ברכות

(10) When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

Similarly, Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: One who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, it is as if he enjoyed objects consecrated to the heavens, as it is stated: “The earth and all it contains is the Lord’s, the world and all those who live in it” (Psalms 24:1). Rabbi Levi expressed this concept differently. Rabbi Levi raised a contradiction: It is written: “The earth and all it contains is the Lord’s,” and it is written elsewhere: “The heavens are the Lord’s and the earth He has given over to mankind” (Psalms 115:16). There is clearly a contradiction with regard to whom the earth belongs. He himself resolves the contradiction: This is not difficult. Here, the verse that says that the earth is the Lord’s refers to the situation before a blessing is recited,

I WOULD MAKE THEIR MEMORY CEASE FROM AMONG MEN. This is a reference to our exiles among the nations — we, Judah and Benjamin, who have no significance among the nations and we are not considered a people or nation at all. Thus Scripture states that according to the attribute of justice we should remain in this condition of exile forever were it not that I was in dread of the wrath from the enemy.⁹⁰Verse 27. This teaches that, in our present exile, [the protecting influence of] the merits of the patriarchs have ceased¹⁰⁰Shabbath 55a. Tosafoth there mentions the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam that while the protecting influence of “the merits” of the patriarchs may have ceased, “the covenant of the patriarchs,” remains in force — and it is to the covenant that we refer in our prayers. And according to the opinion of Rabbeinu Yitzchak [“the R’ie” — one of the great masters in the school of the Tosafoth] even “the merits of the patriarchs” have not ceased for the righteous in Israel. and we have no deliverance from the hands of the nations except for the sake of His Great Name, similar to what He stated in the Book of Ezekiel, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.¹⁰¹Ezekiel 20:41. And ye shall know that I am the Eternal, when I have wrought with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel.¹⁰²Ibid., Verse 44. And so also it is further stated, But I wrought for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations etc.¹⁰³Ibid., Verse 9. Therefore Moses mentioned in his prayer, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying etc.¹⁰⁴Numbers 14:15. and G-d, blessed be He, acknowledged him in this, And the Eternal said: ‘I have pardoned according to thy word.’¹⁰⁵Ibid., Verse 20.
This plea is not meant to demonstrate His power among His enemies, for All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are accounted by Him as things of nought, and vanity.¹⁰⁶Isaiah 40:17. Rather, [the explanation thereof is as follows:] G-d created man among the lower creatures in order that he acknowledge his Creator and be thankful to His Name,¹⁰⁷See Vol. II, pp. 174-175. and He placed in his hand the choice to do evil or good. But when people sinned willingly and they all denied Him, only this people [Israel] remained devoted to His Name, and so He made known through them by means of signs and wonders that He is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords,¹⁰⁸Above, 10:17. and this became known to all nations. Now, if He were to reconsider and their memory [i.e., of Israel] be lost, the nations will forget His wonders and His deeds and they will no longer recount them. And if a person should mention them, they will think that it was [done by] one of the powers of the constellations which is overflowing as he passeth through,¹⁰⁹Isaiah 8:8. and thus the purpose of the creation of man will be annulled completely, for no one will be left among them who knows his Creator — only those who provoke Him. Therefore, it is appropriate as a consequence of the [Divine] Will which existed at the creation of the world to establish for Himself a people for all time, who are nearer to Him and who know Him more than all the [other] peoples. And the meaning of the verse For the Eternal will judge His people, and for His servants He will reconsider¹¹⁰Further, Verse 36. is, that G-d will remember in mercy that they are His people of old, and He will remember that they are His servants, for they stood by Him in their exile like servants to suffer the troubles and the bondage, similar to what is stated, For He said: ‘Surely, they are My people, children that will not deal falsely.’¹¹¹Isaiah 63:8. I have already suggested¹¹²Exodus 30:46 (Vol. II, pp. 506-507). that in the creation of man there is a sublime and recondite secret which requires that we be His people and He be our G-d, similar to what is stated, Every one that is called by My Name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.¹¹³Isaiah 43:7.

