Topics Page: Miracles

Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea. [With] ten trials did our ancestors try God, blessed be He, in the Wilderness, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).

(2) On Chanukah and Purim add: We thank thee also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by thee, as well as for the wars which thou didst wage for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

(3) On Chanukah—In the days of the Hasmonean, Mattathias son of Johanan, the High Priest, and his sons, when the iniquitous power of Greece rose up against thy people Israel to make them forgetful of thy Law, and to force them to transgress the statutes of thy will, then didst thou in thine abundant mercy rise up for them in the time of their trouble; thou didst plead their cause, thou didst judge their suit, thou didst avenge their wrong; thou deliveredst the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the arrogant into the hands of them that occupied themselves with thy Law: for thyself thou didst make a great and holy name in thy world, and for thy people Israel thou didst work a great deliverance and redemption as at this day. And thereupon thy children came into the oracle of thy house, cleansed thy temple, purified thy sanctuary, kindled lights in thy holy courts, and appointed these eight days of Chanukah in order to give thanks and praises unto thy great name. For all these things thy name, O our King, shall be continually blessed and exalted for ever and ever.

(4) On Purim—In the days of Mordecai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, and sought to destroy, to slay and make to perish all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,—then didst thou in thine abundant mercy bring his counsel to nought, didst frustrate his design, and return his recompense upon his own head; and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows. For all these things thy name, O our King, shall be continually blessed and exalted for ever and ever.

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

(1) (Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang this song.” This song (of the well) was uttered at the end of forty [years], while the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty [years]? So what was the purpose of writing [it down] here? This matter has been explained from what is above (in vs. 14), “It is therefore said in the book of the wars of the Lord, ‘'t Waheb in Suphah (Sufah) [and 't the Wadis of the Arnon].’” What is this? That the Holy One blessed be He did for them signs ('twt, singular: 't) and miracles in the Arnon Wadis like the miracles which He did for them in the Reed (suf) Sea. And what were the miracles in the Arnon Wadis? One would stand on one mountain and speak with his companion on the other mountain; yet he was seven mil away from him. Now the road descended into the middle of the wadi and then ascended, and Israel's course was to cross through the midst of the mountains. All the nations assembled endless troops there. Some of them took up positions in the middle of the wadi. Moreover, [the slope of] the mountain above them was riddled with caves, and facing them was a mountain which was correspondingly riddled with crags in the form of breasts (shdym), as stated (in Numb. 21:15), “And the slope ('shd) of the wadies.” The troops entered into the caves; for they said, “As soon as Israel comes down into the wadi, those ahead of them who are in the wadi and those in the caves will arise and kill all of them. When Israel did arrive at that place, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not make it necessary for them to go down into the wadi. Instead, He gave a signal to the mountains, and the [craggy] breasts of the latter mountain entered the caves, so that they all died. Moreover, the mountains brought their summits so close to each other that they became a highway, for there was no knowing [where] each [mountain] joined its neighbor. Furthermore, that wadi separates the borders between the Land of Israel and the Land of Moab, as stated (in Numb. 21:13 = Jud. 11:18), “For the Arnon is the border of Moab […].” The mountain in the Land of Moab, the one with the caves, was [not] shaken; but the mountain in the Land of Israel, the one with the crags in the form of breasts, was shaken and joined to the mountain opposite. Why was the one in the Land of Israel shaken? The matter is comparable to a female slave who saw her master's son coming to her. She jumped up to greet him and welcome him. The crags entered into the caves and all those warriors were crushed. Then the well descended to the wadi, where it became a mighty [torrent] and destroyed the troops, just as the [Reed] Sea had destroyed those [Egyptians]. Scripture therefore compared (in Numb. 21:14), “Waheb in Suphah (Sufah) and the Wadies of the Arnon.” When Israel crossed upon those mountains without knowing about all these miracles the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Behold, I will let My Children know how many troops I destroyed because of them.” [So] the well descended into the caves and brought out innumerable skulls, arms, and legs. Thus when Israel returned to seek the well, they saw it shining like the moon in the midst of the wadi, as it discharged the limbs of the troops. And where is it shown that the well informed [Israel] about them? Where it is stated (in Numb. 21:15-16), “And the slope of the wadies…. And from there they continued to Beer (the well).” But was [the well] with them from there; was it not with them from the beginning of the forty years? It is simply that it had gone down to inform about the miracles, while Israel remained at the wadies and said to it (in Numb. 21:17, cont:) “Rise up, O well, sing to it.”

