שמות, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ״ה

The Israelites' first experience with Sabbath rest in the wilderness was clouded by practical anxieties regarding their daily sustenance. To calm their fears and establish the holiness of the day, Moses addresses the people, elevating the simple act of eating into a spiritual commandment. Since the Manna they possessed was left over from the previous day, the Israelites worried it might be forbidden to eat, similar to the strict rules governing sacrificial meat on the day after it is offered. Moses clarifies that consuming it is not only permitted but required [אור החיים, שפתי כהן]. Furthermore, Moses wants to prevent them from rationing their food out of a lingering fear that the Manna might have stopped falling entirely. He instructs them to eat abundantly and honor the day without worrying about tomorrow [אלשיך, שפתי כהן]. Through this, eating on the Sabbath transforms from a purely physical necessity into a spiritual duty. By delighting the body, a person draws closer to God, demonstrating that resting from labor is not mere laziness but a profound devotion to the divine will [רש״ר הירש].

The emphasis on eating specifically on this day also serves as a boundary, teaching that the food preserved from Friday is permitted only during the Sabbath itself and not afterward [ספורנו, ביאור יש״ר]. The triple repetition of this timeframe throughout Moses's instructions forms the foundation for the practice of eating three distinct meals on the Sabbath [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, צאינה וראינה, משכיל לדוד]. Fulfilling these three meals is considered highly beneficial, offering protection from three future periods of turmoil: the birth pangs of the Messiah, the judgment of Gehenna, and the great war of Gog and Magog [תורה תמימה, שפתי כהן, רש״ר הירש]. On a deeper level, these three meals hint at higher spiritual illuminations. Each meal corresponds to a different spiritual trait, and together they serve as direct nourishment for the soul [רבנו בחיי, חומת אנך, משכיל לדוד].

This exchange reflects a continuous dialogue between Moses and the people throughout the day. Having grown accustomed to gathering their food every morning, the Israelites had not yet fully internalized the essence of a day of rest. They assumed the double portion provided on Friday was simply meant to give them enough time to bake and cook before the Sabbath began, but they still expected raw Manna to fall, or thought they would need to gather in the evening for the next day's meals [גור אריה, לבוש האורה, דברי דוד]. When they approached Moses in the morning to ask if they should go out, he told them to eat what they already had. When they returned later to ask again, Moses clarified that the day was a Sabbath to God. Just as God rested from labor during the creation of the world, He was, so to speak, resting on this day and withholding the Manna [העמק דבר, ביאור שטיינזלץ, קאסוטו].

As the day wore on, the people began to worry that the Manna had stopped falling permanently. Moses reassured them that it was only on this specific day that they would not find it outside; the very next morning, it would return as usual [רש״י, מזרחי, ברטנורא]. Although the food could not be found out in the field, this absence was purely physical. The divine blessing and spiritual abundance that would sustain them through the upcoming six weekdays were no longer waiting outside, but were now gathered and concentrated deeply within their own homes [אור החיים, אלשיך].