ULTOTAPHOTH’ BETWEEN THINE EYES. No affinity is known to this word. Linguists,³⁹⁹Menachem ben Saruk, quoted in Rashi. See also Ibn Ezra. however, associated it with the expressions: ‘v’hateiph’ (And speak) to the south;⁴⁰⁰Ezekiel 21:2. And my word ‘titoph’ (dropped) upon them.⁴⁰¹Job 29:22. Ramban evidently understands it: “and to them I spoke my word,” meaning “they followed my advice without question.” The figurative usage thereof is based on the verse: And the mountains shall drop (‘v’hitiphu’) sweet wine.⁴⁰²Amos 9:13. The figurative sense of the verse is that the mountains “will speak” of sweet wine. Thus the verse is saying that you should make the exodus from Egypt a sign upon your hand, and between your eyes a source for discourse distilling as the dew upon those that hear it.⁴⁰³See Deuteronomy 32:2. Our Rabbis, however, have called an object which lies upon the head totaphoth, just as they have said: “[A woman] may not go out [on the Sabbath] with a totepheth or head-bangles.”⁴⁰⁴Shabbath 57a. Rabbi Abahu said: “What is totepheth? It is a forehead-band extending from ear to ear.”⁴⁰⁵Ibid., 57b. Now it is the Rabbis [of the Talmud] who are the [true Hebrew] linguists, as they spoke the language and knew it and it is from them that we should accept [the explanation of the word ultotaphoth].
Now Scripture says totaphoth [in the plural] and not totepheth [in the singular] because there are many compartments in the phylacteries,⁴⁰⁶The phylactery of the head is divided into four vertical compartments, each compartment containing a scroll of one of the four Scriptural passages referring to this commandment. The phylactery of the arm contains one interior chamber which contains but one single scroll upon which all four sections of the Law are inscribed together. For fuller discussion of the subject, see “The Commandments,” Vol. I, p. 18-19. just as we have received their form from the holy fathers⁴⁰⁷A reference to the Sages of the Talmud, who received the true Tradition of the Torah. who saw the prophets and the ancient ones up to Moses our teacher doing so.
Now the fundamental reason of this commandment is that we lay the script of the exodus from Egypt upon the hand and upon the head opposite the heart and the brain, which are the pivots of thought. Thus we are to inscribe [on parchment] the Scriptural sections of Kadesh (Sanctify unto Me) [Verses 1-10], and V’haya ki y’viacha (And it shall be when the Eternal shall bring thee) [Verses 11-16], and enclose them in the phylacteries because of this commandment wherein we were charged to make the exodus from Egypt for frontlets between our eyes. [We are also to inscribe and enclose in the phylacteries the sections of] Sh’ma (Hear O Israel) [Deuteronomy 6:4-9] and V’haya im shamo’a (And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken) [ibid., 11:13-21] because we are charged to have the commandments [of the Torah] also for frontlets between our eyes, as it is written: And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;⁴⁰⁸Deuteronomy 6:6. and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.⁴⁰⁹Ibid., Verse 8. This is why we also inscribe [on parchment] these two sections — [Sh’ma and V’haya im shamo’a] — for frontlets [even though the exodus is not mentioned in them], for they contain the commandments of the Unity of G-d, the memorial of all commandments, the doctrine of retribution, which states that the consequence of disobeying the commandments is punishment and that blessings come in the wake of obedience — and the whole foundation of the faith.⁴¹⁰“The whole foundation of the faith.” This may refer to the principle of the Unity of G-d which is indeed the root of faith, as Ramban describes it in Deuteronomy 6:4. However, in view of the fact that this principle has already been explicitly mentioned here by Ramban, the reference must be to some other doctrine. It is reasonable to assume that Ramban is here alluding to a point he has explained in many places — “a true principle, clearly indicated in the Torah… that in the entire scope of the Torah there are only miracles, and no nature or custom.” (See Vol. I, pp. 556-7; see also his commentary above, 6:2, and on Leviticus 26:11.) The theme appears also in his introduction to the Commentary on the Book of Job (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. I, pp. 17-19). In his “Sermon on the Perfection of the Torah,” (Ibid., p. 153) as well as at the end of this Seder, he states clearly that “a person has no part in the Torah of Moses our teacher” unless he believes in this principle. It is thus logical to assume that “the whole foundation of the faith” mentioned here is a reference to the above principle. Now of the phylactery of the arm, Scripture says, And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand,⁴¹¹Above, Verse 9. which the Rabbis explained⁴¹²Menachoth 36b. as referring to the left arm, which is opposite the heart.
