English translation — בשלח ג

A.

In our parshah at the end of "Parshas HaMan"¹

the Torah details²

"And the omer is a tenth of an ephah."

But seemingly not understandable: why does the Torah say the measure of the omer only at the end of Parshas HaMan,

after the Torah relates all the details and matters about the manna until after its <b>end</b> "And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years until they came to an inhabited land"³?

Seemingly the Torah should have said this earlier in the parshah,

when mentioning for the <b>first time</b> the measure of the omer⁴

by the manna⁵.

The Bachya⁶

explains "because the entire parshah explains the matter of the manna, and after he completed the account concerning the manna, he needed to explain now at the end how much the measure is"⁷.

But superficially, the answer requires explanation: why is the &lt;b&gt;measure&lt;/b&gt; of the omer a &lt;b&gt;special&lt;/b&gt; thing,

not a detail of "the essence of the manna" and "the narrative of the affairs of the manna"?

If with "a tenth of an ephah" the verse is only to inform of the

Measure

(the exact)

of the "omer" about which it stands earlier in the verse and one does not know its measure&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;

— is because of that very reason the measure should have stood earlier in the verses&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;.

Because the quantity of the measure is not a &lt;b&gt;side&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;matter&lt;/b&gt;,

but pertains to the content of the understanding of the matter&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;

The descent of the manna came as an answer to "the complaints of the children of Israel"&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

that "you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly &lt;b&gt;with hunger&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;,

to which the Most High said&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

"I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel etc." and further the Torah continues&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;

: "This is the thing which the Lord commanded: gather from it each man according to his eating, an omer per head, according to the number of your souls..

And they measured with an omer, and he who gathered much did not have more, and he who gathered little did not lack; each man according to his eating they gathered."

— is indeed relevant,

in the content of these verses,

to know how much is the measure of "according to his eating, an omer per head" because of the eating "to satiety"¹⁴

of that day,

and in a manner

that more than this was not necessary¹⁵

and therefore "the one who gathered much did not have more",

and less than this was not sufficient¹⁶

and consequently "the one who gathered little did not lack".

From this itself&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;

is seemingly understood,

that the verse "And the omer is a tenth of an ephah" is here not

(only)

to make known the measure of the omer per person

(which is said in the parshah earlier),

but with this measure his intention is to add <b>another</b> matter in connection to the manna,

which the matter is not connected specifically to "the parshah of the manna"&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;

and its descent during the forty years in the desert,

but it pertains also after

(as the verse lets know about)

its

end "And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years until they came to an inhabited land etc. to the edge of the land of Canaan"&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;.

B.

One will understand this with the introduction of a matter requiring explanation in that the verse says "Gather from it each man according to his eating, an omer per head, number of your souls" — that for <b>each</b> one they gathered together one omer²⁰.

In the nature of human beings there are differences — and especially between small and great — regarding the quantity of food that brings satiety; how can there be the same measure both for a small infant and for an adult²¹,

and especially for one whose body measure is larger²²

than among other adults²³?

And although the entirety of the descent of the manna,

with all the details thereof,

was a matter of miracle²⁴,

And likewise regarding his eating: "they find in it several tastes",

"it changes into several tastes"²⁵,

there was no waste in it²⁶,

A.

Z.

V.

Because of which it is not wondrous,

that the same measure should nourish each one according to his need²⁷

One finds however not

(explicitly),

that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, should emphasize that this was one of the miracles that are in the manna,

in the manner that the Gemara says this regarding several matters that are in the manna,

also regarding the matters that are explicit in the verse

(as Rashi²⁸

says regarding "the one who increased" and "the one who decreased" — that by both remained the same "omer per skull" — "and this is a <b>great miracle</b> that was done in it").

One must say that this

(That an omer was sufficient both for the smallest and for the largest)

is not a miracle

(And additionally)

in the manna,

but this is connected with the definition of "manna",

from the side of the "nature" of the manna.

3.

The explanation of this:

The sugya of the Gemara

(in Masekhet Yoma)

Regarding the mann²⁹

comes in the middle of the topics and halakhot about the affliction of Yom Kippur³⁰.

