Miracles and Religion
TALMUDIC AGGADA
By Rav Yitzchak Blau
Shiur #25: Miracles
and Religion
R. Yochanan said: What is meant by the verse: Many daughters have done
valiantly, but you surpass them all (Mishlei 26:29)? Many daughters,' refers
to Yosef and Boaz; 'and you surpass them all,' to Palti son of Layish. R.
Shmuel b. Nahmani said in R. Yonatan's name: What is meant by the verse: Grace
is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be
praised (Mishlei 26:30)? 'Grace is deceitful'
refers to Yosef; 'and beauty is vain' to Boaz; while 'and a woman that fears the
Lord, she shall be praised,' to the case of Palti son of Layish. Another interpretation is: 'Grace is
deceitful,' refers to the generation of Moshe; 'and beauty is vain' to that of
Yehoshua; 'and she that fears the Lord shall be praised,' to that of Chizkiya.
Others say: 'Grace is deceitful,' refers
to the generations of Moshe and Yehoshua; 'and beauty is vain,' to the
generation of Chizkiya; while 'she that fears the Lord shall be praised' refers
to the generation of R. Yehuda son of R. Ila'i. They said about R. Yehuda bar
Ilai that six of his disciples had to cover themselves with one garment between
them, yet they studied the Torah. (Sanhedrin
20a)
This Gemara offers
three different interrelations of the well known penultimate verse of Mishlei,
all of which involve one person or generation surpassing two others. In the
first example, the nature of the contrast is clear. Both Yosef and Boaz overcame
sexual temptation and, according to the aggada, so did Palti when he
refrained from relations with Michal due to her marriage to David. Commentators
explain that Palti outdid Yosef and Boaz because his restraint was over a longer
period of time. The other two contrasts require more elucidation.
According to the
second interpretation, Chizkiyas generation outdid those of Moshe and Aharon.
Rashi explains that all three generations studied a good deal of Torah, but
Chizkiyas generation achieved the most. Indeed, the Gemara (Sanhedrin
94b) says about this generation: Search was made from Dan to Beer Sheva and no
ignoramus was found; from Gabbat to Antipris, and no boy or girl, man or woman
was found who was not thoroughly versed in the laws of tuma and tahara
(ritual impurity and purity).
Every child knowing the laws of tuma and tahara reflects a fairly
astounding educational achievement.
R. Yaakov Reisher
suggests that the comparison relates to dealing with difficulty and the degree
of Divine help received. Moshes generation witnessed the wonders of manna
falling and God miraculously providing daily sustenance. Yehoshuas generation
also received intensive Divine assistance. Chizkiyas generation, though they
did experience miraculous intervention against the threat of Sancherev, dealt
with far greater difficulty, including both economic hardship and political
dependence as manifest in the kings decision to give the doors of the
heikhal (sanctuary) as a gift to the king of Ashur.
This reading would
flow naturally into the third opinion contrasting the generations of Moshe,
Yehoshua, and Chizkiya with that of R. Yehuda bar Ilai. That contrast clearly
relates to withstanding economic hardship, since the students of R. Yehuda are
praised for studying Torah despite their need to share a garment among six
people. If so, the last two comparisons utilize the identical measure a measure
which first highlights the worth of Chizkiyas generation and then that of R.
Yehuda bar Ilai.
R. Reuven
Margoliyot, in his Margoliyot Ha-yam, notes an oddity in the Gemaras
wording. Why introduce a story about disciples with the words: They said about
R. Yehuda bar Ilai? It is actually
a story about his students dedication, not about their teacher. He notes that
R. Yehuda and his wife apparently shared one cloak (Nedarim 49b). R.
Yehudas students watched a model of overcoming poverty on a daily basis, and
this impacted on their behavior. If so, a story about these students is also a
story about their teacher.
Until now, we have
assumed the simple interpretation of six students studying under one cloak.
Maharsha posits an alternative reading based on associations with the cloak (talit)
in other Talmudic sources. One gemara (Bava Batra 98a) speaks
of someone arrogantly dressing up in the talit of a scholar. Another
gemara (Bava Batra 57b) indicates that a scholars talit was
larger than the norm. If so, dressing up in a larger garment indicates excessive
pride in donning the mantle of a scholar. In contrast, six students dividing up
one talit bespeaks impressive humility.
Let us return to R.
Reishers reading and take it in a different direction. He pointed out the
greater miraculous help that earlier generations experienced in contrast to that
of a later generation. For R. Reisher,
the gemara teaches about dedication under trying circumstances. R. Meir
Simcha Ha-kohen from Dvinsk sees this gemara as advancing a broader
theological point about miracles (Meshekh Chokhma Devarim 32:3). In
several places in his commentary, he emphasizes that life within the natural
order reflects the true purpose of existence. A miraculous existence mirrors the
world to come, but is not the ideal in this world. The gemara first
favors Chizkiyas generation for functioning within nature more than the
generations of Moshe and Aharon. It then favors R. Yehuda who lived in a fully
nonmiraculous era, whereas Chizkiya benefitted from the wondrous destruction of
Sancherevs army.
Even though God
prefers the stability of the natural order, He allowed for a more obvious Divine
presence in some early generations to encourage faith in God to take root in the
Jewish soul. This explains the generations of Moshe and Aharon. R. Meir Simcha
insightfully points out how our patriarchs existence did not resemble that of
Moshe. Avraham does not receive overt Divine help in finding a burial plot for
his wife; rather, he pays the full fee of four hundred coins.
In fact, this
distinction helps explain Gods meaning when He tells Moshe: I appeared to
Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov, as God Almighty, but by My name YHWH I have
not made Myself known to them (Shemot 6:3). In what sense did God not
reveal his name to our patriarchs? Some
commentators explain that God made promises to them, and they did not witness
the fulfillment of those promises. Ramban disagrees; instead, he explains that
the patriarchs did not experience God altering the fundamental laws of
nature. Avraham won a battle against four
powerful kings with weaponry and soldiers. God helped behind the scenes, but not
in a manner similar to the ten plagues or the splitting of the Red Sea. For R.
Meir Simcha, the patriarchs more naturalistic life represents the model future
generations follow.
Though I strongly
identify with R. Meir Simchas position, I must demur from one of his arguments.
He writes that the more miraculous time period produced a situation in which
they almost lost their free will. It seems that an advantage of the natural
order is that it more successfully preserves human freedom.
Miracles overwhelm humanity with the
Divine presence and power, and reduce our ability to freely choose. I question
whether biblical history backs up this assumption. The generation that lived the
most miraculous existence in our history also committed the transgressions of
the golden calf, the spies, and the Korach rebellion, among many others.
Apparently, witnessing the plagues and the daily arrival of manna is no
guarantee against moral and spiritual backsliding.
John Henry Newman
has a sermon entitled Miracles No Remedy for Unbelief in which he makes this
point. He says that many religious people do not doubt Gods existence and
providence, and yet they manage to sin. Why should experiencing a miracle change
that? True, miracles can startle, but such emotional impact tends to wear off
over the course of time. Instead of thinking that witnessing a miracle would
insure our religious devotion, we should heed Newmans word: Let us then put
aside vain excuses; and instead of looking for outward events to change our
course of life, be sure of this, that if our course of life is to be changed, it
must be from within.
This shiur will take a break and resume in a few weeks.
Kol tuv.
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