By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the verse, It is because of ‘zeh’ (this) which the Eternal did for me,⁴¹³Above, Verse 8. is similar to ‘zeh’ (this) is my G-d, and I will glorify Him.⁴¹⁴Further, 15:2. The verse here thus states that it was because of His name and His glory that He did for us and brought us forth out of Egypt. And “this” shall be for a sign unto thee on the arm of your strength,⁴¹⁵See Psalms 89:11. just as it is written, For Thou art the glory of their strength.⁴¹⁶Ibid., Verse 18. Thus the sign [of the phylactery] is similar to the sign of circumcision⁴¹⁷Genesis 17:11. and the Sabbath.⁴¹⁸Further, 31:13. And since all [emanations] are one perfect unity, which is alluded to in “the sign” on the arm, our ancestors have received the tradition from Moses, who received it from the mouth of the Almighty, that [all four sections of Scripture inscribed in the phylacteries, as described above], are encased in one compartment. This is something like Scripture says, achothi kalah,⁴¹⁹Song of Songs 5:1. Literally, “my sister, the bride,” but here interpreted on the basis of the Hebrew roots which suggest “unity” (achothi, my sister — echad, one) and “totality” (kalah, bride — kol, all), as explained in the text. See also Vol. I, p. 292, where Ramban refers to this theme. because it is united and comprised of the thirty-two paths of wisdom⁴²⁰Sefer Yetzirah 1:1 [with which the world was created], and it is further written, His left hand is under my head.⁴²¹Song of Songs 2:6.
Then Scripture says, And it shall be for a memorial between thine eyes,⁴¹¹Above, Verse 9. meaning that we are to lay them at the place of remembrance, which is between the eyes, at the beginning of the brain. It is there that remembrance begins by recalling the appearances [of persons and events] after they have passed away from us. These frontlets circle around the whole head with their straps, while the loop rests directly over the base of the brain which guards the memory. And the expression, between your eyes, means that they are to be placed upon the middle of the head, not towards one side. It may be that in the middle of the head, there are the roots of the eyes and from these stems the power of sight. Similarly, the verse, Nor make ye any baldness between your eyes for the dead,⁴²²Deuteronomy 14:1. See Rashi, ibid., that the expression between the eyes means on the head adjoining the forehead. See also Rashi to Leviticus 21:5. [means baldness adjoining the forehead. Thus the expression between your eyes mentioned here in the case of the frontlets also refers to the identical place]. It is to explain this point, [i.e., that the phylactery of the head is not to be placed between the eyes, as the literal meaning of the words might indicate, but that it is to be placed upon the middle of the head adjoining the forehead], that He reverts here [in Verse 16 and instead of using the expression, and for ‘a memorial’ between your eyes, as stated in Verse 9], and says ‘ultotaphoth’ between your eyes. This is in order to explain that the commandment is not fulfilled by placing the phylactery between the eyes bottomward, but rather it is to be placed high on the head where it is to be there like totaphoth, [and we have seen above that the word totepheth was used by the Rabbis for an object which lies upon the head]. He uses the plural form [totaphoth, and not the singular totepheth], because the compartments in the phylactery of the head are many, as we have received the form by Tradition.
And now I shall declare to you a general principle in the reason of many commandments. Beginning with the days of Enosh⁴²³Genesis 4:26. See also Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Akum, 1:1, where he traces the process of intellectual degeneration by which mankind fell into gross idolatry. Ramban primarily follows here the process of deterioration as affecting the three basic principles of faith: the existence of the Creator, His providence over the world, and the truth of prophecy. The chief purpose of the commandments of the Torah is to guard Israel against deviating from these principles. when idol-worship came into existence, opinions in the matter of faith fell into error. Some people denied the root of faith by saying that the world is eternal; they denied the Eternal, and said: It is not He⁴²⁴Jeremiah 5:12. [Who called forth the world into existence]. Others denied His knowledge of individual matters, and they say, How doth G-d know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?⁴²⁵Psalms 73:11. Some admit His knowledge but deny the principle of providence and make men as the fishes of the sea,⁴²⁶Habakkuk 1:14. [believing] that G-d does not watch over them and that there is no punishment or reward for their deeds, for they say the Eternal hath forsaken the land.⁴²⁷Ezekiel 8:12. Now when G-d is pleased to bring about a change in the customary and natural order of the world for the sake of a people or an individual, then the voidance of all these [false beliefs] becomes clear to all people, since a wondrous miracle shows that the world has a G-d Who created it, and Who knows and supervises it, and Who has the power to change it. And when that wonder is previously prophesied by a prophet, another principle is further established, namely, that of the truth of prophecy, that G-d doth speak with man,⁴²⁸Deuteronomy 5:28. and that He revealeth His counsel unto His servants the prophets,⁴²⁹Amos 3:7. and thereby the whole Torah is confirmed. This is why Scripture says in connection with the wonders [in Egypt]: That thou [Pharaoh] mayest know that I am the Eternal in the midst of the earth,⁴³⁰Above, 8:18. which teaches us the principle of providence, i.e., that G-d has not abandoned the world to chance, as they [the heretics] would have it; That thou mayest know that the earth is the Eternal’s,⁴³¹Ibid., 9:29. which informs us of the principle of creation, for everything is His since He created all out of nothing; That thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth,⁴³²Ibid., Verse 14. which indicates His might, i.e., that He rules over everything and that there is nothing to withhold Him. The Egyptians either denied or doubted all of these [three] principles, [and the miracles confirmed their truth].
