(Exodus 16:28) "And the L–rd said to Moses: How long will you refuse to keep, etc.": R. Yehoshua says: The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: Moses, say to Israel: I took you out of Egypt and I split the sea for you, and I brought down the manna for you, and I brought up the well, and I swept in the quail for you, and I fought the war with Amalek for you, and I wrought miracles and mighty acts for you — "How long will you refuse to keep My mitzvoth and My laws?" Lest you say that I have imposed too many mitzvoth upon you, this Sabbath (alone) did I charge you with at Marah to keep it, and you have not kept it! Lest you say: What reward is received by the keeper of the Sabbath? It is written (Isaiah 56:2) "Happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds fast to it — who keeps Sabbath not to profane it — He keeps his hand from doing all evil." We are hereby apprised that one who keeps the Sabbath is kept far from transgression.
"Let each man sit in his place": four cubits. "Let a man not go out of his place": two thousand cubits. And whence do we know that they heard this and accepted it? From (Ibid. 30) "And the people rested on the seventh day."
R. Yehoshua says: He said to Israel: If you keep this Sabbath the Holy One Blessed be He is destined to give you three festivals: the festival of Nissan (Pesach), the festival of Sivan (Shavuoth), and the festival of Tishrei (Succoth). When they heard this, they accepted it and rested. R. Eliezer Hamodai says: The L–rd said to them: If you keep this Sabbath, I am destined to give you six goodly "measures": Eretz Yisrael, etc. (see above). R. Elazar says: If you keep this Sabbath, you will be saved from three dire punishments: the pangs of (the advent of) the Messiah, the day of Gog and Magog, and the day of the great judgment. And when they heard this, they accepted it and rested.
(Exodus 16:31) "And it was like coriander seed, white ('gad')": I do not know (from this) what it was like. R. Yehoshua says: It was like coriander seed. (But then I would think:) Just as coriander seed is red, so, this. It is, therefore, written "white."
R. Eliezer says: It was like "haggadah" (from "gad"), which "pulls" a person's heart. Others say: It testifies ("maggid," from "gad") about itself that it is manna, for it falls neither on Sabbath, or festival, or Yom Kippur.
(Exodus 16:31) "and its taste was like dough fried in honey": R. Yehoshua says: like stewed eskriti. R. Eliezer says: Like fine flour floated on a sieve and kneaded with honey.
(16:32) "And Moses said: This is the thing, etc.": I might think that Aaron placed it there in the fortieth year. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 34) "And Aaron placed it before the (ark of) testimony." When was the ark made? In the second year (of the exodus). Thus, Aaron placed it there in the second year.
And this is one of the ten things created on Sabbath eve (of the creation) at twilight: the rainbow, the manna, the staff (with which the signs were performed), the writing, (the form of the letters carved on the tablets), the shamir (a miraculous stone-cutting worm), the tablets, the opening of the mouth of the earth to swallow up the wicked, the opening of the mouth of (Bilam's) ass, the grave of Moses, and the cave where Moses and Eliyahu stood. Others say: Also the vestments of the first man and the staff of Aaron, its almonds and blossoms.
Seven things are concealed from the eyes of man: the day of death, the day of consolation, the depth of judgment, the source of his livelihood, what is in the heart of his neighbor, the restoration of the kingdom of the house of David, and the uprooting of the kingdom of the "liable one" (i.e., Rome).
(Exodus 16:33) "And Moses said to Aaron: Take one tzintzeneth": I would not know what it is — whether of silver, or iron, or lead, or copper, or tin. It is, therefore, written "tzintzeneth" — something that can be seen through ("metztith"), i.e., an earthenware vessel (from which glass is made).
"and put therein a full omer of manna and place it before the L–rd as a keeping for your generations": R. Yehoshua says: for the fathers (i.e., for those of that generation).
R. Eliezer says: for the days of the prophet Jeremiah. For when Jeremiah said to Israel: Why are you not studying Torah, they said to him: How will we feed ourselves? He took out the flask of manna and said to them (Jeremiah 2:31) "O generation, see the word of the L-td, etc." Your fathers, who studied Torah, see how they were fed. You, too, if you study Torah, the Holy One Blessed be He will feed you of this.
