12a (י״ב:א׳)

The general principle arising from all this is (כְּלָל הָעוֹלֶה מִכָּל זֶה), that the sin of Yisrael in speaking against the manna (כִּי חַטָּאת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַה שֶּׁסִּפְרוּ בְּגְנוּת הַמָּן), and in requesting coarse foods-meat and fish and types of vegetables (וּבְמַה שֶּׁשָּׁאֲלוּ מַאֲכָלוֹת גַּסּוֹת, בָּשָׂר וְדָגִים וּמִינֵי יְרָקוֹת), the food of animals and predatory beasts (מַאֲכַל הַבְּהֵמוֹת וַחַיּוֹת דּוֹרְסוֹת), and in despising the refined and pure food (וּמָאֲסוּ בְּמָזוֹן דַּק וְנָקִי), the food of ministering angels (מָזוֹן מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת), was greater than the sin of the Calf which they made (הָיָה גָּדוֹל מֵעֲוֹן הָעֵגֶל שֶׁעָשׂוּ).

For they sinned with the sin of Adam HaRishon in eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (שֶׁחָטְאוּ בְּחֵטְאוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּאֲכִילָתוֹ מֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע), by whose sin he was expelled and driven away from the Tree of Life (אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲוֹנוֹ נִטְרַד וְנִגְרַשׁ מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים), meaning: from being alive and eternal forever (פֵּרוּשׁ: מִלִּהְיוֹת חַי וְקַיָּם לְעוֹלָם), and from attaining the secrets of the Torah and its interpretations as it is written before Him, may He be blessed (וּמֵהַשִּׂיג סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה וּפֵירוּשֶׁיהָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִיא כְּתוּבָה לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ). So it happened to them in the wilderness (כָּךְ קָרָה לָהֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר), when they spoke against the manna and requested physical foods (כַּאֲשֶׁר סִפְּרוּ בְּגְנוּת הַמָּן וְשָׁאֲלוּ מַאֲכָלוֹת גַּשְׁמִיּוֹת).

And this is the intent of Moshe Rabbeinu when he warned and admonished Yisrael (וְזוֹ כַּוָּנַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ כְּשֶׁהָיָה מַזְהִיר וּמַתְרֶה לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) that they should perform the mitzvot properly and precisely (שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ הַמִּצְוֺת כַּדִּין וְכַהֲלָכָה). In the parashah “And it shall come to pass, if you hearken” (וּבְפָרָשַׁת ״וְהָיָה עֵקֶב): it is written, “All the commandment… that you may live…” (Deuteronomy 8:1) (כְּתִיב ״כָּל הַמִּצְוָה״ וגו׳ ״לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן״ וגו׳), meaning: if you observe My commandments, you shall live and endure and multiply in the land (פֵּרוּשׁ: אִם אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְרִים מִצְוֺתַי תִּהְיוּ חַיִּים וְקַיָּמִים וּתְרַבּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ), and no stranger will rule over you (וְאֵין זָר אִתְּכֶם).

Know that such was His intention (תֵּדַע שֶׁכָּךְ הָיְתָה כַּוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ): “And you shall remember all the way…” (Deuteronomy 8:2) (״וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ״ וגו׳), “to afflict you and to test you…” (Deuteronomy 8:2) ("לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ וְנַסֹּתֶךָ), because He knows “what is in your heart” (Deuteronomy 8:2) (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ ״אֵת אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ), that you are doubtful whether you will observe the mitzvot of Hashem or not (שֶׁאַתָּה מְסֻפָּק אִם תִּשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺת ה׳ אִם לֹא). And this illness comes to you from the flaming sword that turns (וְזֶה הַחוֹלִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ מִלַּהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת), as I said (כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי). And the Holy One Blessed Be He desired to repair what the sin of Adam HaRishon had corrupted (וְהקב״ה רָצָה לְתַקֵּן אֶת אֲשֶׁר עִוָּה חֵטְאוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), therefore He fed you the manna, refined and pure spiritual food (לָכֵךְ הֶאֱכִילְךָ אֶת הַמָּן, מָזוֹן דַּק וְנָקִי רוּחָנִי), so that you would return to your youthful days-the day of your birth-and understand the wonders of the perfect Torah (כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּשׁוּב כִּימֵי נְעוּרֶיךָ יוֹם הִוָּלֶדְתְּךָ וְתָבִין וְתַשְׂכִּיל תַּעֲלוּמוֹת הַתּוֹרָה הַתְּמִימָה), to distance you from the bodily pleasures that dull the intellect of man (כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיקְךָ מִתַּעֲנוּגֵי הַגּוּף הַזֶּה הַמְטַפְּשִׁים שִׂכְלוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם). And you did not know or perceive (וְאַתָּה לֹא יָדַעְתָּ וְלֹא הִשַּׂגְתָּ) that for your benefit and delight I withheld from you coarse foods (כִּי לְטוֹבָתְךָ וּלְהֲנָאתְךָ מָנַעְתִּי אוֹתְךָ מִמַּאֲכָלוֹת גַּסּוֹת), and I fed you spiritual Divine food (וְהֶאֱכַלְתִּיךָ מַאֲכָל רוּחָנִי אֱלוֹהִי). And even your forefathers who came out of Egypt did not know or understand the kindness I bestowed upon you by feeding you the manna (וְגַם אֲבוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ הַחֶסֶד שֶׁאֲנִי גּוֹמֵל עִמְּךָ בְּהַאֲכִילִי אוֹתְךָ אֶת הַמָּן).