Accordingly, it follows that the great signs and wonders constitute faithful witnesses⁴³³Isaiah 8:2. to the truth of the belief in the existence of the Creator and the truth of the whole Torah. And because the Holy One, blessed be He, will not make signs and wonders in every generation for the eyes of some wicked man or heretic, He therefore commanded us that we should always make a memorial or sign of that which we have seen with our eyes, and that we should transmit the matter to our children, and their children to their children, to the generations to come, and He placed great emphasis on it, as is indicated by the fact that one is liable to extinction for eating leavened bread on the Passover, and for abandoning the Passover-offering, [i.e., for not taking part in the slaughtering thereof].⁴³⁴Numbers 9:13. He has further required of us that we inscribe upon our arms and between our eyes all that we have seen in the way of signs and wonders, and to inscribe it yet upon the doorposts of the houses, and that we remember it by recital in the morning and evening — just as the Rabbis have said: “The recital of the benediction True and firm, [which follows the Sh’ma in the morning and which terminates with a blessing to G-d for the redemption from Egypt], is obligatory as a matter of Scriptural law because it is written, That thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.⁴³⁵Deuteronomy 16:3. [He further required] that we make a booth every year⁴³⁶Leviticus 23:42. and many other commandments like them which are a memorial to the exodus from Egypt. All these commandments are designed for the purpose that in all generations we should have testimonies to the wonders so that they should not be forgotten and so that the heretic should not be able to open his lips to deny the belief in [the existence of] G-d. He who buys a Mezuzah⁴³⁷Literally: “door-post.” It is a scroll of parchment on which are written the two Scriptural portions, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21, and which is fastened to the right-hand door-post. for one zuz [a silver coin] and affixes it to his doorpost and has the proper intent of heart on its content, has already admitted the creation of the world, the Creator’s knowledge and His providence, and also his belief in prophecy as well as in all fundamental principles of the Torah, besides admitting that the mercy of the Creator is very great upon them that do His will, since He brought us forth from that bondage to freedom and to great honor on account of the merit of our fathers who delighted in the fear of His Name.⁴³⁸See Nehemiah 1:11. It is for this reason that the Rabbis have said:⁴³⁹Aboth 2:1. “Be as heedful of a light commandment⁴⁴⁰Here understood in the sense of a commandment, the fulfillment of which does not entail a great expense, just like a Mezuzah that can be bought for one zuz and affixed to the door-post. as of a weighty one,” for they are all exceedingly precious and beloved, for through them a person always expresses thankfulness to his G-d.
And the purpose of all the commandments is that we believe in our G-d and be thankful to Him for having created us, for we know of no other reason for the first creation,⁴⁴¹“The first creation.” In his “Sermon on the Perfection of the Torah,” where Ramban discusses the same topic (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. I, p. 152), the text reads: “for we know of no other reason for ‘the creation of man.’” See, however, my Hebrew commentary, in the fifth edition, p. 557, where I suggest that the term “the first creation” may be a reference to the period from Adam to Abraham. and G-d the Most High has no demand on the lower creatures, excepting that man should know and be thankful to G-d for having created him. The purposes of raising our voices in prayer and of the service in synagogues, as well as the merit of public prayer, is precisely this: that people should have a place wherein they assemble and express their thankfulness to G-d for having created them and supported them, and thus proclaim and say before Him, “We are your creatures.”
This is the intent of what the Rabbis of blessed memory have said:⁴⁴²Yalkut Shimoni, Jonah 550. See also Yerushalmi Taanith, II, 1. “And they cried mightily unto G-d.⁴⁴³Jonah 3:8. From here you learn that prayer must be accompanied by sound. The undaunted one wins over the abashed one.”
Through the great open miracles, one comes to admit the hidden miracles which constitute the foundation of the whole Torah, for no one can have a part in the Torah of Moses our teacher unless he believes that all our words and our events, [as dictated in the Torah], are miraculous in scope, there being no natural or customary way of the world in them, whether affecting the public or the individual. Instead, if a person observes the commandments, His reward will bring him success, and if he violates them, His punishment will cause his extinction. It is all by decree of the Most High, as I have already mentioned.⁴⁴⁴See Vol. I, pp. 215-216 and 556-558. The hidden miracles done to the public come to be known as is mentioned in the assurances of the Torah on the subject of the blessings and imprecations,⁴⁴⁵Leviticus 26:3-46; Deuteronomy 28:1-68. as the verse says: And all the nations shall say: Wherefore hath the Eternal done thus unto this land? … Then men shall say: Because they forsook the covenant of the Eternal, the G-d of their fathers.⁴⁴⁶Deuteronomy 29:23-4. Thus it will become known to all nations that their punishment came from G-d. And of the fulfillment of the commandments it says, And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Eternal is called upon thee.⁴⁴⁷Ibid., 28:10. I will yet explain this, with the help of G-d.⁴⁴⁸Leviticus 26:11.
Beshalach