One finds there in the Gemara by the measure of eating

of Yom Kippur a matter that is similar to the aforementioned novelty by the mann:

The measure of obligation regarding eating on Yom Kippur is "like a date"&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;,

and the Gemara&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;

gives the reason "the Rabbis hold that with this

(a date)

his mind is settled; less than this his mind is not settled; however, for all ordinary people it is a lot, and for Og king of Bashan it is a little."

What is seemingly perplexing: what is the logic of this answer?

One can again ask: if the measure of "like a date" is "his mind is settled" for Og king of Bashan,

then it must follow that because of "his mind is settled" for ordinary people, a smaller measure than a date should suffice; and if for all ordinary people a date settles their minds — how can it be that the same measure should effect the "his mind is settled" of Og king of Bashan?

From this itself it is proven,

that the measure of a koseves which is "mitvasa da'atei" is a measure which is not measured by the size of the body.

As the Rogatchover&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

elaborates in many laws,

starting from the general dispute between R. Elchanan and Reish Lakish&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

regarding half a measure whether it is forbidden from the Torah

— so this is a dispute in the general category of the measure of the prohibition:

according to the opinion of Rabbi Yosi that half a measure is prohibited from the Torah, it means that the measure that the Torah prohibited is a "combined measure" — it consists of parts which are combined together until a whole measure,

and consequently, also on less than a full measure, "its name

(of the prohibition)

is upon it"&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;

(it is only that the &lt;b&gt;punishment&lt;/b&gt; for the prohibition applies only when there is the combination of the whole measure)

But G-d forbid, he holds that the measure of the prohibition is an "intrinsic measure",

and therefore, when there is less than the measure, it is "nothing at all"³⁵,

upon it, in general, the category of prohibition that the Torah prohibited³⁶ does not apply at all].

D.

The explanation in this: In the vitality of the soul in the body there are

(in general)

two things³⁷

a)

The general life-force that enlivens the entire body equally — in this life-force there is no difference between the manner in which it enlivens the head and the manner in which it enlivens the other parts of the body,

by all of them the life-force is in an equal manner.

That is,

That which the person lives — he is a living being — is equal in the entire body.

And just as in the general life-force there are no differences in the same body between the brain in the head and the heel in the foot,

because the general life-force is not measured and limited according to the parts of the body which it enlivens,

so too there is no difference in the general life-force between one body and another body — for each one the soul and general life-force of the soul is in the same manner,

a soul of a small child "has the capacity to enliven the body of Og

(king of Bashan)

b)

particular life-force,

which is measured according to the nature of the body and according to each part in the body — in each limb and part of the body the life-force is in accordance with the nature and temperament of that part and limb.

In the head,

which is a more refined part,

the life-force

(particular)

in it shines more than in other parts and so on in every limb and limb according to its nature³⁹.

And in this life-force there are also differences between one body and another body.

The &lt;b&gt;connection&lt;/b&gt; of the soul and the animal soul with the body is brought about through eating,

as known — there are also in this two manners

(— measures of)

eating:

A)

The measure of eating which is connected with the general connection of the soul in the body,

with the general vitality,

which brings about that the body should be a "living being".

And as soon as the matter

(that which the body

is a living)

is not composed of "details",

it is understood⁴⁰,

that the eating which does the connection,

does not consist of a <b>combination</b> of details but it is an intrinsic measure⁴¹,

and consequently in <b>that</b> measure of eating there is no difference between one body and another.

and this is the measure of a kezayit (size of an olive) which "the rabbis have established that with this the mind is settled"

(opposite of <b>affliction</b>)

of each one in "the entire world",

also of "Og king of Bashan".

This is an intrinsic measure,

just as the vitality of the soul,

the general vitality in the body does not "divide"⁴².

b)

the measure of eating which is connected with the particular vitality that is measured according to the vessel of his body

(and according to its details),

in a manner — that the larger the body is,

the larger is the measure of food that is necessary for the particular vitality.

and this is the measure of eating which is a "combined measure",

because <b>that</b> vitality consists of details in each limb and organ,

and consequently it is understood that also the measure of eating which pertains to this vitality is composed of

details,

every detail of this lesson adds to the vitality and it is measured in each one according to the size of the body

(or the part within it)

and in accordance with the vitality of the soul within it and details.

5.

