Shabbat Shalom!
The Torah portion for this week, Beshallach, contains many dramatic moments. The crossing of the Red Sea, the final defeat of Pharaoh and his army, the appearance of manna from heaven, and the climatic battle with the Amalekites.
An old custom followed to this day is of reading the passage describing the manna from heaven on the Tuesday of the week the portion Beshallach is read. Just as the Jewish people could not have been sustained in the desert without God’s help in providing the miraculous bread, so too all of us are, in the end, dependent on God’s providence. Therefore, the custom arose of singling out and studying parashat manna (Exodus 16) the episode of the manna, in the hopes of seeking God’s help in our own sustenance.
During these difficult times, more of us are praying to be able to make ends meet, or find a job, or keep the job we have. Many of us have anxiety about our financial future. Many of us have deep concerns about our health, or the health of loved ones. May the Holy One who sustained our ancestors bless and sustain us, and all people, Amen.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Doug Sagal