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul,

Tangentially, the Gemara cites an additional statement by Rabbi Ḥanina concerning principles of faith. And Rabbi Ḥanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven. Man has free will to serve God or not, as it is stated: “And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all of His ways, to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The Lord asks man to perform these matters because ultimately, the choice is in his hands. The verse says: What does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear the Lord your God. The Gemara asks: Is fear of Heaven a minor matter that it can be presented as if God is not asking anything significant? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥanina say in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: The Holy One, Blessed be He, has nothing in his treasury other than a treasure of fear of Heaven, as it is stated: “Fear of the Lord is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). The Lord values and treasures fear of Heaven over all else. The Gemara responds: Indeed, for Moses fear of Heaven is a minor matter. As Rabbi Ḥanina stated: It is comparable to one who is asked for a large vessel and he has one, it seems to him like a small vessel because he owns it. However, one who is asked for just a small vessel and he does not have one, it seems to him like a large vessel. Therefore, Moses could say: What does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear, because in his eyes it was a minor matter.

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: A person is obligated to recite one hundred blessings every day, as it is stated in the verse: “And now, Israel, what [ma] does the Lord your God require of you” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Rabbi Meir interprets the verse as though it said one hundred [me’a], rather than ma.

Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own; Make yourself fit to study Torah for it will not be yours by inheritance; And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of heaven.

