תהלים, פרק ע״ח, פסוק כ״ז

The Israelites in the wilderness experienced a miraculous provision of meat that defied the laws of nature, both in its sheer volume and in the way it arrived. The meat appeared in unimaginable amounts, compared to the dust of the earth and the sand on the seashore. God brought the birds using the wind, showering them down upon the Israelite camp in such abundance that it resembled a heavy rainstorm.

Beyond the massive quantity, another miracle occurred in how the birds were captured. Naturally, winged creatures could easily ride the wind and fly away to escape. However, the moment these birds reached the camp, their ability to fly vanished. They suddenly became as heavy as sand and dropped straight down into the camp, falling to the ground like dust [רד״ק, אלשיך, מלבי״ם].

Even though this meat fell miraculously from the sky, it was not ready for immediate consumption. The Israelites were required to prepare the birds according to the strict laws of ritual slaughter. Just as Moses had commanded, they had to properly slaughter the birds by severing the windpipe or the esophagus before eating them [תורה תמימה].