A woman suddenly begins laboring on board an aircraft. A man suffers a heart attack while on a cruise.
These are startling events that change the trajectory of the journey for both the individual and the entire group. The plane may need to be diverted and the cruise ship may need to stop at the nearest harbor. Everybody is inconvenienced because they are sharing a vessel. They are literally in the same boat.
But, what if they weren’t tied at the hip? What if this was a single woman living alone – in labor, but also in need of assistance to deliver her baby? What if the man had no family and the only people that might help him were neighbors and passersby?
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In this week’s parsha we read of the heavenly food that the Jewish people enjoyed for 40 years during their sojourn in the wilderness. Every day, save for Shabbat and Festivals, the mon (manna) fell from heaven. The food was miraculous. Not only did it arrive wondrously from heaven, it was just enough and it tasted like anything you wanted. Just imagine a flavor and – abracadabra – that’s what it tasted like. Well, almost anything. There were a few exceptions. The Talmud suggests that it could not taste like cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Why did the manna change into everything except these? Because they are harmful for nursing mothers.
Why, you might wonder, could the manna not taste like cucumbers?! Even if some Jewish women were nursing mothers, certainly most of the Jews weren’t nursing mothers! Let it taste like cucumbers and let the nursing mothers stay away, as they do with regular food!
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In the early days of the Chabad movement, the Chassidim had a familiar saying: “The piece of bread that I have is yours just as it is mine.” And they would say the word “yours” first, “…yours just as it is mine.”
If I view my life as independent of yours, we only interact when necessary or beneficial. But, if we take the Chassidic attitude of “yours like mine,” everything about your life is a calling in my life. True, my duties lie with my life first. But that’s only because I am closest to the calling of my life. In principle, however, your life is just as important to me.
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From here we see two powerful lessons – one about Hashem and one about the Jewish nation.
From Hashem’s perspective, if He is going to feed the entire nation one food item – He will make sure it satiates everyone equally and poses no risk to anyone whatsoever!
From our perspective we see the unity and sacrifice of our people. We are all one. If one nursing mother is unable to eat this food, we should all take the necessary steps to help her.
We are never just standing by. We are always in the same boat.