Jeremiah 2:32) הֲמִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִם־אֶרֶץ מַאְפֵלְיָה מַדּוּעַ אָמְרוּ עַמִּי רָדְנוּ לֹא נָבוֹא עוֹד אֵלֶיךָ׃The problem with these answers is twofold. The first is that right now the Israelites are simply in the desert and hungry. The second is that God specifically mentions “in order that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.” The saving of the Mann is specifically linked to the exodus. If we look at this chapter, the Mann is not a one-sided miracle. The people complained about their lack of food, and God delivered. However, the people needed to do something as well. The Mann had specific rules. They could only gather what they needed. They could not gather it on Shabbat. They had to gather a double portion on Friday. This is not a free ride, unlike the Quail. The difference between the two is expressed by Moshe as well.“So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘By evening you shall know it was God who brought you out from the land of Egypt; and in the morning you shall behold the glory of God, because [God] has heard your grumblings against God.’” (6-7) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל־כָּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶרֶב וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־ה׳ הוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ וּבֹקֶר וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־כְּבוֹד ה׳ בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת־תְּלֻנֹּתֵיכֶם עַל־ה׳׃The Quail is similar to the exodus from Egypt. God simply performed a miracle and the people benefited. But the Mann was a miracle that shows the glory of God and the respect the people had for God at this point. The people could not just go and get the Mann, they needed to show they were capable of following rules. While some were not able to do so, most did. This is what God wants the people to remember. They should remember and be proud of the fact that right after they left Egypt, they were able to follow the rules of God and partner with God for their own sustenance.