Бамидбар 11:8 Комментарий: Rashi, Rashbam, Tur HaArokh & Rabbeinu Bahya

שטו [AND THE PEOPLE] WENT ABOUT — The term שיוט (i. e. any form of the root שוט) denotes strolling about; esbanoyer in O. F., English to walk about leisurely — they got the manna without exertion (cf. however, Yoma 75a and thereon s. v. ירד המן עליו).

לשד, all of it the substance, no part of it refuse, waste. The expression occurs in Psalms 32,4 נהפך לשדי בחרבוני קיץ סלה, “my vigor waned as in a summer drought.” On this verse, Rashi describes this as “my moisture dried up as when figs become dry.”

טעמו כטעם לשד השמן, “it tasted like a dough kneaded with oil.” The Torah testifies that this answers the accusation that the manna was completely dry-tasting, saying that, on the contrary, it contained elements which made it taste moist without requiring the people to even have to add an additive in order to make it moist tasting. After eating it the person having eaten it would feel very refreshed.

וטחנו ברחים וגו׳ AND THE PEOPLE GROUND IT WITH MILL STONES [OR POUNDED IT IN THE MORTAR, AND BAKED IT IN PANS] — As a matter of fact it (the manna) never went into a mill, nor a pot, nor a mortar, but its taste changed, according to one’s desire, into that of ground or pounded or cooked grain (Sifrei Bamidbar 89).