שמות, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ״ג

The introduction of the Sabbath transforms the daily struggle for sustenance into a profound expression of faith. The command regarding the manna marks the Torah's first explicit mention of Sabbath observance, illustrating that human effort is merely a vessel, while true abundance comes entirely from God [רש״ר הירש, חומש קה״ת]. When a double portion of manna falls, Moses explains its significance to the Israelites, or perhaps specifically to the elders [העמק דבר]. Although God had already informed Moses that twice as much food would arrive on the sixth day, Moses deliberately withheld this information. He waited so the people would be surprised upon gathering it, allowing their natural wonder to foster a deep recognition of the Sabbath's special honor [רשב״ם, הכתב והקבלה]. Another perspective suggests that God's very engagement with the laws of the Sabbath that morning is what brought about the miraculous multiplication of the manna [חתם סופר].

The concept of this rest represents a complete cessation from creative and transformative work, rooted in the recognition of God's absolute sovereignty over the world [רש״ר הירש]. The dual terminology used to describe this holy rest parallels other double aspects of the Sabbath, such as the double portion of manna and the additional sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle [רבנו בחיי]. This repetition also establishes the principle of extending the Sabbath, teaching that one should cease working even before the primary holiness of the day begins [קיצור בעל הטורים]. Beyond the immediate laws, commentators see a deeper symbolic layer, hinting at the difference between the current world, which is a semblance of rest, and the World to Come, which is a complete and perfect Sabbath [שפתי כהן]. Additionally, the specific wording serves as a Biblical allusion to the later Rabbinic prohibitions against certain types of work [תורה תמימה].

In anticipation of the Sabbath, Moses instructs the people to prepare their food in advance. The primary approach among commentators is that this directive is straightforward: whatever the Israelites wished to bake in an oven or boil in a pot should be prepared on the sixth day for both days [רש״י, ספורנו, מזרחי, ביאור יש״ר, שטיינזלץ]. However, an alternative tradition views the preparation differently, suggesting that the manna required no physical cooking at all. According to this view, a person merely had to think about a baked or boiled dish, and the manna miraculously assumed the desired flavor [פני דוד, שפתי כהן]. There is also a disagreement regarding what was actually eaten on the Sabbath itself. While most commentators maintain that the Israelites prepared the food for the Sabbath on Friday [רמב״ן, רש״י], another opinion argues that they baked and boiled only for the sixth day. Because Moses did not explicitly instruct them on how to prepare the second portion, they ate the Sabbath manna raw and entirely unprepared [אבן עזרא, שד״ל]. In the realm of Jewish law, this instruction to prepare food in advance serves as the Biblical foundation for the practice of setting aside a cooked dish before a festival, which permits a person to continue cooking from the festival into the Sabbath [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף].

Any food not consumed on the sixth day was to be carefully stored and put away for the Sabbath [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה]. Although the term for these remaining portions might imply inferior leftovers [ברכת אשר], the intention was entirely the opposite. The Israelites were expected to select the finest, most beautifully spiced portions and set them aside specifically to honor the Sabbath [הכתב והקבלה]. By leaving this manna until the morning, an additional miracle was revealed. Unlike the rest of the week, when any unconsumed manna quickly rotted and bred worms, the portion saved for the Sabbath remained completely fresh. This undeniable physical change further strengthened the people's faith in the unique holiness of the day [רלב״ג, בכור שור, קאסוטו].