ויקראו בית ישראל את שמו מן והוא כזרע גד לבן וטעמו כצפיחית בדבש" שמות ט"ז, ל"א"
…they called it מן and it tasted like a wafer fried in honey…
HaRav Shimon Schwab zt”l speaks of a Shabbos in(1930 he spent with the Chofetz Chaim. Friday night the Chofetz Chaim posed a question for those sitting around his table. If the מן tasted in accordance with the thought of each individual person, asked the Chofetz Chaim, what then would it taste like if the one eating the מן was not thinking whilst eating?
The Chofetz Chaim turned to all those assembled for a response, with none forthcoming. He then said – I will tell you – "אז מ'טראכט נישט האט עס קיין טעם נישט" If you do not think, it has no taste at all. Spiritual things receive its taste in accordance with the מחשבה.
The Chofetz Chaim added a parable to learning Torah. Only one who learns Torah and toils with his thinking to understand Torah, will taste its sweetness. (The Chofetz Chaim put his holy fingers to his lips to signify sweetness.) That is why we make the daily bracha of והערב נא. If we merely say the words without understanding, it remains tasteless, concluded the Chofetz Chaim.
Mechanchim of today’s generation are in competition with an abundance of external stimuli. There is less and less “thinking” in the learning process. By introducing, or reintroducing “thinking” into our lessons, we will have the great zechus to merit transmitting the sweetness of Torah to our students.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.
