The Torah recounts the story of the manna — the Heavenly food that sustained the Jewish people in the wilderness during their journey after the Exodus from Egypt. The food provided by the Almighty to the Jewish people in the wilderness was called manna, and the Torah describes in great detail its appearance, the quantity apportioned to each family, how it was gathered daily, and the unique relationship between Shabbos and this Heavenly food. The description of the manna is found not only in the Torah’s narrative of the wilderness, but also in Book of Bamidbar (11:7), where certain additional details are given that deepen our understanding of this miracle.
It is interesting to note that when the phenomenon of the manna is first introduced in Parshas Beshalach (16:4), the verses relate how the manna appeared on the surface of the wilderness, to the amazement of the Children of Israel. They were commanded by Moshe Rabbeinu to gather a specific amount in accordance with their daily needs, reinforcing the Torah’s lessons of faith, trust, and reliance on Hashem. They were prohibited from leaving over any of the manna from day to day, except on the sixth day, when they gathered a double portion in preparation for Shabbos — a foundational concept in Jewish thought regarding Shabbos observance and Divine providence.
A close study of the verses in this chapter shows that, after introducing the subject of the manna, its actual physical description is not given until the conclusion of the chapter. Only then are we told, in verse 31: “It was like coriander seed, it was white, and it tasted like a cake fried in honey.” The question naturally arises in classic Torah commentary as to why the Torah does not provide this vivid description at the outset, when the miracle of the manna is first introduced.
One of the great Torah commentators of recent generations, Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, asks why it was necessary for the Torah to describe the appearance and form of the manna both here and again in Sefer Bamidbar. He explains that the answer lies in Moshe’s instruction to Aharon in verse 33: that he should take a jar, place manna into it, and set it aside for safekeeping for all future generations. Rashi explains that in the era of the prophet Yirmiyahu, when the Jewish people were rebuked for neglecting Torah study, they responded that they could not abandon their livelihoods in order to learn Torah, as they needed sustenance.
Yirmiyahu answered them by producing the tzintzenes haman — the “jar of manna” — and declaring, “Behold and see the manna with which your forefathers were sustained in the wilderness.” He continued with the enduring words: “Harbeh shluchim yesh laMakom l’hachin mazon l’yere’av” — “G-d has many messengers and many ways to provide sustenance for those who fear Him.” This powerful moment stands as one of the most profound Torah lessons on bitachon and Divine sustenance.
From this episode we learn that the container of manna served as a lasting reminder of the great miracle that sustained the Jewish people in the wilderness. It reassured them — and all future generations — that just as Hashem provided food in the desert, He continues to sustain His people when they place their trust in Him and dedicate themselves to Torah. Yet a critical question remains: how could the Jewish people be certain that this jar truly contained authentic manna?
The answer is that it perfectly matched the Torah’s detailed description of the manna’s appearance — like coriander seeds, which are normally dark, yet these were white, radiant, and crystal-like. This unmistakable and miraculous appearance authenticated the contents of the jar as the very same Heavenly food that descended daily from Heaven to nourish our forefathers.
It is precisely for this reason that the Torah delays the description of the manna until the end of the chapter. By doing so, it directly connects the physical description of the manna to the verse describing the tzintzenes haman preserved for all generations. In this way, the Torah emphasizes that the manna was not merely food, but an eternal testimony to Hashem’s care, His Divine providence, and His promise to sustain those who commit themselves to the study of Torah — in every generation and in every circumstance.