And based on this, it can be explained regarding the "manna":

The difference between the two expressions

(and measures)

that stand by the manna — "omer" and "tenth of an ephah" — is: the expression "tenth of an ephah" emphasizes a measure as it is a &lt;b&gt;part&lt;/b&gt; of a larger measure from it — an ephah

(as Rashi&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;

explains,

an ephah is: three se'ahs etc. thus a tenth of an ephah is 43 eggs and a fifth of an egg&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;)

; but the expression "omer"

(plain)

does not emphasize a measure

(which is composed of details — 43 eggs and a fifth of an egg),

but one "measure".

And this is the reason that in the entire section of the manna the Torah says only "an omer per head",

"and they measured with an omer" and the like,

and only at the conclusion

(— after)

of the section does the verse &lt;b&gt;specify&lt;/b&gt; the &lt;b&gt;measure&lt;/b&gt; "and the omer is a tenth of an ephah" — because in the section it speaks

(mainly)

about a measure of the omer of manna not as it is a composite measure,

but as an intrinsic measure&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;,

which does not divide

(in quality)&lt;sup&gt;46&lt;/sup&gt;,

Because the main aspect of the manna is to effect the connection of the essence of vitality,

of the general vitality with the body

(in the manner of the measure of a kezayit)⁴⁷,

and the novelty and wonder of the manna consisted in this,

that although this was a food that

(also)

effected the connection of particular vitality with the body⁴⁸,

this was nevertheless in a manner,

of and through the connection of the general vitality which is through the essential measure of the omer⁴⁹.

But at the end of the portion the verse says "And the omer is a tenth of an ephah" to add,

that the manna had within it also a definition of "a measure that combines".

And it can be said that this matter is not

(so)

relevant to the essence of the eating of the manna during the forty years,

but

(specifically)

at the end

(—after)

this period,

when they came to an inhabited land

(as below section 8).

6.

It is known⁵⁰,

that the manna was not only a physical food,

to satisfy the hunger of the body and to make it a vessel for the vitality of the soul —

And it can be said that if it is because of this,

the Most High could have shown the same

(or a smaller)

miracle to feed the Jews in the desert by giving them bread from the earth⁵¹

But this was also a spiritual food,

as the Gemara⁵²

says: "Bread of mighty ones did man eat⁵³

— bread that <b>the ministering angels</b> eat."

That

is

that the manna was for the Jews

(not only a nourishment for the physical body but also)

a spiritual nourishment for the soul,

connecting it with its source <b>that enlivens it</b>,

to bring about the

Attachment "and connection" of the soul with the Above⁵⁴.

And just as there are the two differences mentioned above in the vitality of the body from the animal soul,

and in the eating which is connected with the vitality,

as above,

This is also in the vitality of the soul,

from the G-dly soul that comes to Jews,

that there is the point of vitality of the material,

the point of Judaism which exists in every Jew equally⁵⁵,

and the "spreading forth" of vitality,

the revealed powers of the soul,

in which there exist many differences of levels⁵⁶.

And this is the reason that the omer for the skull,

the spiritual food,

was

(primarily)

an intrinsic measure,

which is equal among all Jews⁵⁷

as above)

As is known, the Exodus from Egypt was the time of the birth of the Jewish people⁵⁸

and all those forty years in the wilderness the children of

Israel were, in general, like an infant⁵⁹

whose all needs are provided by his mother

(or — his father)

— so were the Jews in the wilderness,

that the Almighty gave them all their necessities: food,

water,

clothing⁶⁰

etc. — "as a nurse carries an infant"⁶¹.

And just as with an infant,

in the first years after his birth,

the division of vitality and powers into limbs — from the intellect in the head and the emotions in the heart — is not so much discernible in him; rather, with him the general vitality is primarily felt,

which is in the entire body equally; and his nourishment which develops him is the same — he suckles from his mother's breasts and in this prepared food he has all the necessary parts of nourishment

(and all flavors)⁶²

Similarly, it was also in the period

(of the 40 years in the desert)

after the birth of the people of Israel,

that their spiritual nourishment

(through the physical nourishment — manna)

was primarily the intrinsic measure of "an omer per head",

which is connected with the vitality of the essence of the soul,

the essential connection of Jews with the Supreme One,

which is higher than the division of levels among Jews

(the aspect of "head" and the aspect of "foot" etc.)

; and in this same nourishment during forty years in the desert⁶³

they would "find

In it⁶⁴

several reasons”⁶⁵.

