After the incredible event of the Golden Calf, when Moses, in his blazing anger, shattered the first set of tablets, we read in Legends of the Jews that Moses demonstrated just how powerful the righteous are. He took bundles of wool, placed them on the divine fire – the very fire that symbolized God's wrath – and it went out! Then, he challenged the people: repent, and the fire will stay extinguished. Refuse, and it will consume you. A pretty clear choice, right?
But, as we soon see, even that wasn't enough to keep them on the straight and narrow.
Not long after this dramatic display, the Israelites started grumbling again. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, it was "the mixed multitude" – those who had joined them on their journey out of Egypt – who instigated the rebellion. They whined, "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic! But now our throats are parched; there is nothing at all but this manna before our eyes!"
Now, manna. This is the miraculous food that God provided in the desert. The word itself, man hu, literally means "What is it?" because that's what the Israelites exclaimed when they first saw it (Exodus 16:15).
But here's the thing: this complaining was, according to the text, largely a pretext. A convenient excuse to distance themselves from God. Ginzberg goes on to explain that they had plenty of livestock – enough to satisfy their cravings for meat if they truly desired it.
And the manna itself? It was said to taste like anything you wished! Imagine that – a food that could transform into your favorite dish with a mere thought. All they had to do was desire a certain flavor, and the manna would taste exactly like it.
However, according to Legends of the Jews, the manna never tasted like those five vegetables they mentioned – cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But, the text suggests, they should have been grateful! These vegetables were considered unhealthy. God was, in effect, protecting them!
It seems like they just couldn't win. The manna displeased them precisely because it didn't contain flavors that were bad for them. And, they also complained that it stayed in their bodies – "Can there be a human being that takes food without excreting it?" they asked.
God had gifted them this "food of the angels," food that dissolved completely, nourishing them without any waste. It was a sign of distinction, a constant miracle. As Legends of the Jews points out, after Moses died, the last of the manna fell, and they ate it for forty days, refusing to eat anything else until it was completely gone. Clearly, it tasted pretty good!
Yet, while it was abundant, all they could do was complain about seeing the same thing day after day.
It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? How often do we focus on what we don't have, even when we're surrounded by blessings? How often do we fail to appreciate the miracles in our own lives, big and small? The story of the manna is a powerful reminder to look around and recognize the good, even when it comes in unexpected forms. Perhaps, especially when it comes in unexpected forms.