In the Torah portion of Behaalos’cha, the Torah speaks at length about the manna, the heavenly food that sustained the Jewish people during our 40-year sojourn in the desert.

With regard to the manna, the Gemara notes: The verse states1 that “When the dew would descend upon the camp during the night, the manna would settle upon it.” From this verse it would seem that the manna descended within the encampment.

However, the verse also states:2 “The people went out and collected [the manna].” This would seem to indicate that the people had to go outside the camp in order to get it. Moreover, yet another verse states:3 “The people would spread out and collect [the manna].” In other words, the people would have to go a long way to receive the manna.

How are we to reconcile these three verses?

The Gemara answers that the verses are speaking of three different categories of Jews: The righteous had the manna descend at the entrance to their tents; the intermediates would go out a short distance and collect it; while the wicked would have to go a greater distance.

The manna is described in the Torah as “bread from heaven.”4 Because of this, there are some Sages5 who say that the blessing over manna was “who brings forth bread from heaven.”

The difference between physical bread and heavenly bread is that regular bread requires a great deal of labor to prepare.6 In addition, it produces waste products. This was not so with the manna. All the various forms of labor were not necessary; moreover, the manna did not produce any waste.7

This very special food was eaten by all the Jews while in the desert, serving as sustenance not only for the righteous and intermediate, but also for the wicked. Even for them it produced no waste. In other words, even when the manna was consumed by the wicked, it retained its essential nature.

And not only was the manna itself not subject to change; it even produced a change for the better in those who ate it — it refined even the wicked. Thus our Sages of blessed memory state8 that by eating the manna, the Jewish people became worthy of receiving and expounding the Torah.

Thus, the effect of the manna was felt by each of the 600,000 Jews who received the Torah. For each Jew has a unique contribution to make.9 By eating the manna, even the lowliest was able to reveal and expound on his unique portion of Torah.

And although it is true that even after eating the manna some of the wicked remained wicked, and did not become elevated even to the intermediate category, it nevertheless had a positive effect on them as well.

In light of the above, we can understand our Rabbis’ advice10 that if one does not know which portion to read on Shabbos, he should read the portion of the manna, for that portion was transmitted on Shabbos.

The above statement must be understood. Many portions were said on Shabbos, foremost among them the portion of the Ten Commandments.11 Why not recite that portion when in doubt as to which one should be read?

According to the above, the reason is entirely understandable, for there is a unique relationship between the manna and Shabbos.

The nature of the manna was such that even as it descended from on high to this world it lost none of its spiritual qualities — so much so, that even when eaten by a wicked person it produced no waste, but rather refined him.

This same quality is found in Shabbos: The sanctity of Shabbos is so great that although it is a mitzvah to delight in physical pleasures on that day, we are nevertheless assured12 that — unlike the weekdays, when indulging in physical delights coarsens us — this delight will have no deleterious effect on our spirituality. On the contrary, the delight itself becomes a mitzvah.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, pp. 1035-1038.