And similarly, if one was passing behind a synagogue,or his house was adjacent to the synagogue, and he heard the sound of the shofar or the sound of the Scroll of Esther being read, if he focused his heart, i.e. his intent, to fulfill his obligation, he has fulfilled his obligation; but if not, he has not fulfilled his obligation. It is therefore possible for two people to hear the shofar blasts, but only one of them fulfills his obligation. Even though this one heard and also the other one heard, nevertheless, this one focused his heart to fulfill his obligation and has therefore indeed fulfilled it, but the other one did not focus his heart, and so he has not fulfilled his obligation.

Until when can one bless? Until the meal is digested in one's stomach. And how much is that measurement? The entirety of the time that one is not hungry on account of that eating. And from the time that one begins being hungry, even though the food hasn't been fully digested, we consider it to be as if it is fully digested. And, similarly, for the matter of eating fruits or drinking wine - if one is neither hungry nor thirsty, and they desire those fruits, they should bless [upon those fruits] if they do not know how much is left for their digesting.

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who formed man with wisdom³This may mean either that man was formed by God’s wisdom, or that God formed man and endowed him with wisdom. and created within him openings and hollows. It is obvious and known in the presence of Your glorious throne⁴In refutation of those who claim that God is not concerned with earthly matters, we declare that even in the presence of His glorious throne, where He is surrounded by myriads of angels, He is aware of the mundane needs of each individual.—Vilna Gaon that if one of them were ruptured, or if one of them were blocked, it would be impossible to exist and stand in Your Presence even for a short while. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who heals all flesh and performs wonders.

When one leaves the washroom he will recite the benediction of "who creates man with wisdom", as the creation of man was done with great wisdom. There are those who interpret this to mean, that the body is similar to a sack full of air, and is full of holes, as it (the opening of the sack) is close to the bottom. Others understand "with wisdom", that G-d arranged the food of Adam Harishon [before he was created] and afterwards he was created. "And create in him holes, holes hollow places, hollow places", meaning: many holes, for example mouth nose and anus, and also creates in him limbs with many hollow places, like the heart, belly and intestines. "If one of them to shut up", meaning: that in the places there are holes there is one hole, Which is the mouth, that when [one is inside his mother] he is closed off [dependent on mother for all needs does not need to use organs] and [if] when he goes into the air of the world it [his organs] remain clogged, it would not be possible to remain alive even for one moment. And in regard to the limbs with hollow places if one of them are open- it would not not be possible to remain alive for even one moment. Furthermore there is another interpretation, that man is able to not relieve himself (immediately) and not die, and since, and because past that limit- it is impossible to remain alive for even a moment. Since in general the limbs [made reference to in the benediction] are the anus and penis, and in regard to hollow places- if they were opened even for a moment it would be impossible to live- [making reference to the belly and intestines, it is good to praise on making fit what is needed in man. And another [interpretation] is possible that after he eats, waste comes out in a large amount [that he cant handle] he will die, implied [in the phrase] " if one of them are opened", also that phrase refers to that all his needs are done [using this system G-d created to sustain life i.e the human body]. [The phrase] "The healer of the sickness of all flesh" refers to the holes that G-d created in him to take out the waste of his food, because if it spoils while inside his stomach he will die, and taking [the waste] out of him is the remedy. "And does miraculous things" [is in the text] because man is compared to a sack full of air, and if man makes a hole in the sack as small as the tip of a needle, air will escape, and the fact that man has many holes in him and his spirit is still kept inside him, this is a miracle. And furthermore, some explain it as referring to [how the body] selects the good parts of food and pushes out the waste. Gloss: And Furthermore, there are those that explain that "does miraculous things" to refer to that [G-d] keeps the spirit of man in his innards and binds something spiritual to something physical, and all this is on account of that He is the healer of all flesh because then man stays on the line of health, and his soul is kept in his innards (Divrei Atzmo).

Alexander said to the Elders: Who is truly worthy of being called wise? They said to him, citing a tradition (see Avot 2:9): Who is the wise person? The one who sees and anticipates the consequences of his behavior. He said to them: Who is truly worthy of being called mighty? They said to him, again citing a tradition (see Avot 4:1): Who is the mighty person? The one who masters his desire. He said to them: Who is worthy of being called wealthy? They said to him: Who is the wealthy person? The one who is pleased with his own portion (see Avot 4:1).