And this is one of the three things that Eliyahu is destined to present to Israel: the flask of manna, the flask of the sprinkling waters (viz. Numbers 19:9), and the flask of the anointing oil, (viz. Exodus 30:31). Others say: Also the staff of Aaron, its almonds and its blossoms, (viz. Numbers 17:25).
(Exodus 16:35) "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years": R. Yehoshua says: for forty days they ate the manna after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar (when the manna ceased falling), and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and sixteen of Nissan, making forty. As it is written (Joshua 5:12) "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow" (of the first day of Pesach), and (Ibid. 11) "And they ate of the old corn of the land on the morrow of the Pesach, matzoth and parched corn."
R. Eliezer Hamodai says: They ate the manna for seventy days after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar, and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and thirty of the second Adar, that year being intercalated, and sixteen of Nissan, making seventy days, viz. "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow."
R. Yossi says: Israel ate the manna for fifty-four years, forty years in the lifetime of Moses and fourteen years after his death, it being written "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years until they came to an inhabited land." Let this not be written, for it is already written (Ibid.) "until they came to the edge of the land of Canaan." — The reference is to the fourteen years that they ate it after the death of Moses — the seven years of conquest and the seven years of apportionment.
R. Yehoshua says: When Miriam died, the well was removed, and it was restored in the merit of Moses and Aaron. When Aaron died, the pillar of cloud was removed, and both (the well and the pillar) were restored in the merit of Moses. When Moses died, all were removed and were not restored. And the tzirah (the hornet swarm, viz. (Exodus 23:28) did not cross the Jordan with them, (it having obtained in the merit of Moses).
(Exodus 16:36) "And the omer is one-tenth of an ephah": And how much is one-tenth of an ephah? Seven quarters of a kav and something more. How much is that? A fifth of a quarter of a kav.
(שמות טז,כח) "וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֶל מֹשֶׁה: עַד אָנָה מֵאַנְתֶּם לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי?" רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: אָמַר לוֹ הַקֹּדֶשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה: מֹשֶׁה! אֱמֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם, קָרַעְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַיָּם, הוֹרַדְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַמָּן, הַעֲלִיתִי לָכֶם אֶת הַבְּאֵר, הֵגַזְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַשְּׂלָו, נִלְחַמְתִּי לָכֶם בְּמִלְחֶמֶת עֲמָלֵק, עָשִׂיתִי לָכֶם נִסִּים וּגְבוּרוֹת, עַד מָתַי אַתֶּם מְמַאֲנִין לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי? שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמְרוּ, מִצְווֹת הַרְבֵּה הִטַּלְתִּי לָכֶם? שַׁבָּת זוֹ הִטַּלְתִּי לָכֶם מִמָּרָה לְשָׁמְרָהּ, וְלֹא שְׁמַרְתֶּם אוֹתָהּ! שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמְרוּ, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, מַה שָּׁכָר נוֹטֵל עָלָיו? תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר: (ישעיה נו,ב) "אַשְׁרֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יַעֲשֶׂה זֹּאת, וּבֶן אָדָם יַחֲזִיק בָּהּ, שֹׁמֵר שַׁבָּת מֵחַלְּלוֹ, וְשֹׁמֵר יָדוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת כָּל רָע." הָא לָמַדְנוּ, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁמְּשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת מִדֹּחַק, נֻצַּל מִן הָעֲבֵירָה.
(Exodus 16:28) "And the L–rd said to Moses: How long will you refuse to keep, etc.": R. Yehoshua says: The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: Moses, say to Israel: I took you out of Egypt and I split the sea for you, and I brought down the manna for you, and I brought up the well, and I swept in the quail for you, and I fought the war with Amalek for you, and I wrought miracles and mighty acts for you — "How long will you refuse to keep My mitzvoth and My laws?" Lest you say that I have imposed too many mitzvoth upon you, this Sabbath (alone) did I charge you with at Marah to keep it, and you have not kept it! Lest you say: What reward is received by the keeper of the Sabbath? It is written (Isaiah 56:2) "Happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds fast to it — who keeps Sabbath not to profane it — He keeps his hand from doing all evil." We are hereby apprised that one who keeps the Sabbath is kept far from transgression.
