However, the Manna was bread [that descended to the B’nei Yisroel] below [into this world as food and sustenance] from heaven in a manner that [even after] it descended so as to sustain the physical body it remained in existence exactly with the same identity and substance as it was when it was above in the heaven. And because of how lofty was this [Manna] was it able to descend to every single Jew, even to those who were on the lowest level that [because of their low level they] needed to crush their Manna to eat it [as the Possuk states:] דָכוּ בַמְּדֹכָה “They crushed it in a mortar”. And even when the Manna became a part of their blood and flesh it continued to retain its identity as [it was] ‘Bread from heaven’ and had a spiritual effect on them, this was all possible because of how lofty this [Manna] was that it had no boundaries.
This also explains why the Manna was white in colour because the colour white alludes to simplicity as is explained in Maamorim for Yom Kippur, regarding the linen clothing of the Kohen Godol that were white. And since even after the Manna descended it retained its identity as something that transcended boundaries therefore its colour was white expressing its simplicity. Thus, because of this whiteness which is its simplicity it included all tastes.
However, the Manna’s inclusion of all tastes did not extend so far [as to also include all appearances, so] that one would be able to see the actual thing one was tasting (as in normal eating that one sees what one tastes) because all they saw was the Manna [yet] because the tastes within the Manna had no defined form, it was [still] all within this state of simplicity. And it is about this that they [the B’nei Yisroel] were complaining [when they said] that the Manna was white. They were complaining that they were not able to [appreciate fully and] vanquish the [materialistic] tastes that they were tasting whilst consuming the Manna because of its simple existence, as white.
In other words, the truth about the Manna is that because of its exalted spiritual existence; therefore, even after its descent it continues to exist as an exalted spiritual substance just as it was above before its descent. This is why it retained its simple form, and because of their [the B’nei Yisroel’s] spiritual demotion they did not want to eat food whose tastes were of such simplicity which is why they complained about the Manna which was white. Nevertheless, within them also – [the B’nei Yisroel], the Manna transformed into blood and flesh, and became as their own flesh and had a positive effect on them, this being due to its exaltedness. It was unbounded and [thus] was able to descend even lower as mentioned above.
