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The Gemarah in Yoma 75a explains that the manna imparted all flavors except five flavors. Based on this idea, can one have in mind the taste of pork while eating the manna, or do we say that anything that comes from shamayim cannot produce issur (Sanhedrin 59b)?

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3 Answers 3

Pork is not kosher, the taste of pork is not non-kosher. Only the animal itself is.

The Midrash Tanchuma speaks of fish called the Shibuta which has the same taste as pork.

For each thing that was prohibited, the Lord permitted something else instead. Since He prohibited the flesh of the swine, which is considered so fine, a substitute for it was created: "I forbade you the flesh of the swine, but I permitted you the tongue of the fish known as shibuta, which is like pork" (Midrash Tanhuma, Shemini 12).

So there are no "non-kosher" tastes.

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The Gemara says that the Jews complained about those five things because the manna could not taste like any of them. Since in Egypt, the people could eat pork, the implication is that they were not deprived of that taste. The Gemara in Sanhedrin does not contradict this, because the manna tasting like something assur is not actually something assur.

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The basic פשט (simple explanation) of the פסוק (verse) is the Manna was "like coriander seed, it was white and it tasted like a cake fried in honey".( שמות פרק טז פסוק לא).

From the verse itself it tasted like cake fried in honey.

The מדרש comments that you are quoting from Yoma may not have to be taken literally. Perhaps they suggest a deep idea and insight into the way they could relate to the Manna.

However, we are not bound to take this מדרש literally (See אברהם בן הרמבם on מדרש). So perhaps this may remove the question you are asking. (otherwise this is just a not so veiled attempt at distinguishing between מדרש and פשט)

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