(שמות טז,כט-ל) ["רְאוּ כִּי יי נָתַן לָכֶם הַשַּׁבָּת, עַל כֵּן הוּא נֹתֵן לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי לֶחֶם יוֹמָיִם, שְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחְתָּיו, אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. וַיִּשְׁבְּתוּ הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִעִי."] "רְאוּ כִּי יי נָתַן לָכֶם הַשַּׁבָּת". אָמַר לָהֶם: הִזָּהֲרוּ! כִּי יי נוֹתְנָהּ לָכֶם שֶׁתִּשְׁמְרוּ אוֹתָהּ!
(Exodus 16:29) "See that the L–rd has given the Sabbath to you": Moses said to Israel: Take care, for the L–rd has given you the Sabbath to keep it,
"עַל כֵּן הוּא נֹתֵן לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי לֶחֶם יוֹמָיִם", זֶהוּ שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: זֶה הוּא לֶחֶם כָּפוּל, (שמות טז,כב) "שְׁנֵי הָעֹמֶר לָאֶחָד".
wherefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days.": As R. Yehoshua was wont to say: "Double bread," two omers for each one.
"שְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחְתָּיו!" אֵלּוּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת. "אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ", אֵלּוּ אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְשָׁבְתוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (שמות טז,ל) "וַיִּשְׁבְּתוּ הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִעִי."
"Let each man sit in his place": four cubits. "Let a man not go out of his place": two thousand cubits. And whence do we know that they heard this and accepted it? From (Ibid. 30) "And the people rested on the seventh day."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: (שמות טז,ל) "וַיִּשְׁבְּתוּ הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִעִי". רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: אָמַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: אִם תִּשְׁמְרוּ שַׁבָּת זוֹ, עָתִיד הַמָּקוֹם לִתֵּן לָכֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה מוֹעֲדוֹת, חַג נִיסָן, וְחַג סִיוָן, וְחַג תִּשְׁרִי. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ דָבָר זֶה, קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְשָׁבָתוּ. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר: אִם תִּשְׁמְרוּ שַׁבָּת זוֹ, עָתִיד הַקֹּדֶשׁ לִתֵּן לָכֶם שֵׁשׁ מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְעוֹלָם חָדָשׁ, וּמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד, וּכְהֻנָּה, וּלְוִיָּה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אָמַר לָהֶם הַקֹּדֶשׁ בָּרוּך הוּא: אִם תִּשְׁמְרוּ שַׁבָּת זוֹ, תִּנָּצְלוּ מִשָּׁלֹשׁ פֻּרְעָנִיּוֹת: מֵחֶבְלוֹ שֶׁלַּמָּשִׁיחַ, וּמִיּוֹמוֹ שֶׁלְּגוֹג, וּמִיּוֹם הַדִּין הַגָּדוֹל. וּכְשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ דָבָר זֶה, קִבְּלוּ וְשָׁבָתוּ.
R. Yehoshua says: He said to Israel: If you keep this Sabbath the Holy One Blessed be He is destined to give you three festivals: the festival of Nissan (Pesach), the festival of Sivan (Shavuoth), and the festival of Tishrei (Succoth). When they heard this, they accepted it and rested. R. Eliezer Hamodai says: The L–rd said to them: If you keep this Sabbath, I am destined to give you six goodly "measures": Eretz Yisrael, etc. (see above). R. Elazar says: If you keep this Sabbath, you will be saved from three dire punishments: the pangs of (the advent of) the Messiah, the day of Gog and Magog, and the day of the great judgment. And when they heard this, they accepted it and rested.
(שמות טז,לא) ["וַיִּקְרְאוּ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת שְׁמוֹ מָן, וְהוּא כְּזֶרַע גַּד לָבָן, וְטַעְמוֹ כְּצַפִּיחִת בִּדְבָשׁ."] "וַיִּקְרְאוּ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת שְׁמוֹ מָן". דּוֹרְשֵׁי רְשׁוּמוֹת אָמְרוּ: בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קָרְאוּ אֶת שְׁמוֹ מָן.
