“In order to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that God decrees.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) While Bnai Yisrael were journeying through the desert God provided them with a special kind of food, namely manna, in order to soothe their hunger. Food alone, though, was not enough to sustain Bnai Yisrael. Bnai Yisrael needed God’s love and God’s Torah in order to make it through the desert of their lives.
Just as Bnai Yisrael lived off of more than physical sustenance, we too should recognize that we do not live on bread alone. What are other ways in which we sustain ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Is exercise part of our daily routine? Have we taken a moment to reflect each week? Do we have a regular Shabbat routine?
Let this Pasuk serve as a reminder of our need to nourish our souls as well as our stomachs.