(ג)...לֹ֣א עַל־הַלֶּ֤חֶם לְבַדּוֹ֙ יִחְיֶ֣ה הָֽאָדָ֔ם...
(3) ...man does not live on bread alone...
Q1: What does this popularized phrase mean: "Man does not live by bread alone."
A) People also need cheese and vegetables, a varied diet.
B) People need more than physical sustenance -- they have spiritual needs as well.
C) Neither A nor B
(ב) וְזָכַרְתָּ֣ אֶת־כָּל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֹלִֽיכֲךָ֜ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ זֶ֛ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמַ֨עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜ לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗ לָדַ֜עַת אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֧ר בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֛ הֲתִשְׁמֹ֥ר מצותו [מִצְוֺתָ֖יו] אִם־לֹֽא׃ (ג) וַֽיְעַנְּךָ֮ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ֒ וַיַּֽאֲכִֽלְךָ֤ אֶת הַמָּן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יָדַ֔עְתָּ וְלֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן הוֹדִֽעֲךָ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֣א עַל־הַלֶּ֤חֶם לְבַדּוֹ֙ יִחְיֶ֣ה הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֛י עַל־כָּל־מוֹצָ֥א פִֽי־ה' יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָֽם׃ (ד) שִׂמְלָ֨תְךָ֜ לֹ֤א בָֽלְתָה֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְרַגְלְךָ֖ לֹ֣א בָצֵ֑קָה זֶ֖ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃
(2) Remember the long way that the Eternal your G-d has made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years, that He might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would keep His commandments or not. (3) He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had ever known, in order to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that the Eternal decrees. (4) The clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did your feet swell these forty years.
Q2: Now, having re-read the phrase in a fuller context, give a closer interpretation of "Man does not live by bread alone...[but rather] man may live on anything that the Eternal decrees."
(יב) פֶּן־תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טוֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ (יג) וּבְקָֽרְךָ֤ וְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ יִרְבְּיֻ֔ן וְכֶ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב יִרְבֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ יִרְבֶּֽה׃ (יד) וְרָ֖ם לְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ֛ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃ (טו) הַמּוֹלִ֨יכֲךָ֜ בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּדֹ֣ל וְהַנּוֹרָ֗א נָחָ֤שׁ ׀ שָׂרָף֙ וְעַקְרָ֔ב וְצִמָּא֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֵֽין־מָ֑יִם הַמּוֹצִ֤יא לְךָ֙ מַ֔יִם מִצּ֖וּר הַֽחַלָּמִֽישׁ׃ (טז) הַמַּֽאֲכִ֨לְךָ֥ מָן֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗ וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ לְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ׃
(12) When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, (13) and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, (14) beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the Eternal your G-d...
(16) who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers had never known, in order to test you by hardships only to benefit you in the end—
(ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם לֶ֖חֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתוֹרָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃
(4) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread for you from the sky, and the people shall go out and gather each day that day’s portion—that I may thus test them, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not.
3-4 (comments) Nehama Leibowitz (Studies in Devarim p. 85-86)
Both in our sidra (above) and in Exodus 16, the manna is described as a trial or test (nisayon) for Israel. Our commentators have remarked on the unusual nature of this trial. Usually a test or trial is something to be borne, and unpleasant experience or burdensome duty.
Abravanel queries: What test was implied in the provision of their daily bread in the form of manaa, with a double portion on the Sabbath Eve. Surely this was a great kindness rather than a test?
Rashi explains this difficulty in the first context where it appears, in Exodus, where the Almighty announces the sending of the manna:
"...That I might put them to the test, [to see] 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.
...We may detect however, in the wording of the text, that the trial had nothing to do with the instructions governing the manna, but with the actual enjoyment of the Heavenly food. The life of luxury and ease they would enjoy in virtue of the manna would constitute the greatest trial of all:
Sforno: "That He might put thee to the test" -- if you will do His will when He grants you sustenance, without suffering.
In other words, would the Israelites continue to fear G-d and keep his Commandments in times of prosperity?
For Better or for Worse, for Richer or for Poorer?
G-D'S CONCERN: The self-absorbed Israelites rarely look past themselves. I am there supporting them 24/7 but they don't recognize Me. How can I make them realize that they are dependent on Me, and I am there for them?
WHICH IS THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO:
A) When people are struggling, they will seek ME out.They will feel they can rely on Me. I will be their source of hope.
B) When people have what they need, they will feel gratitude. They will realize that this abundance was not won by their own hands alone. They will appreciate the blessings I have bestowed on them.
Q3: Which of G-d's strategies seems to work best
-with the Israelites?
-with us modern people?
(יז) וּלְאָדָ֣ם אָמַ֗ר כִּֽי־שָׁמַעְתָּ֮ לְק֣וֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒ וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֲרוּרָ֤ה הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙ תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ (יח) וְק֥וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֖ר תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ לָ֑ךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (יט) בְּזֵעַ֤ת אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ תֹּ֣אכַל לֶ֔חֶם עַ֤ד שֽׁוּבְךָ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה לֻקָּ֑חְתָּ כִּֽי־עָפָ֣ר אַ֔תָּה וְאֶל־עָפָ֖ר תָּשֽׁוּב׃
ברוך אתה ה'...המוציא לחם מן הארץ
(17) To Adam He said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ Cursed be the ground because of you; By toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life: (18) Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you. But your food shall be the grasses of the field; (19) By the sweat of your brow shall you get bread to eat...
Q4: How were Adam and Eve to be nourished
-while living in the Garden of Eden?
-after being expelled from the Garden?
Q5: Compare "bread" as a symbol in Genesis 3:19 and Deut 8:3.
7. Our blessing over bread:
Blessed are You, G-d...who brings forth BREAD from the earth.
ברוך אתה ה'...המוציא לחם מן הארץ
Q6: Wouldn't it make more sense to say "G-d brings forth WHEAT from the earth"? ---because isn't BREAD made by humans? Does this puzzling blessing have a hidden meaning?
sources compiled and questions supplied by Rabbi Amy Loewenthal