"וְהוּא כְּזֶרַע גַּד". אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁלְּמִי. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: דּוֹמֶה לְזֶרַע פִּשְׁתָּן. כַּשֵּׁם שֶׁזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁלַּפִּשְׁתָּן אָדֹם, כָּךְ זֶה אָדֹם? תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר "לָבָן".
(Exodus 16:31) "And it was like coriander seed, white ('gad')": I do not know (from this) what it was like. R. Yehoshua says: It was like coriander seed. (But then I would think:) Just as coriander seed is red, so, this. It is, therefore, written "white."
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר: דּוֹמֶה לִדְבַר הַגָּדָה, שֶׁהוּא מוֹשֵׁךְ לִבּוֹ שֶׁלָּאָדָם. אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: הוּא מֵעִיד עַל עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מָן, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹרֵד לֹא בַשַּׁבָּת, וְלֹא בְיוֹם טוֹב, וְלֹא בְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.
R. Eliezer says: It was like "haggadah" (from "gad"), which "pulls" a person's heart. Others say: It testifies ("maggid," from "gad") about itself that it is manna, for it falls neither on Sabbath, or festival, or Yom Kippur.
רַבִּי יוֹסֵה אוֹמֵר: כַּשֵּׁם שֶׁהַנָּבִיא מַגִּיד חֲדָרִין וּסְתָרִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל,*חֲדָרִין וּסְתָרִין: עניינים נסתרים כאילו הוסתרו בחדרי חדרים. כָּךְ הָיָה הַמָּן מַגִּיד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חֲדָרִין וּסְתָרִין. הָא כֵיצַד? אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁבָּאוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה לַדִּין, הוּא אוֹמֵר: סָרְחָה עָלַי, סָרְחָה עָלַי:*חטאה לי, התנהגה שלא כראוי כלפיי. וְהִיא אוֹמֶרֶת: סָרַח עָלַי, אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה: (ירמיה כא,יב) לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט! לְמָחָר, אִם נִמְצָא עָמְרָהּ בְּבֵית בַּעֲלָהּ,*עָמְרָהּ: עומר המן המיועד לה. בַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהִיא סָרְחָה עָלָיו, נִמְצָא עָמְרָהּ בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ, בַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהוּא סָרַח עָלֶיהָ. וְכֵן שְׁנַיִם שֶׁבָּאוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה לַדִּין, זֶה אוֹמֵר: עַבְדִּי גָּנַבְתָּ! וְזֶה אוֹמֵר: אַתָּה מְכַרְתּוֹ לִי! אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה: (ירמיה כא,יב) לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט! לְמָחָר, אִם נִמְצָא עָמְרוֹ בְּבֵית רַבּוֹ רִאשׁוֹן, בַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁזֶּה גְנָבוֹ. אִם נִמְצָא עָמְרוֹ בְּבֵית רַבּוֹ שֵׁנִי, בַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁזֶּה מְכָרוֹ לוֹ.
R. Yossi says: Just as the prophet reveals ("maggid," like "gad") what is hidden, so, did the manna reveal it. How so? (see Yoma 75a)
"וְטַעְמוֹ כְּצַפִּיחִת בִּדְבָשׁ." רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: כְּלַפָּס*לַפָּס. lopás: כלי מטבח של חרס, צלחת, מחבת; תבשיל. וּכְעֵין אֶסְקָרִיטִי.*אֶסְקָרִיטִי: eskharítēs: עוגה אפויה על גחלים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: כְּסֹלֶת זוֹ שֶׁצָּפָה עַל גַּבֵּי נָפָה, וְנִלּוֹשָׁה בִדְבָשׁ וְחֶמְאָה.
(Exodus 16:31) "and its taste was like dough fried in honey": R. Yehoshua says: like stewed eskriti. R. Eliezer says: Like fine flour floated on a sieve and kneaded with honey.
