Wow food

Why was Mon, the Manna, given that name?

Rashi explains “mon” means ‘food”. It was called “food” in generic terms because they did not know specifically what it was. Indeed, Chazal tell us that the Mon’s taste changed according to how one wished it to taste. It could be only known as “food”, for it was chameleon in its very nature.

Others explain the Mon was called that because they wondered what it was; “Mon hu?!” they called to each other, – “What is it?”. Perhaps the reason we have kept the name is to emphasize its miraculous nature. It will forever be a source of wonder to us. We will never become habituated to it so as to disregard the daily miracle Hashem has done us. It will always stay “What is it?!”, a “Wow!”-food.

Maybe we ought to have the same attitudes towards our daily bread too, that we will behold it in an attitude of grateful wonder, and not as something taken for granted!