One of the topics covered in the weekly Torah portion is Manna. This was a food that accompanied the Jewish people during their journey through the desert.
The Torah relates that it fell from the sky (to such an extent that when eating it, the blessing hamotzi lechem min hashamáim - who brings the bread from heaven!) was recited in the early morning and was collected and processed by people to make it edible.
This food had several special qualities, such as being able to taste whatever one wanted, lasting only one day (except for the one that fell on Friday, which lasted through Friday and Shabbat, the day it did not fall on), and the difficulty of its collection depended on the spiritual level of the person, among others.
The stories in the Torah are not merely stories; they carry within them teachings for daily life in our times and places. In fact, the Zohar states that just as human beings have a body and a soul, so does the Torah: the stories are the body of the Torah, while its meaning and teachings are its soul. It is in this way that something sublime and abstract "takes form" in this world so that we humans can benefit from its wisdom.
Regarding the manna, one might think it's merely a historical tale, since manna doesn't fall from the sky today. Furthermore, while great miracles concerning food will occur in the Messianic Age, there's no mention of manna falling again. So, what is the purpose of the story of manna in the desert?
In addition to the virtues mentioned, the Man had another outstanding characteristic: it was completely free of waste. All the food we eat has a percentage of useful matter—proteins, vitamins, fiber, etc.—and a percentage of waste. Our digestive system is responsible for separating the useful parts from the useless ones, retaining the former and discarding the latter.
However, the Man was not to be wasted: everything was absorbed by the body.
One of the symbolic meanings of Manna is the Torah itself. Just as Manna was without waste, the Torah is without waste.
Every detail, every story, every tale contains a wealth of useful material for our lives. While some things may seem "outdated," one must delve deeper into the study to discover the modern application of that idea. In other words, we don't have to live as people did 3,000 years ago; rather, we must live today, utilizing all the technology and accumulated wisdom alongside the eternal principles of the Torah, which is something entirely different.
As Rabbi Meir used to say in Ethics of Our Fathers: "Do not look at the container, but at what is inside," the Torah has a completely useful raw material.
We simply need to ingest and digest it, as the Psalms say, "Taste and see that God is good.""