אִם אוֹמֵר אֲנִי: (שמות טז,לב) "וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה: זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יי: מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מִמֶּנּוּ לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם, לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ אֶת הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱכַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, בְּהוֹצִיאִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם." שֶׁיָּכֹל לֹא הִנִּיחוֹ אַהֲרֹן אֶלָּא בִשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים? תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר: (שמות טז,לד) "וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ אַהֲרֹן לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת לְמִשְׁמָרֶת." אֵימָתַי נֶעֱשָׂה הָאָרוֹן? בְּשָׁנָה שְׁנִיָּה. כָּךְ לֹא הִנִּיחוֹ אַהֲרֹן אֶלָּא בְשָׁנָה שְׁנִיָּה.
(16:32) "And Moses said: This is the thing, etc.": I might think that Aaron placed it there in the fortieth year. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 34) "And Aaron placed it before the (ark of) testimony." When was the ark made? In the second year (of the exodus). Thus, Aaron placed it there in the second year.
וְזֶה אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה דְּבָרִים שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. אֵלּוּ הֵן: הַקֶּשֶׁת, וְהַמָּן, וְהַמַּטֶּה, וְהַכְּתָב, וְהַשָּׁמִיר, וְהַלּוּחוֹת, וּפְתִיחַת פִּי הָאָרֶץ לִבְלֹעַ הָרְשָׁעִים, וּפְתִיחַת פִּי הָאָתוֹן, וְקִבְרוֹ שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה, וּמְעָרָה שֶׁעָמַד בָּהּ מֹשֶׁה וְאֵלִיָּהוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: אַף בְּגָדָיו שֶׁלְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּמַקְלוֹ שֶׁלְּאַהֲרֹן, שְׁקֵדָיו וּפְרָחָיו.
And this is one of the ten things created on Sabbath eve (of the creation) at twilight: the rainbow, the manna, the staff (with which the signs were performed), the writing, (the form of the letters carved on the tablets), the shamir (a miraculous stone-cutting worm), the tablets, the opening of the mouth of the earth to swallow up the wicked, the opening of the mouth of (Bilam's) ass, the grave of Moses, and the cave where Moses and Eliyahu stood. Others say: Also the vestments of the first man and the staff of Aaron, its almonds and blossoms.
שִׁבְעָה דְּבָרִים מְכֻסִּין מִבְּנֵי אָדָם: יוֹם הַמִּיתָה, וְיוֹם הַנֶּחָמָה, וְעֹמֶק הַדִּין, וְאֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ בַּמֶּה מִשְׂתַּכֵּר, וְאֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ מַה בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלַּחֲבֵרוֹ, וּמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד, מָתַי תַּחְזֹר לִמְקוֹמָהּ, וּמַלְכוּת חַיֶּבֶת זוֹ, מָתַי תֵּעָקֵר.
Seven things are concealed from the eyes of man: the day of death, the day of consolation, the depth of judgment, the source of his livelihood, what is in the heart of his neighbor, the restoration of the kingdom of the house of David, and the uprooting of the kingdom of the "liable one" (i.e., Rome).
(שמות טז,לג) "וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן: קַח צִנְצֶנֶת אַחַת, וְתֶן שָׁמָּה מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מָן, וְהַנַּח אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי יי לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם." אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁלְּמָה הִיא, אִם שֶׁלַּכֶּסֶף אוֹ שֶׁלַּזָּהָב, אִם שֶׁלַּבַּרְזֶל, אִם שֶׁלַּנְּחֹשֶׁת, אִם שֶׁלַּבְּדִיל, אִם שֶׁלָּעוֹפֶרֶת? תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר "צִנְצֶנֶת", לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָּא דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא מֵצִין מֵחֲבֵרוֹ.*מֵצִין =מצנן. אֵין אַתְּ מוֹצֵא אֶלָּא כְלִי חֶרֶס.
(Exodus 16:33) "And Moses said to Aaron: Take one tzintzeneth": I would not know what it is — whether of silver, or iron, or lead, or copper, or tin. It is, therefore, written "tzintzeneth" — something that can be seen through ("metztith"), i.e., an earthenware vessel (from which glass is made).
"וְתֶן שָׁמָּה מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מָן, וְהַנַּח אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי יי לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם." רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: לָאָבוֹת. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: לַדּוֹרוֹת.
