Putting a menu together in the restaurant industry is a very thought out and meticulous process. It begins with the owner, likely in consultation with others, determining the style of restaurant and finding the ideal chef. The chef, spends hours, perhaps years in the kitchen perfecting his or her recipes, and choosing which dishes are suitable for the menu. The process does not end there. Menu printing: prices, layout, and of course the names of the items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stuffed pasta squares not only will not sell as well as ravioli, but it will taste worse than ravioli. A study by Oxford psychologist Charles Spence showed that the names of dishes actually affects our perception of its taste. Food having an ethnic name, like Italian titles of our pasta, are rated as more authentic. If a sandwich has an evocative description, it will receive more positive comments about the dish\u2019s appeal and taste. Things taste sweet when they have more sugar, and spicy with hot sauce, but even highlighting a flavor in a food\u2019s description brings out the flavor or texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even young children are part of this culture: Many kids prefer Wacky Mac over macaroni and cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our parsha this week we are introduced to the most delicious taste in history, from the very best Chef, G-d Himself providing \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e for us in the desert. Chazal tell us that the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e tasted like whatever you would like, the prefect texture, sweetness, not to mention low fat low carb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But where is the sophistication in the name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e mean? There are two primary views in the commentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rashi- \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e is a generic term for food. A prepared food is called \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ibn Ezra, Rashbam and others- \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e means WHAT. Bnei yisroel seeing this strange thing fallen from the sky turn to each other and ask \u201cwhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It makes sense they would give it such a strange name:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a3\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05bd\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u0597\u05dc \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05a8\u05d0\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u059c\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b4\u05a4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05d5\u0599 \u05de\u05b8\u05a3\u05df \u05d4\u0594\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u059b\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05a5\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b0\u05e2\u0596\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05be\u05d4\u0591\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05a4\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d4\u0599 \u05d0\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d4\u05b6\u0594\u05dd \u05d4\u05a3\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b7\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u0594\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a8\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05a7\u05df \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u059b\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u0596\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, \u201cWhat is it?\u201d\u2014for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, \u201cThat is the bread which the L-RD has given you to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They literally did not know what it was. They did not even know yet that it was food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as the days pass, they surely realize its food. That week they must have been very satisfied with this unexpected exquisite dish from heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pesukim continue and tell us that as Moshe told them, no \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e fell on Shabbos. Some went anyway, but they did not find any \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e to collect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comes Sunday, and the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e falls again. And again it is named:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a7\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b5\u05bd\u05d9\u05ea\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u059b\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u0596\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b8\u0591\u05df \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u0597\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d6\u05b6\u05a4\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d2\u05b7\u05bc\u05d3\u0599 \u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u0594\u05df \u05d5\u05b0\u05d8\u05b7\u05e2\u05b0\u05de\u0596\u05d5\u05b9 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e6\u05b7\u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d7\u05b4\u05a5\u05ea \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d3\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05bd\u05e9\u05c1\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The house of Israel named it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers in honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now they know what it is! It tastes delicious, they are being fed Heavenly food, why do they stick to the trivial name \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e- food, or whatchamacallit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly what caused this rededication to the name \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e? Why do they name it a second time? They called it \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e the first time it fell!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, one of the Roshei Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, suggests that the appreciation of the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e was reaffirmed after Shabbos. After a day of the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e disappearing, they were unsure what would follow. When Sunday\u2019s \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e fell, their excitement returned. So they renamed it \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But why \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e? Human nature is to get used to anything. When we see fettuccini or ravioli on the menu, it doesn\u2019t really excite us. And the restaurants have upped their game with even more exotic names of dishes. Eventually a flashy name loses its allure. The \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e was exotic and exciting when it first fell, and that second week the excitement returned. So in choosing a name for the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e, they chose something they could eternalize, a name that would capture not the dish\u2019s taste, but their initial surprise and excitement. For the next 40 years, \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e would continue to fall each day, albeit without the excitement. Forever called what is this?, the term \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e served as a reminder of how special, unique, and unexpected the \u05de\u05b8\u05df\u200e is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They tell a story of Rav Avigdor Miller submerging his head under the kitchen sink. When his granddaughter asked him what he was doing, he explained that he wanted a better appreciation for air, so he submerged his head for thirty seconds to appreciate a breath of air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of our most precious possessions are those which we take most for granted. When I recently was in the market for a planner, I saw that some had space for writing down things I am grateful for. But you do not need to buy a planner: try making a list of five things you are grateful for. Then add five more tomorrow. Keep adding five a day and if you continue the exercise, eventually you will recognize hundreds of core items you are thankful for that you overlooked the first few days. Only by following in the footsteps of Bnei Yisroel and making conscious decisions to remind ourselves of our appreciation will we be able to develop a proper sense of gratitude.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Putting a menu together in the restaurant industry is a very thought out and meticulous process. It begins with the owner, likely in consultation with others, determining the style of restaurant and finding the ideal chef. The chef, spends hours, perhaps years in the kitchen perfecting his or her recipes, and choosing which dishes are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,72,10,26],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":316,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions\/316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}