7.

Accordingly, it is possible to explain also other details that are found regarding the manna:

"And they measured with an omer, and the one who gathered much did not have more, and the one who gathered little did not have less; each man gathered according to his eating,"

Then by the one who gathered little there was not lacking from the "omer per head" and by the one who gathered much there was not more than an omer per head.

Which at first glance is not understood:

The reason why one was a "one who gathered much" and the other a "one who gathered little"⁶⁶

is simply because by the "one who gathered much" the manna,

"bread from the heavens",

was very precious and the one who gathered little did not feel so much the preciousness of the manna:

And as it says in the Mechilta&lt;sup&gt;67&lt;/sup&gt;

: "Now Nachshon ben Aminadav and his household went out

And gathers much, a poor person in Israel went out and gathers a little" — and it can be said that it is understood that this that "Nachshon ben Aminadav ..

gathers much" was not because of the manna as physical food&lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt;,

but rather because this is a "food of the ministering angels".

And from this, on the other hand,

that the "poor person in Israel" is meant

(primarily)

a poor person in spirituality

(There is no poor person except in knowledge&lt;sup&gt;69&lt;/sup&gt;),

for whom the manna as "bread from heaven" was not so precious until now, and therefore he diminished in his gathering.

And nevertheless — "when they&lt;sup&gt;70&lt;/sup&gt;

came to the measure, they all were found equal, as it is said, 'And they measured with an omer'"!

Moreover: even the Jews who "did not listen to Moses and left some of it until morning"&lt;sup&gt;71&lt;/sup&gt;,

they did not obey the "commandments dependent on it"&lt;sup&gt;72&lt;/sup&gt;,

until that "they went out from the people

(on Shabbat)

to gather"&lt;sup&gt;73&lt;/sup&gt;

— and there it is not found that they lacked from the "omer per skull".

Is it then a thing astonishing and wondrous: when the miracle would have been in a manner that the Almighty gave them "bread from the earth",

a natural bread,

one could say,

that since from the aspect of the garments of nature it is not seen openly any difference

between one Jew and another,

therefore the "one who increases" and the "one who decreases" received in equal measure: here it speaks however about "bread from the heavens",

which is a matter spiritual and miraculous — and since in spiritual matters the differences and levels of Jews are evident,

there should have been differences also in the &lt;b&gt;measure&lt;/b&gt; of the manna,

that for each one the measure of the manna should be according to his virtue and spirituality&lt;sup&gt;74&lt;/sup&gt;.

And in practice it was entirely the opposite — a &lt;b&gt;great miracle&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;75&lt;/sup&gt;,

that by the "one who increases"

(by Nachshon)

there became less and by the "one who decreases"

(poor in knowledge)

there became more — until they had the same "omer per skull".

Based on the above it is understood: Since the eating in the desert during the forty years was in the manner of "intrinsic measure" which is connected with the point of Judaism — and the point of Judaism is always whole in every Jew,

until as the Alter Rebbe&lt;sup&gt;76&lt;/sup&gt;

says that "at the time of the sin she was in faith with Him" — so too the "food from heaven" which is connected with it,

that there are no differences in it,

it comes to every Jew equally.

8.

Based on all the above, it will be understandable that the measure of the omer that is joined,

"And the omer is a tenth of an ephah,"

is stated only at the conclusion

(—after)

the section,

after the verse says

"And the children of Israel ate the manna etc. until they came to an inhabited land":

Just as by food

(physical and spiritual)

there are two types and measures of food

("intrinsic measure" and "combined measure"),

corresponding to the two aspects in the vitality of the soul — so too were also in the manna

(the "food" of the Jewish people at the time of their birth and formation as a nation of God)

the two matters of "intrinsic measure" and "combined measure" — "an omer per head"

(simple)

and "a tenth of an ephah".

But the difference is: being in the desert,

at the time of the birth of the Jewish people,

as above,

their "food" was primarily from the "intrinsic measure" of the manna,

as above;

Entering into Eretz Yisrael,

"an inhabited land",

when then their service was already connected

(not with the desert,

but)

with settlement in the land,

private powers,

was the manna that "they would sustain themselves from the manna that was in their vessels until the sixteenth of Nissan"⁷⁷

that "the children of Israel ate the manna ..

fourteen

(years)

after the death of Moses ..

seven when they conquered and seven when they divided")

was

(mainly)

a "complementary measure"⁷⁹

which was a food not

(so)

for the point of vitality of the soul,

strengthening in them the simple faith⁸⁰,

but

(mainly)

for the private service,

as it is connected with the entry into the land and settlement in the land⁸¹.