"and put therein a full omer of manna and place it before the L–rd as a keeping for your generations": R. Yehoshua says: for the fathers (i.e., for those of that generation).
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: לִימוֹת יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר יִרְמְיָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: מִפְּנֵי מָה אֵין אַתֶּם עוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אִם אָנוּ מִתְעַסְּקִין בַּתּוֹרָה, בַּמֶּה נִתְפַּרְנֵס? בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה, הוֹצִיא לָהֶם יִרְמְיָה צְלוֹחִית הַמָּן וְאָמַר לָהֶם: (ירמיה ב,לא) "הַדּוֹר, אַתֶּם רְאוּ דְבַר יי! הֲמִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִם אֶרֶץ מַאְפֵּלְיָה?*אֶרֶץ מַאְפֵּלְיָה: ארץ צלמוות, אפלה ושוממה. מַדּוּעַ אָמְרוּ עַמִּי: רַדְנוּ לוֹא נָבוֹא עוֹד אֵלֶיךָ?" אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, רְאוּ מִמָּה נִתְפַּרְנָסוּ! אַף אַתֶּם, הֱיוּ עֲסוּקִים בְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְהַמָּקוֹם מְפַרְנֶסְכֶם מִזֶּה!
R. Eliezer says: for the days of the prophet Jeremiah. For when Jeremiah said to Israel: Why are you not studying Torah, they said to him: How will we feed ourselves? He took out the flask of manna and said to them (Jeremiah 2:31) "O generation, see the word of the L-td, etc." Your fathers, who studied Torah, see how they were fed. You, too, if you study Torah, the Holy One Blessed be He will feed you of this.
זֶה אֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁעָתִיד אֵלִיָּהוּ לְהַעֲמִיד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: צְלוֹחִית שֶׁלַמָּן, צְלוֹחִית שֶׁלַּמַּיִם, צְלוֹחִית שֶׁלְּשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה.
And this is one of the three things that Eliyahu is destined to present to Israel: the flask of manna, the flask of the sprinkling waters (viz. Numbers 19:9), and the flask of the anointing oil, (viz. Exodus 30:31). Others say: Also the staff of Aaron, its almonds and its blossoms, (viz. Numbers 17:25).
(שמות טז,לה) "וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָכְלוּ אֶת הַמָּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, עַד בֹּאָם אֶל אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת, אֶת הַמָּן אָכְלוּ, עַד בֹּאָם אֶל קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן." רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמָּן אַחַר מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה. כֵּיצַד? מֵת מֹשֶׁה בְּשִׁבְעָה בַאֲדַר, אָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבָּעָה שֶׁלַּאֲדַר, וְשִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר שֶׁלְּנִיסָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (יהושע ה,יב) "וַיִּשְׁבֹּת הַמָּן מִמָּחֳרָת, בְּאָכְלָם מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מָן, וַיֹּאכְלוּ מִתְּבוּאַת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא." רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר: שִׁבְעִין יוֹם אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמָּן אַחַר מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה. כֵּיצַד? מֵת מֹשֶׁה בְּשִׁבְעָה בַאֲדַר, וְאָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עֶשְׁרִין וְאַרְבָּעָה שֶׁלַּאֲדַר הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּשְׁלֹשִׁין שֶׁלַּאֲדַר הַאַחֲרוֹן, וְעִבּוּר הָיָה אוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁנָה בְאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה, שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר שֶׁלְּנִיסָן, וְאוֹמֵר: (יהושע ה,יב) "וַיִּשְׁבֹּת הַמָּן מִמָּחֳרָת".
(Exodus 16:35) "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years": R. Yehoshua says: for forty days they ate the manna after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar (when the manna ceased falling), and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and sixteen of Nissan, making forty. As it is written (Joshua 5:12) "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow" (of the first day of Pesach), and (Ibid. 11) "And they ate of the old corn of the land on the morrow of the Pesach, matzoth and parched corn."