As we learned in a mishna: Ten miracles were performed in the Temple. No woman miscarried from the aroma of the sacrificial meat, as a pregnant woman craves various foods and occasionally that craving leads to miscarriage. And the sacrificial meat never putrefied. And no fly was seen in the slaughterhouse, although flies are generally attracted to a place where there is flesh and blood. And a seminal emission did not befall the High Priest on Yom Kippur. And no disqualification was found in the omer or the two loaves, which are communal offerings, or in the shewbread. And the Jewish people stand crowded but bow spaced. And neither a snake nor a scorpion ever harmed anyone in Jerusalem. And a person never said to another: There is no room for me to stay overnight in Jerusalem.

Rabban Gamliel would say: Anyone who did not say these three matters on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: The Paschal lamb, matza, and bitter herbs. When one mentions these matters, he must elaborate and explain them: The Paschal lamb is brought because the Omnipresent passed over [pasaḥ] the houses of our forefathers in Egypt, as it is stated: “That you shall say: It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Paschal offering for He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses” (Exodus 12:27). Rabban Gamliel continues to explain: The reason for matza is because our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, as it is stated: “And they baked the dough that they took out of Egypt as cakes of matzot, for it was not leavened, as they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual” (Exodus 12:39). The reason for bitter herbs is because the Egyptians embittered our forefathers’ lives in Egypt, as it is stated: “And they embittered their lives with hard service, in mortar and in brick; in all manner of service in the field, all the service that they made them serve was with rigor” (Exodus 1:14). The tanna of the mishna further states: In each and every generation a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt, as it is stated: “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). In every generation, each person must say: “This which the Lord did for me,” and not: This which the Lord did for my forefathers. The mishna continues with the text of the Haggadah. Therefore we are obligated to thank, praise, glorify, extol, exalt, honor, bless, revere, and laud [lekales] the One who performed for our forefathers and for us all these miracles: He took us out from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to a Festival, from darkness to a great light, and from enslavement to redemption. And we will say before Him: Halleluya. At this point one recites the hallel that is said on all joyous days. Since one does not complete hallel at this point in the seder, the mishna asks:

This mishna, which includes all of this chapter’s mishnayot, contains a series of blessings and halakhot that are not recited at specific times, but rather in response to various experiences and events. MISHNA: One who sees a place where miracles occurred on Israel’s behalf recites: Blessed…Who performed miracles for our forefathers in this place. One who sees a place from which idolatry was eradicated recites: Blessed…Who eradicated idolatry from our land.

Outside – Due to publicizing the miracle. Not in the public domain, rather in the courtyard, for their houses were open to the courtyard.

(2) ולכל המורא הגדול AND IN ALL THAT GREAT TERRIBLENESS — the miracles and mighty deeds that were wrought in the great and terrible wilderness (cf. (Sifrei Devarim 357:45).

(1) וגם את הצרעה, “and also the hornet,” etc.; Remember that miracles occur on two levels, so-called “open” (supernatural) miracles, i.e. visible manifestations of G’d interfering with the laws of nature; secondly there are the so-called “hidden” miracles (natural) which are no less miraculous although we do not witness overt interference with the laws of nature. In the previous verse G’d referred to the first category of miracles, the ten plagues, etc., in which G’d demonstrated His mastery over the forces of the universe, the laws of nature. Now the Torah, i.e. Moses, turns his attention to the occurrence of “hidden” miracles such as swarms of hornets which occur at regular intervals, almost like rain. Seeing that neither rainfall nor swarms of hornets are the result of changes in the laws of nature they are not regarded as miracles. This is why the Torah introduces this element with the word וגם, “and also,” to say that in addition to the supernatural miracles mentioned above there will also be natural forces such as the hornet. The fact that G’d employs a tiny insect to drive out the powerful people of Canaan is surely enough of a miracle to register with the people who observe this. Therefore — לא תערוץ מפניהם, “You shall not be afraid of them (the inhabitants, not the hornets).” The only One you shall be afraid of is the Lord your G’d Who dwells among you. (The author suggests reading the first 6 words in verse 21 together). (2) It is worth noting that the words ה’ אלו-היך and the word בקרבך contain two separate praises of the Lord. They are the attributes גדול ונורא, “great and awesome.” These two adjectives, i.e. attributes, refer to the two types of miracles we spoke of earlier. The word גדול describes the attribute involved when G’d performs “hidden” miracles, whereas the word נורא describes the attribute involved when He performs “open” miracles. When G’d’s activities at the Sea of Reeds were reported in the Torah we read about נורא תהלות עושה פלא, ”too awesome for praises, Doer of wonders” (Exodus 15,11). Presently (10,21) the Torah will refer to both kinds of miracles describing them under the heading of “את הגדולות ואת הנוראות האלה, “these awesome deeds and these great deeds.” The צרעה is an insect similar to a fly which emits a poison by means of its sting. Our sages in Tanchuma Mishpatim 18 have said that a plague of such hornets occurred twice; once during the time of Moses and once during the life of Joshua. It would attack the enemies of the Israelites disabling them from offering serious resistance. The Israelites would simply kill the Canaanites without encountering resistance. There is another Midrash in Sotah 36 according to which the effect of the bite or sting of the hornet resulted in the victim becoming both blinded and impotent as if castrated. The prophet Amos 2,9 referred to this when he said: “Yet I destroyed the Emorite before them, whose stature was like the cedar’s and who was as stout as an oak; destroying the boughs above and his trunk below.” Onkelos also translates the word צרעה as ערעיתא, “wasp, hornet.” According to Onkelos, the reason for this name may be that it encounters man like the Amalekites encountered the Israelites in the desert, i.e. אשר קרך בדרך (Deut. 25,18), compare Onkelos there.

