Sinai & The Law

They traveled on from Eilim, and the whole community of the people of Isra'el arrived at the Seen Desert, between Eilim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt.

There in the desert the whole community of the people of Isra'el grumbled against Moshe and Aharon.

The people of Isra'el said to them, "We wish ADONAI had used his own hand to kill us off in Egypt! There we used to sit around the pots with the meat boiling, and we had as much food as we wanted. But you have taken us out into this desert to let this whole assembly starve to death!"

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Here, I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather a day's ration every day. By this I will test whether they will observe my Torah or not.

On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have brought in, it will turn out to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

Moshe and Aharon said to all the people of Isra'el, "This evening, you will realize that it has been ADONAI who brought you out of Egypt;

and in the morning, you will see ADONAI's glory. For he has listened to your grumblings against ADONAI - what are we that you should grumble against us?"

Moshe added, "What I have said will happen when ADONAI gives you meat to eat this evening and your fill of bread tomorrow morning. ADONAI has listened to your complaints and grumblings against him - what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against ADONAI."

Moshe said to Aharon, "Say to the whole community of Isra'el, 'Come close, into the presence of ADONAI, for he has heard your grumblings.'"

As Aharon spoke to the whole community of the people of Isra'el, they looked toward the desert; and there before them the glory of ADONAI appeared in the cloud;

and ADONAI said to Moshe,

"I have heard the grumblings of the people of Isra'el. Say to them: 'At dusk you will be eating meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will realize that I am ADONAI your God.'"

That evening, quails came up and covered the camp; while in the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp.

When the dew had evaporated, there on the surface of the desert was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

When the people of Isra'el saw it, they asked each other, "Man hu? [What is it?]"because they didn't know what it was. Moshe answered them, "It is the bread which ADONAI has given you to eat.

Here is what ADONAI has ordered: each man is to gather according to his appetite - each is to take an 'omer [two quarts] per person for everyone in his tent."

The people of Isra'el did this. Some gathered more, some less;

but when they put it in an 'omer-measure, whoever had gathered much had no excess; and whoever had gathered little had no shortage; nevertheless each person had gathered according to his appetite.

Moshe told them, "No one is to leave any of it till morning."

But they didn't pay attention to Moshe, and some kept the leftovers until morning. It bred worms and rotted, which made Moshe angry at them.

So they gathered it morning after morning, each person according to his appetite; but as the sun grew hot, it melted.

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two 'omers per person; and all the community leaders came and reported to Moshe.

He told them, "This is what ADONAI has said: 'Tomorrow is a holy Shabbat for ADONAI. Bake what you want to bake; boil what you want to boil; and whatever is left over, set aside and keep for the morning.'"

They set it aside till morning, as Moshe had ordered; and it didn't rot or have worms.

Moshe said, "Today, eat that; because today is a Shabbat for ADONAI - today you won't find it in the field.