שמות, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ״ח

When some of the Israelites go out to gather manna on the seventh day, God's response reveals a deep displeasure that goes far beyond the specific act. The divine reaction raises profound questions about faith, leadership responsibility, and the essence of the relationship between the people and their Creator. Interestingly, God addresses Moses using a plural form, asking how long they will refuse to obey. This phrasing suggests different ways to view the leader's role in the failure of the people. One perspective is that God is not blaming Moses at all, but simply instructing him to deliver the exact words of rebuke to the nation [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, קאסוטו]. Another view suggests that Moses is included in the criticism through no fault of his own. Much like an ancient proverb where a good cabbage is uprooted along with the weeds surrounding it, the righteous often absorb the condemnation directed at the wicked [רש״י, תורה תמימה, שפתי חכמים]. However, a more critical approach argues that Moses bears a tiny fraction of responsibility. In his desire to surprise the nation with the miracle of a double portion of manna on the sixth day, he delayed teaching them the practical laws of the Sabbath. This lack of clarity is what led people to mistakenly go out and gather [ספורנו, אור החיים, בכור שור, צרור המור]. Furthermore, including Moses in the rebuke teaches that keeping the Sabbath is not merely a private matter, but a collective responsibility. When a portion of the nation sins, the entire national body is affected, placing a duty on the leadership and the community to warn and protect one another [ברכת אשר].

The divine accusation of refusal points to an explicit rejection. Rather than a quiet, internal reluctance, this refusal is expressed outwardly as a rejection of God's burden, even if deep down the people recognize the truth but simply find the effort too difficult [מלבי״ם, פרדס יוסף]. The rebuke for violating the Sabbath is then broadened to include all of God's commandments and laws. Some understand this plural phrasing as a reference to the two practical instructions that were broken regarding the manna: the command not to leave any until morning, and the instruction regarding the sanctity of the Sabbath and the double portion [אבן עזרא, חזקוני, ביאור יש״ר, אור החיים]. Others see a fundamental distinction between action and belief. The commandments represent the practical laws and physical restrictions, such as tearing the manna and carrying it from one domain to another. The laws, on the other hand, point to the deeper reasons, the faith, and the worldview derived from these actions, which teach about God's ongoing providence and His creation of the world [ספורנו, רלב״ג, רש״ר הירש].

By elevating a single violation of the Sabbath to a term that encompasses the entirety of the Torah, God highlights the immense weight of the day of rest. A person who goes out to seek a livelihood on the Sabbath against God's will is essentially declaring that he relies entirely on his own strength, his own efforts, and the laws of nature. This mindset denies Divine providence and rejects the reality that God is the ultimate provider, thereby destroying the very foundation of the relationship with the Creator [רש״ר הירש, תורה תמימה, ברכת אשר, פרדס יוסף]. Ultimately, God expresses profound disappointment. Even though He had restricted them with very few rules up to this point, they already turned their backs, revealing a fundamental difficulty in accepting His authority [העמק דבר, ביאור שטיינזלץ].