Eikev- Can Man live by bread alone?
In the Torah portion of Eikev this verse is brought: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by the utterance of God's mouth does man live." (Berachot 4a, Deuteronomy 8:3) The manna, the miraculous nourishment that G-d provided for the Israelites throughout their 40 years of traveling in the wilderness, taught them to place their faith in G-d and keep His commandments, which are the real source of life.
It proves the fact that human beings need more than physical sustenance to survive, they also need spiritual nourishment. Human beings do not depend on physical bread alone for their sustenance but on the word and will of G‑d. The verse indicates that physical survival was dependent not only on bread (manna), but also on G-d's divine providence.
Beyond the literal meaning, this passage contains a larger spiritual message. Human existence is more than just meeting physical demands like food and material luxuries. Rather, it underlines the need of recognizing and connecting with life's spiritual dimension, which involves following the divine guidance of the seven Noahide rules and living in accordance with these precepts.
According to the Hasidic master Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: the utterance of G‑d’s mouth" goes for the divine spark that exists in the bread and gives nourishment to the body and the soul as well. In the coming redemption, everyone will be able to see the word of G-d that revives everything in the entire creation. The divine presence will no longer be disregarded as the physical universe will reveal G-dliness.
Rabbi Moshe Bernstein is a writer and a Community Rabbi in Netanya, Israel. He believes in making connections between the Jewish People and the Noahides worldwide in order to share and enhance the knowledge of the Torah's Universal Code for Humanity and fulfill Isaiah's Prophecy 11:9 " And the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the oceans". Rabbi Moshe Bernstein is the author of the book Light Onto the Nations: A Guide to the Seven Noahide Laws.
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