9.

From this one takes out the instruction for each one:

Torah is called "bread"⁸²,

and the two aspects of "bread" in the Torah — bread from heaven and bread from the earth — Chazal explain that they indicate⁸³

on the revealed part of Torah and the inner dimension⁸⁴

of the Torah.

One can think to oneself: at first glance,

one is dealing with a Jew who has only just become "born",

he only just begins to become close to Judaism — it is enough that one should give him for now only "bread from the earth",

the revealed part of Torah: or even if one should give him "bread from heaven",

but he is not worthy of the full measure of "bread from heaven" — one will give him only a "small quantity" of the inner dimension of Torah.

Not to mention one who has not yet become close to Judaism,

even more so,

one who is liable, heaven forbid, to be contemptuous of the manna — bread from heaven — that one will give him,

it is certainly not worthwhile to give him &lt;b&gt;for now&lt;/b&gt; "bread from heaven",

the inner dimension of Torah,

and if not — measure it in its fullness.

On this we have the instruction of "Parshat HaMan",

that this must be given to each one,

not looking at which state he is in,

also even to one who is

(for now)

transgressing, G-d forbid, the command of G-d.

And it can be said: The other parts of the Torah,

which are connected with the revealed powers of the soul,

one must sometimes ponder and well know his state, whether that one is already relevant to this detail and whether he is a vessel <b>fitting</b> to receive this detail,

etc.

Regarding however to bread from heaven,

the inner dimension of Torah,

these matters which are connected with the <b>point of Judaism</b> of a Jew — d.

h.

: the foundations of Torah⁸⁵,

like faith in G‑d and His unity⁸⁶

and in the manner that the Rambam⁸⁷

enumerates the thirteen principles⁸⁸)

— decides Torah⁸⁹

that every in‑ dividual⁹⁰

is connected to this and is connected to the "intrinsic measure" — "an omer per skull",

the smallest of the small in spiritual level until the greatest of the great —

Because this is connected with the essence of

(name)

Israel,

as the Rambam

says⁹¹

"When a person believes all these foundations &lt;b&gt;and it is clarified&lt;/b&gt; in him his belief in them, he is included in the entirety of Israel"⁹²,

that the "clarification" of the belief in all these foundations properly comes about through the study of the inner dimension of the Torah as it was revealed in understanding and comprehension; and each one can receive it,

consequently, each one who has the possibility for this,

one must give it to him.

Yud.

10th of Shevat,

the day of the hillula of the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation, falls in several years

(as in this year)

in the week of Parshat Beshalach.

From this it is understood that "his deeds⁹³

and his Torah and his service" of the one of the hillula have a connection and are hinted at in our parshah.

One sees that this was from the essential works of the Baal HaHilula — a)

Yifotzu b)

Maayanotav c)

Chutzah⁹⁴.

At first glance,

since it is speaking about a Jew who is located in Chutzah,

can

One thinks that for such a Jew it is enough when one gives him <b>water</b> which one took from a river which comes from the spring,

it is not necessary to bring him the <b>spring itself</b>.

On this there is the clear instruction,

that the <b>springs themselves</b> must be brought into <b>the outside</b>.

And moreover: it is not enough to give him only drops from the spring,

rather it must be in a manner of <b>dissemination</b>,

a complete measure.

And as mentioned above, that one gives each person an "omer per skull" from "bread from heaven",

until that one also feels like "its taste was like wafers with honey"⁹⁵,

as one can have from it a delight and how pleasant.

And through this that one goes in His ways "which He has taught us from His ways and we will walk in His paths forever and ever"⁹⁶,

one hastens the fulfillment of the promise of King Messiah⁹⁷,

in His palace of Messiah,

that through the spreading of the wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov outward is "I have come with the Teacher",

here King Messiah,

speedily in our days literally.

(From sichos of Shabbos Parshas Beshalach

(11 Shevat)

5745,

19 Kislev 5716)