Saturday, April 19, 2014

miracles

The Talmud (Ta'anit 25a) quotes R. Chanina ben Dosa as saying: "He Who told oil to burn will tell vinegar to burn." Why did R. Chanina find it necessary to mention the flammable quality of oil? He could have simply said that G-d can order vinegar to burn!

This teaches us that man merits a miracle that transcends natural order only when he realizes that nature itself functions only because G-d so declared.

Just as G-d declared oil to be flammable and it is His declaration that gives oil that property, so too can His declaration give vinegar the capability of burning.

The Zohar quotes R. Shimon as teaching: When Israel stood by the banks of the sea and sang, G-d and His Heavenly consorts appeared to her and she recognized that it was her King Who had performed all of these miracles.


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