Remember that kid in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who ate the stuff that made her all blue and bloated? We've all heard the expression "You are what you eat," but for the most part, this remains invisible to the observer. "You are what you eat" is an expression usually reserved for late- night deep thoughts around a campfire or when seeking conformation and support in your decision to keep kosher or become a veggie. We all know that there is some truth to this expression, but we do not actually observe visually any changes taking place based on what we eat. We might feel it, but we can't see it. Yet imagine if it would be visible -- if we could actually see the change that food and drink has on each other...
Scene I
A fine early morning at Anycity U. outside of a dorm apartment. It is 4:00AM. The blue door to the apartment is pulsating to the beat of music being played quite loudly inside. The door opens and a young man staggers out shutting the door behind him with a bang.
YOU - Hey Keg, what's up?
KEN - My name's Ken!
YOU - Yeah but you look like a Keg!
KEN - You don't look so hot yourself, Mr. Burgerfries!
This situation could be pretty difficult to cope with. A whole new definition could be added to the term "fishhead," not to mention "pothead."
Yet, in an incredible twist on a verse in this weeks parsha, Rav Mendel Ribner z"l says that this is actually what happened when the Jews ate the Manna in the desert. The verse states: "And each man said to his brother 'man hu' ('it is manna'), for they knew not what it was, and Moses said to them: 'This is the food that Hashem has given you to eat (Shemot 16:15)." Says Rav Mendel: one who ate of the manna, the heavenly food, his face would change and he would take on a new appearance until he was no longer easily recognizable -- for he was not the same person as he was before. "And each man said to his brother 'man hu' " -- who is this person? I barely recognize him at all, he looks so holy! "And Moses said to them: 'This is the food that Hashem has given you to eat.'" -- it is this heavenly food which has caused this!
May we all be soon blessed with the type of heavenly nourishment that will modify our very essence to the extent that our exteriors will broadcast our upliftment to all - to those who have the eyes to see, and even to those who do not.