Kommentar zu Schemot 16:13

השליו THE QUAILS — a species of fowl which is very fatty (cf. Yoma 75b).

(16:13) "And it was in the evening that the quail arose" — whence you learn that the quail was given to them with a "darkened countenance." "and it (the quail) covered the camp": I would not know to what extent. It is, therefore, written elsewhere (Numbers 11:31) "and about two cubits deep on the ground." And it was two cubits high above the ground so that a man standing (on the ground) could take it with ease. For (the distance) from his heart down is two cubits, and from his heart up, one cubit. R. Yossi Haglili says: (Ibid.) "And it was spread around the camp about a day's journey on one side and a day's journey on the other side" for a distance of three parasangs on every side, "and about two cubits deep on the ground", and (Psalms 78:28) "and He made them (the quail) fall in the midst of their camp around their dwellings." R. Yoshiyah says (Numbers 11:31) "And He spread them over the camp": three parasangs on each side. And what is the intent of (Ibid.) "about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on that side"? In height. Three by three, making nine (parasangs on each side). Nine and nine, eighteen (all together.) (And thus on all the sides roundabout the camp, as it is written ) (Ibid.) "and about two cubits deep on the ground" (roundabout the camp.) And it is written "And He made them fall in the midst of the camp around their dwellings." Others say: "And it was spread around the camp about a day's journey, etc.": the average (walking distance per day), ten parasangs. "and a day's journey on that side," making it twenty parasangs (all together). And it is written (Psalms 23:5) "You set a table before me in full view of my foes." I might think (that some of the quail fell) on uneven ground, (hard to come by). It is, therefore, written (Numbers 11:31, lit.,) "on the face of all the ground" — on level ground. One verse (Numbers 11:31) states "around the camp," and another (Psalms 78:28) "around their dwellings." (How are these verses to be reconciled?) It circled each dwelling. R. Eliezer says: "and about two cubits above the earth": the quail were two cubits above the ground, and Israel took them from the top (layer). Come and see how the manna descended for Israel: A north wind would come and "sweep" the desert. Then rain would come and clean the ground, and the dew would rise and the wind would blow on it and make it like golden tables, on which the manna descended. And Israel would eat it, saying: If this is what the L rd provides for those who angered Him (by their caviling), what must be the reward for the tzaddikim in the world to come! (Numbers 11:33) "the flesh was still between their teeth": They said: The "kosher" one among them ate it and became immediately diarrhetic. The wicked one among them ate it and suffered up to thirty days, viz. (Ibid.) "and the wrath of the L rd burned against them … an extremely sore plague." (Ibid. 35) "And the people journeyed from Chatzeiroth and they abode in Chatzeiroth": Now did they journey from Chatzeiroth and abide there? We are hereby apprised that they journeyed back for the sake of Miriam. (See Ibid. Chapter 12)

V. 13. Joma 75 b. werden vier Arten Selaw aufgerechnet, darunter פסיוני, wahrscheinlich Fasanen. Selaw wird als die geringste Art und als ein überaus fetter Vogel bezeichnet. Man hält Selaw für eine Wachtelart. Der Selaw ward ihnen in das Lager geworfen, sie hatten sich nicht darum zu bemühen, wie um das Manna, das sie vom Felde aufsammeln mussten. Es ist höchst bezeichnend, dass der Selaw, der ihnen nicht zum Segen, sondern nur zur Belehrung, dass Gott ihr Murren vernommen, gesendet wird, ihnen ohne Mühe, gleichsam vor die Füße geworfen wird, was ihnen aber die liebende Fürsorge Gottes spendet, nur durch ihre Mittätigkeit erreicht wird. —שכבת הטל, der Niederschlag des Taues. טל, von טלל, verwandt mit דלל, wovon דל, aus einer Höhe herabsinken, הלל, wovon תל, niederfallen in Trümmer; daher ַטל , der Niederschlag der zuvor aufgestiegenen Dünste. In den Wüsten überhaupt, in den asiatischen und afrikanischen Wüsten, wo die Ausdünstung fehlt, insbesondere, ist Tau nicht gewöhnlich. Wenn dem Manna, wie aus Bamidbar 11, 9 ersichtlich, immer ein Tauniederschlag voranging und, wie hier berichtet wird, nachfolgte, so dass das Manna zwischen zwei Lagen Tau zu liegen kam, so müssen beide besonders für das Manna gesendet, somit dafür wichtig gewesen sein. Wir vermuten, dass durch die vorangehende Tauniederlagerung der Wüstensand erst getränkt und dadurch fest wurde, so dass die Mannakörner nicht in den Sand fielen und sandig wurden. Der zweite Niederschlag reinigte die Körner vollends von allem, was sich im Niederfallen an sie angesetzt haben mochte.

ותעל השלו, “the quail appeared;” the gift of quails was a one time occurrence, which explains the people’s complaint in Numbers 11,4 where they craved meat. On that occasion G-d provided them with meat a second time as stated in the Talmud Erchin folio 15. Rashi writes that the demand by the people for meat in their diet described in Numbers was more insistent. The manna was provided by G-d daily for forty years. [After the disastrous results of many people dying from overeating on meat in the second year of their wanderings, and dying as a result, we never hear of such a request again. Ed.]

היתה שכבת הטל THERE WAS A LAYER OF DEW — Consequently the dew was lying upon the Manna. In another passage, however, it says, (Numbers 11:9) “And when the dew came down [upon the camp at night, the manna fell upon it]” and so there was dew under the Manna! Thus we see that the dew fell upon the ground and the Manna fell upon it, and then dew fell again upon this, and so it was as though it were carefully packed in a chest (Yoma 75b).