In Parshat Chukat, Bamidbar 21:5, we read: “The people spoke
out against God and Moshe, ‘Why did you bring us out of
the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we are disgusted with this
lechem haklokel (rotten bread).’”
According to Rashi, they called the manna lechem haklokel
because it was absorbed in the limbs. They said, “The manna will eventually
swell in our stomachs. Can anyone born of a woman take in food and not expel
it?”
Gur Aryeh points out that they were afraid that the rotten
waste materials would accumulate in their stomachs.
In Tehilim 78:25 the psalm says: “Man ate lechem abirim (the
bread of angels): he sent them provision to the full.”
Was the manna rotten bread as B’nai Yisrael described it or
was it bread of angels as the psalm indicates?
In Masechet Yoma 75b we are told that at first the manna was
like the bread of angels and miraculously absorbed into the limbs so there was
no need to go to the bathroom. Once B’nai Yisrael called it lechem haklokel and
started complaining that it would have no refuse and would swell their stomachs
then God removed the miracle and made it a food that would have refuse. After that
they would have to walk behind the camp three parsaot (8000 amot) each time
that they would need to go to the bathroom.
So the answer is no and yes. At first there was no need to
use the bathroom and B’nai Yisrael didn’t realize how good they had it. After
that they had to suffer the consequences and go to the back of the camp.
Of course, in those days there were no bathrooms and that is
why it says in Devarim 23:13-14: “You shall have a place outside of the camp
where you shall withdraw yourself and you shall have a spade among your weapons
and it shall be that when you sit outside you shall dig with it to cover your
excrement.”
We are lucky to be living at a time where there are public
restrooms available and usually in close proximity. We often take bathrooms for
granted until we are out camping and then we understand how much B’nai Yisrael
must have been kicking themselves after they complained about the manna.