Then he stretched out over the child three times, and cried out to the LORD, saying, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life return to his body!”

The Sages taught in a baraita: Six miracles were performed on that day that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azarya were delivered from the furnace, and they are: The furnace rose from where it was sunken to ground level; and the furnace was breached; and its limestone dissipated; and the graven image that Nebuchadnezzar established, which he commanded his subjects to worship (see Daniel 3:5–6), fell on its face; and four ranks of officials from monarchies, who stood around the furnace, were burned; and Ezekiel revived the dead in the Dura Valley.

(5) Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He stipulated a condition with the sea [upon its creation] that it should split before Israel. That is what is written: “The sea returned to its power [le’eitano]” (Exodus 14:27), in accordance with its condition [litna’o] that He stipulated with it. Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: It is not only with the sea alone that the Holy One blessed be He stipulated, but with everything that was created during the six days of Creation. That is what is written: “My hands stretched the heavens and commanded all their host” (Isaiah 45:12) – right from when “My hands stretched the heavens,” “I commanded all their host.” I commanded the sea that it should split before Israel. I commanded the heavens and the earth that they should be silent before Moses, as it is stated: “Listen, the heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth” (Deuteronomy 32:1). I commanded the sun and the moon that they should stand still before Joshua, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still at Givon; [and Moon, in the Valley of Ayalon]” (Joshua 10:12). I commanded the ravens that they should sustain Elijah, as it is stated: “The ravens would bring him bread and meat…” (I Kings 17:6). I commanded the fire that it should not harm Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. I commanded the lions that they should not harm Daniel. I commanded the heavens that they should open before Ezekiel, as it is stated: “The heavens opened…” (Ezekiel 1:1). I commanded the fish that it should spew out Jonah, as it is stated: “The Lord said to the fish, and it spewed out Jonah” (Jonah 2:11).

The mishna adds: In general, they cry out on account of any trouble that should not befall the community, a euphemism for trouble that may befall the community, except for an overabundance of rain. Although too much rain may be disastrous, one does not cry out over it, because rain is a sign of a blessing. The mishna relates: An incident occurred in which the people said to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel: Pray that rain should fall. He said to them: Go out and bring in the clay ovens used to roast the Paschal lambs, so that they will not dissolve in the water, as torrential rains are certain to fall. He prayed, and no rain fell at all. What did he do? He drew a circle on the ground and stood inside it and said before God: Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces toward me, as I am like a member of Your household. Therefore, I take an oath by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children and answer their prayers for rain. Rain began to trickle down, but only in small droplets. He said: I did not ask for this, but for rain to fill the cisterns, ditches, and caves with enough water to last the entire year. Rain began to fall furiously. He said: I did not ask for this damaging rain either, but for rain of benevolence, blessing, and generosity. Subsequently, the rains fell in their standard manner but continued unabated, filling the city with water until all of the Jews exited the residential areas of Jerusalem and went to the Temple Mount due to the rain. They came and said to him: Just as you prayed over the rains that they should fall, so too, pray that they should stop. He said to them: Go out and see if the Claimants’ Stone, a large stone located in the city, upon which proclamations would be posted with regard to lost and found articles, has been washed away. In other words, if the water has not obliterated the Claimants’ Stone, it is not yet appropriate to pray for the rain to cease. Shimon ben Shetaḥ, the Nasi of the Sanhedrin at the time, relayed to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel: Were you not Ḥoni, I would have decreed that you be ostracized, but what can I do to you? You nag [mitḥatei] God and He does your bidding, like a son who nags his father and his father does his bidding without reprimand. After all, rain fell as you requested. About you, the verse states: “Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice” (Proverbs 23:25).