The most obvious miracle, of course, was its very existence. But the story gets even richer when we consider the details.
According to the ancient texts, manna didn't fall every day. Specifically, it skipped the Sabbaths and holy days. But don't worry, God had a plan! On the day before these special days, a double portion would appear. Imagine the relief of knowing you wouldn't have to forage on the day of rest!
And there's more. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, tells us that on those days when the double portion fell, the manna itself was different. It sparkled with a brighter color, and its taste was even more exquisite than usual. A subtle, yet significant way God marked the sacred time.
But human nature being what it is, the Israelites weren't always so patient. Ginzberg, in his comprehensive "Legends of the Jews," recounts how, even after being told that no manna would fall on the Sabbath, some people still went out to gather it on the very first Sabbath morning. Moses, bless his heart, had to stop them.
They tried again that evening! Again, Moses intervened, saying, "Today you shall not find it in the field." Can you imagine the panic that must have set in? Would the manna stop altogether?
Moses, ever the steadfast leader, calmed their fears. "Today you shall not find any of it," he assured them, "but assuredly tomorrow; in this world you shall not receive manna on the Sabbath, but assuredly in the future world."
It’s a powerful statement, isn't it? A promise that while the rules of the physical world apply in this life, a different kind of sustenance, a different kind of blessing, awaits us in the world to come. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, this also becomes an understanding of the importance of keeping Shabbat and the reward that comes with it.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What does that "manna of the future world" taste like? Perhaps it's not a physical food at all, but something far more profound: the fulfillment of our souls.