In Parshas Beshalach, the Jewish people complain they have no food. After this, Hashem begins to send a special spiritual food from Heaven every morning called mon or manna. Moshe tells the Jewish people about this food and that one serving will fall every single morning for every person. Friday morning rolls around and two servings for each person falls from Heaven. The leaders come to Moshe to tell him that an extra serving fell that morning and they do not know what to do with it. At this point, Moshe answers them by stating one serving is to be used on Friday and the other is to be used on Shabbos. On Shabbos, no mon will fall because it is a holy day. Moshe was told about this double portion before the mon even started falling on the first day. Therefore, why didn’t Moshe originally tell everyone this information. Why did he wait for them to come to him to ask about it?

A few nights a week, I learn with boys at our local yeshiva. One night when I was learning Gemara with them, I mentioned a question that Rashi asks on what we were learning. One of the boys I was learning with screamed out “that’s the question I asked in class!” I told him that he had the same question as one of the greatest commentators of all time! He then explained that he did not actually come up with the question on his own. His rebbe was teaching the Gemara and taught this particular section in such a way that anyone who was listening would have a question. This boy then raised his hand and asked the question. As the boy put it, “my rebbe set me up for the question.” But, he did conclude that although he was set-up it was still his question. This rebbe was a genius because he knew if he spoon-fed the answer, no one would remember it. But if the students ask the question, they will relate to it more and will remember it, even if he forces the question out of the student.

The most celebrated holiday on the Jewish calendar is Pesach. More Jews have a Seder on Pesach than any other ritual on the calendar, even more than lighting the Menorah on Chanuka! Why Pesach? In my humble opinion, I think it might be because the Pesach Seder is a night of the child asking questions. Children are more involved in Pesach than any other holiday. Therefore, when they grow older, they remember the excitement of Pesach from their younger years and want to continue to celebrate it, even if they are not religious.

And this is the reason why Moshe did not tell Bnei Yisrael immediately about the double portion of mon on Fridays. Moshe wanted them to come to him and ask about it. This way, the Jewish people would feel “this is my question” and remember it. They would remember the lesson of Shabbos being a holy day and therefore, no mon will fall on that day.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
[email protected]
www.divreisimcha.com OR www.chesedclub.com > Torah Study