For His intention, may He be blessed, was to make known to you (כִּי כַּוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיְתָה לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ), that man does not live by physical bread and bodily pleasures (שֶׁלֹּא עַל הַלֶּחֶם הַגַּשְׁמִי וּבִתְעַנּוּגֵי הַגּוּף הַזֶּה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם חַיִּים נִצְחִיִּים), but “by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem” (Deuteronomy 8:3) (כִּי אִם ״עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִּי ה׳), meaning: through guarding the utterances of His mouth (פֵּרוּשׁ: בִּשְׁמֹרוֹ מוֹצָא פִּיו). And when one enjoys that spiritual nourishment which Hashem provides (וּכְשֶׁנֶּהֱנֶה מֵאוֹתוֹ מָזוֹן רוּחָנִי שֶׁהקב״ה מְזַמֵּן לוֹ), man will live eternal life (יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם חַיִּים נִצְחִיִּים). And next to this He placed: “Your garment did not wear out upon you” (Deuteronomy 8:4) (וְסָמַךְ לָזֶה ״שִׂמְלָתְךָ לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיךָ), for just as with the manna you needed no other food because it was Divine (כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבַּאֲכִילַת הַמָּן לֹא הָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לְשׁוּם מָזוֹן אַחֵר כִּי הוּא אֱלוֹהִי), so too no human deficiency was lacking for you, including garments for the body (כָּךְ שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן מֵחִסְרוֹנוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם לֹא חָסַר לְךָ, שֶׁהֵם כְּסוּת כָּל הַגּוּף), this is what He said: “Your garment did not wear out upon you” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר: ״שִׂמְלָתְךָ לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיךָ).

The general principle is (כְּלָל הָעוֹלֶה), just as Adam HaRishon before he sinned did not sense anything bodily (כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן קֹדֶם שֶׁחָטָא לֹא הִרְגִּישׁ בְּדָבָר גּוּפָנִי), for he enjoyed the spiritual trees as permitted (שֶׁהָיָה נֶהֱנֶה מֵהָאִילָנוֹת הָרוּחָנִיִּים כִּי כֵן הוּרְשָׁה), as it says, “From every tree of the garden you shall eat” (Bereshit 2:16) (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל), and he needed no covering until they sinned (וְלֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְשׁוּם כְּסוּת עַד שֶׁחָטְאוּ), as it says, “And they knew that they were naked” (Bereshit 3:7) (דִּכְתִיב ״וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם). So too, the Holy One Blessed Be He desired to do for Yisrael (כָּךְ רָצָה הקב״ה לַעֲשׂוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), by feeding them the manna for a long time (בְּהַאֲכִילָם הַמָּן זְמַן רַב), and providing for all their needs in clothing (וּלְמַלּוֹת חֶסְרוֹנָם בְּכְסוּתָם), so that they would attain the secrets of the Torah (כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּשִּׂיגוּ סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה), and live eternal life (וִיחְיוּ חַיִּים נִצְחִיִּים). But when they craved bodily lusts (וּכְשֶׁהִתְאַוּוּ תַּאֲווֹת גּוּפָנִיּוֹת), and their vital souls were satisfied from them (וְשָׂבְעָה נַפְשָׁם הַחִיּוּנִית מֵהֶם), immediately death was decreed upon them (מִיָּד נִגְזְרָה עֲלֵיהֶם מִיתָה), and their hearts became dulled from understanding the secrets of the Torah (וְנִטְמַטֵּם לִבָּם מִלְּהָבִין סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה), just as happened to Adam HaRishon (כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרָה לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן).

Behold, it is now clear to you through true proofs (הֲרֵי בָּרוּר לְךָ בְּרָאִיּוֹת אֱמִתִּיּוֹת) that the sin of requesting meat, which Yisrael asked (שֶׁעֲוֹן שְׁאֵלַת הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁשָּׁאֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), and their speaking against the Divine manna (וּסִפּוּרָם בְּגְנוּת הַמָּן הָאֱלוֹהִי), and remembering the coarse, animalistic foods they had eaten in Egypt (וְזִכְרָם הַמַּאֲכָלוֹת הַגַּסּוֹת הַבְּהֵמִיּוֹת שֶׁאָכְלוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם), earned them a punishment greater than that of the sin of the Calf (הָיָה לָהֶם בָּזֶה עוֹנֶשׁ גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר מֵעֲוֹן הָעֵגֶל). For there, the Holy One Blessed Be He atoned and forgave them through the prayer of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (שֶׁשָּׁם כִּפֵּר וְסָלַח לָהֶם הקב״ה עַל יְדֵי תְּפִלַּת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), and through the remorse they felt and the repentance they did (וְהַחֲרָטָה שֶׁנִּתְחָרְטוּ וְהַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ).

But regarding the sin of lusting after physical pleasures (וּבַעֲוֹן הַתַּאֲוָה שֶׁהִתְאַוּוּ), Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, was not able to pray on their behalf (לֹא עָצַר כֹּחַ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲדָם), and they themselves did not restrain their mouths from destruction (וְגַם לֹא הֵשִׁיבוּ פִּיהֶם מִבֶּלַע), but at all times (אֶלָּא בְּכָל עֵת), their longing grew for luxury and bodily pleasures (גָּדְלָה תַּשׁוּקָתָם לְהִתְעַסֵּק בְּמוֹתָרוֹת וּבְתַּעֲנוּגֵי הַגּוּף). And after this, Moshe warned them and said (וְאַחַר זֶה הִתְרָה מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר לָהֶם), do not despair of Hashem’s mercy (אַל תִּתְיָאֲשׁוּ מֵרַחֲמֵי ה׳), when you are despised and lowly (כְּשֶׁתִּהְיוּ נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים), smitten and afflicted among the nations (מוּכִּים וּמְעֻנִּים בֵּין הַגּוֹיִים).