Shabbat Beshalach
What is a miracle?
The miracle of the Red Sea which we read this week is the most significant and popular of the biblical miracles. All the people experienced something amazing. At that moment they all believed in God. Yet barely days later they were complaining and demanding to return to Egypt. Are miracles so ephemeral?
The question of what a miracle was, is something that the great philosopher Maimonides wrestled with and indeed changed his mind over his brilliant years. In his youth, as a rationalist, influenced by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, he expressed reservation as to whether miracles should be taken literally or not. Or whether what we call miracles were and are simply features of the natural world happening at a particular time, whose outcome was favorable to the Children of Israel.
As Maimonides grew older, in his later works, he acknowledged the supernatural element in miracles. But surprisingly left them out from the 13 Principles of Faith when we might have expected him to include given how much miracles have a part they play in the Biblical tradition. After all, in Chapter 5 of Pirkei Avot ( Ethics of the Fathers), they calculated that there were ten miracles in Egypt, ten at the sea, ten in the wilderness and ten in the Temple. But it has been argued that just as prophecy ended after the second Temple, so too did supernatural miracles.
In his Commentary on the Mishnah Maimonides writes that everything that happens on earth can be explained rationally as part of the creation process. And therefore, what we see as miracles can all be explained through natural phenomena. But in his later work he seems to have changed his mind and indeed saw them as unique Divine interventions. Even so in his Statement on Resurrection he says that miracles are a very weak form of support for religious faith, indeed, the weakest. Which should depend rather on rational and natural arguments. Not only, but that miracles do not dispel doubt. And in his Letter to Yemen, he dismisses miracles claimed by other religions as spurious.
What do we make of this week’s Song of the Sea? The beautiful and moving poem that Moshe followed by Miriam sang after coming through the waters alive and seeing the Egyptians destroyed? It is replete with delight at their fate and praise for God for destroying our enemies. Is that Godly?
It is, I think, natural that we rejoice when something wonderful and unexpected happens that saves us from a horrible fate. Our emotions, our relief, come to the fore and rational arguments take a back seat. Just as when bad things happen, we try to find reasons and think we must have done something to deserve it. Although we often forget to be grateful when good things happen. Both are emotional responses.
We are told “ When your enemies fall do not rejoice” ( Proverbs 24:17) . And yet precisely when we see how evil and barbaric our enemies are we naturally want to see that evil destroyed.” Yet the Bible commands destroying men, women and children when they present an existential threat. Even if they manifestly did not always take that seriously. Our rational side recoils. Indeed Beruria, the wife of R. Meir said, when he was praying to God to destroy the individuals who were attacking him, reacted by saying he should rather pray that evil should perish (TB Brachot 10a).
In the current conflict with Hamas and its allies, as in previous disasters, our eventual survival and triumph could well be classified as miracles.
We can experience religious inspiration emotionally but should not make them the basis of religious faith. Emotions are essential to our human mind. But a little bit of logic and rationality can be a useful antidote.
(Exodus 13:17-17:14)
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.