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: שִׁבְעִין יוֹם אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמָּן אַחַר מִיתַת מֹשֶׁה. כֵּיצַד? מֵת מֹשֶׁה בְּשִׁבְעָה בִשְׁבָט, אָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עֶשְׁרִין וְאַרְבָּעָה שֶׁלִּשְׁבָט, וּשְׁלֹשִׁין שֶׁלַּאֲדַר, וְעִבּוּר לֹא הָיָה אוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁנָה בְאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה, שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר שֶׁלְּנִיסָן, וְאוֹמֵר: (יהושע ה,יב) "וַיִּשְׁבֹּת הַמָּן מִמָּחֳרָת".
R. Eliezer Hamodai says: They ate the manna for seventy days after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar, and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and thirty of the second Adar, that year being intercalated, and sixteen of Nissan, making seventy days, viz. "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow."
רַבִּי יוֹסֵה אוֹמֵר: חֲמִשִּׁין וְאַרְבַּע שָׁנָה אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמָּן. אַרְבָּעִין שָׁנָה בְחַיָּו שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה, אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה אַחַר מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָכְלוּ אֶת הַמָּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה עַד בֹּאָם אֶל אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת", שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד (לוֹמַר): (שמות טז,לה) "אֶת הַמָּן אָכְלוּ עַד בֹּאָם אֶל קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן", אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שֶׁאֲכָלוּהוּ אַחַר מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁלְּמֹשֶׁה, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: שֶׁבַע שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ וְשֶׁבַע שֶׁחִלֵּקוּ.
R. Yossi says: Israel ate the manna for fifty-four years, forty years in the lifetime of Moses and fourteen years after his death, it being written "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years until they came to an inhabited land." Let this not be written, for it is already written (Ibid.) "until they came to the edge of the land of Canaan." — The reference is to the fourteen years that they ate it after the death of Moses — the seven years of conquest and the seven years of apportionment.
מֵתָה מִרְיָם, נִסְתַּלְּקָה הַבְּאֵר; מֵת אַהֲרֹן, נִסְתַּלְּקוּ עֲנָנֵי כָבוֹד; מֵת מֹשֶׁה, נִסְתַּלַּק הַמָּן.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: מֵתָה מִרְיָם, נִסְתַּלְּקָה הַבְּאֵר, וְחָזְרָה בִזְכוּת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן; מֵת אַהֲרֹן, נִסְתַּלַּק עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן, וְחָזְרוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בִּזְכוּת מֹשֶׁה; מֵת מֹשֶׁה, נִסְתַּלְּקוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן, וְלֹא חָזָרוּ, וְהַצִּרְעָה לֹא עָבְרָה עִמָּהֶן אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן.
R. Yehoshua says: When Miriam died, the well was removed, and it was restored in the merit of Moses and Aaron. When Aaron died, the pillar of cloud was removed, and both (the well and the pillar) were restored in the merit of Moses. When Moses died, all were removed and were not restored. And the tzirah (the hornet swarm, viz. (Exodus 23:28) did not cross the Jordan with them, (it having obtained in the merit of Moses).
(שמות טז,לו) "וְהָעֹמֶר עֲשִׂרִית הָאֵיפָה הוּא." "וְהָעֹמֶר". אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה הוּא. תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר "עֲשִׂרִית הָאֵיפָה". וְכַמָּה הוּא עֲשִׂירִית הָאֵיפָה? אֶחָד מִשִּׁבְעָה רְבִיעִים וְעוֹד. 'וְעוֹד' זֶה, כַּמָּה הוּא? אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשָּׁה בָּרְבִיעַ.*במכילתא דרבי שמעון בר יוחיי, פ' טז, לו: "וְהָעֹמֶר", אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה! תִּלְמֹד לוֹמַר "עֲשִׂרִית הָאֵיפָה", אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה בְּשָׁלוֹשׁ סְאִין, שֶׁהֵן שִׁבְעַת רְבָעִים וְעוֹד. 'וְעוֹד' זֶה אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשָּׁה בָּרֹבַע.
(Exodus 16:36) "And the omer is one-tenth of an ephah": And how much is one-tenth of an ephah? Seven quarters of a kav and something more. How much is that? A fifth of a quarter of a kav.