Thursday, July 9, 2015
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 5: Mishna 5: How miracles effect us!
9:45 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in Egypt and ten at the Red Sea (the plagues did no harm to the Israelites). Ten Plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea"
After mentioning the ten trials that Avraham went through, this Mishna tells us about the ten miracles that were performed for our fathers in Egypt, the ten at the Red Sea and the ten plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians. The ten plagues against the Egptians were exacted measure for measure against them (for the pain that they caused the Jewish people) and the miracles of the sea revealed just how powerful G-d is and what He can do in this world. What is the purpose and deeper meaning of mentioning them here?
In general, these miracles that G-d performed for our nation undoubtedly show that He intervenes in history, so much so that the mitzvah to believe in G-d comes from the first of the ten commandments that G-d took us out of Egypt. The commentaries ask why should this be a proof that G-d exists; why don't we say that G-d exists because He created the world?
The answer is that no one was there when the world was created to give witness to the fact that G-d did it!! On the other hand, there were more than two million people who witnessed the miracles and came out of Egypt! We know this because this was passed down from generation to generation and we relive it during the Passover seder! We know the story to be true because our parents tell us this story every year.
How did they know about the story? Because their parents told it to them. How did their parents know the story? Because there parents told it to them... We therefore have an unbroken chain from previous generations that goes back to the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
We also learn from here that the miracles of what happened in Egypt are that much greater because Moshe tells the Egyptians what is about to take place and it actually happens! Yes G-d changed nature and made miracles occur to get the Jews out. At the same time, Moshe said exactly what was going to happen and shortly thereafter it did!
We can take out from this that the Jewish people were deserving of miracles and merited to receive the Torah. The fact that G-d did the miracles is nothing short of amazing but the fact that Moshe said what was going to happen and it occurred gives us tremendous food for thought.
We live in a world where cynicism rules; the more cynical a person is the more he is to be praised. The Torah teaches that there is absolute truth and that we have the ability to be close to Him. How do we do this? Through the blueprint that He himself has given us, the very Torah itself!
After mentioning the ten trials that Avraham went through, this Mishna tells us about the ten miracles that were performed for our fathers in Egypt, the ten at the Red Sea and the ten plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians. The ten plagues against the Egptians were exacted measure for measure against them (for the pain that they caused the Jewish people) and the miracles of the sea revealed just how powerful G-d is and what He can do in this world. What is the purpose and deeper meaning of mentioning them here?
In general, these miracles that G-d performed for our nation undoubtedly show that He intervenes in history, so much so that the mitzvah to believe in G-d comes from the first of the ten commandments that G-d took us out of Egypt. The commentaries ask why should this be a proof that G-d exists; why don't we say that G-d exists because He created the world?
The answer is that no one was there when the world was created to give witness to the fact that G-d did it!! On the other hand, there were more than two million people who witnessed the miracles and came out of Egypt! We know this because this was passed down from generation to generation and we relive it during the Passover seder! We know the story to be true because our parents tell us this story every year.
How did they know about the story? Because their parents told it to them. How did their parents know the story? Because there parents told it to them... We therefore have an unbroken chain from previous generations that goes back to the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
We also learn from here that the miracles of what happened in Egypt are that much greater because Moshe tells the Egyptians what is about to take place and it actually happens! Yes G-d changed nature and made miracles occur to get the Jews out. At the same time, Moshe said exactly what was going to happen and shortly thereafter it did!
We can take out from this that the Jewish people were deserving of miracles and merited to receive the Torah. The fact that G-d did the miracles is nothing short of amazing but the fact that Moshe said what was going to happen and it occurred gives us tremendous food for thought.
We live in a world where cynicism rules; the more cynical a person is the more he is to be praised. The Torah teaches that there is absolute truth and that we have the ability to be close to Him. How do we do this? Through the blueprint that He himself has given us, the very Torah itself!
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