Hi,

Hope you’re having a great day.

… The Jewish People have left Egypt and will spend forty years in the desert.

There’s an obvious question.

A very Jewish question.

“Where’s the food”?

… The Jews ate manna.  Miraculous food that fell from heaven.  (Exodus: 16)

The claims of miracles in the Torah are unique.

Because they happen in front of the whole nation.

And that makes it very hard to make them up.

(That’s why other religions do it differently.  “It’s a shame you were gone.

Boy.  Did you miss a miracle”!)

And the manna may be the most amazing miracle of all.

It wasn’t a onetime event.  It happened every day.  Day after day.

Witnessed by the entire nation!

… In Jewish tradition we have grace after meals.  Birchat Hamazon.

It’s said after a meal that includes bread.

Many of us may know how to sing the first blessing.  “Hazzan…

Where did that blessing come from?

The Talmud says it was the blessing the Jews said after eating the manna.

An interesting historical nugget.  But it seems a little strange!

After all.  The manna was a miracle.  It deserved a very special blessing.

Why would we say the same blessing on our ordinary bread?

Seems like overkill!

… It’s a very important lesson.

That there’s no such thing as ordinary bread.

Our bread is as much a miracle as the manna.

The only difference?

We got used to bread! 

… Blessings on food are to thank G-d for the food we enjoy.

It’s also to get us to look at the world as if it’s the first time. To appreciate the miracle.

And to say, “Wow”!

All the best,