Ekev

 

 

You will remember the long journey along which the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness…that God might put you to the test, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not…Who fed you manna in the wilderness, which your ancestors were unfamiliar with, that God might afflict you and put you to the test…

8:2 – 3, 16

 

1.

What test was implied in the provision of their daily bread in the form of manna, with a double portion on the Sabbath eve.  Surely this was a great kindness rather than a test?

Abravanel (15th Century)

 

2.

“That I may put them to the test, whether they will walk in My law or not” – to see if they will heed the precepts connected herewith, that they should not leave over, and not go out gathering on the Sabbath.

Rashi (13th Century)

 

3.

The situation in which the Israelites were placed regarding the manna represented a great trial for them since they entered a desert without food of any sort and with no way out.  They were totally dependent on the daily portion of manna which rained down and melted in the heat of the sun.  They hungered for it greatly, but bore all their suffering in obedience to God…He chose however to confront them with this trial in order to test their eternal loyalty to Him.

Nachmanides (14th Century)

 

4.

The manna is described as a trial or test for Israel…usually a test or trial is something to be borne, an unpleasant experience or burdensome duty…the test was not then in the gift of the manna itself but in the instructions accompanying it.  The way the Israelites honored these instructions would serve as a pointer to their loyalty to the Divine commands, to see “whether they will walk in My law or not.”

Nechama Leibovitz (Contemporary)

 

5.

What is the real miracle of our return to Israel?  Most Jewish historians in writing about the Middle East, deal primarily with the military wonders of the war for independence…For me, the central miracle of the return to Israel is that after 1800 years of exile, the Jews, their dream intact, still wanted to return.  They hadn’t forgotten…I don’t know if our historic memory is stronger than other nations’ memories, but if you repeat something almost 2 million times for 1800 years at crucial moments during the day, it’s bound to enter your psyche.  I’m talking about the prayer said after every meal with bread…”you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.”  What makes a person holy?  Is it the number of days fasted, or hours spent praying?  No!  What reveals someone’s  holiness is conduct during a meal…

Shlomo Riskin (Contemporary)