We try so hard to control our lives. We work, we save, we plan for the future. It’s natural that we would try to control the present to ensure safety in the future. But the significant phrase here is “try to control.” At some level, we all know that people fall prey to unforeseen circumstances, despite all efforts to exert control. The bottom line is that we can never completely guarantee our safety, because there is far too much beyond our control. Thank you to Baila Olidort for providing the main thoughts that went into this article.
The Torah portion of BeShalach gives us a lesson in realizing that control is an illusion. Rather, the key to safety lies beyond ourselves.
Manna Was More Than a Gift from Heaven
An interesting question is whether the Israelites felt safe after Pharaoh’s army was drowned and they were on dry land. Perhaps, at first. But after the initial celebration, this sense of safety would have faded. True, they gained freedom from generations of slavery and oppression. At the same time, however, our ancestors’ sense of security was stripped away. They lost everything they knew. Most importantly, they lost access to the plentiful food that they had to eat in Egypt.
In short, the refugees were facing a future beyond their control, away from the perceived safety of Egypt. It’s easy to imagine their fear. They traded in one type of hardship for another—life in an empty desert, without sufficient food or water. Sure enough, as their limited supplies dwindled, the Israelites grew thirsty and complained of hunger. Then, to their good fortune, G-d stepped in. Water sprang from the rock and the gift of manna fell from heaven.
Yes, manna was a gift, but it was more than that. It was also a test of obedience to G-d. While manna fell each day, the Israelites were given instructions: Gather enough to last for one day—an omer measure per person. Beyond that amount, the manna would rot. Unlike in Egypt, though, one could not save manna to hedge against the possibility that it wouldn’t fall the next day.
Self-Reliance Is No Guarantee of Safety and Control
The Israelites dutifully followed G-d’s word. Thus, they had food and water each day. In addition, they had a daily reminder that reliance on G-d—not control—would sustain them. Their comfort lay not in being able to control their environment, but in knowing that they had to depend on G-d in circumstances beyond their control.
Forty years later, once the Israelites reached their destination, manna no longer fell. The fertile Promised Land of Israel enabled them to sustain themselves, giving them more control than either during slavery or in the desert.
At the same time, the lesson of manna had become ingrained in the people. The Israelites were now more self-reliant, but they still couldn’t control the future. Unforeseen circumstances were inevitable. However, manna was material proof that we could rely on G-d’s Providence in difficult times.
We can take the lesson of manna to heart today.
The human condition has always included the need to feel safe. This leads us to try to control all situations that threaten our safety. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it is still often difficult to disabuse ourselves of the fallacy that we, alone, do not control our future.
The portion of BeShalach reveals that all our planning and the resulting sense of security create only an illusion that we are in control.
Despite modern technology and exciting discoveries, we still face crop failures, illness, and fluctuating economic conditions. Hence, we must face the fact that our vulnerability is also the human condition.
This Pesach, let’s remember the lesson of manna. It’s our responsibility to work each day to provide for our families. Nevertheless, enacting our faith in G-d every day is the true source of our safety. The whole world doesn’t rest on our shoulders because we have a Partner in securing our future.
A Zissin and Kosher Pesach (Sweet and Kosher Passover) to you and your families.
From the Glowinskys and the Elite Roofing family
