[Avodah] Tzav ג€” In Gratitude for the Miracle of Nature

[Micha Berger]

On Sat, Mar 17, 2018 at 08:58:38PM -0400, Cantor Wolberg via Avodah wrote:
: The Sefer HaChinuch writes that the miracles Hashem does are always
: covered with a certain degree of 'teva', natural normality. The gematria
: of God's name "Elohim" is 86. "Hateva" which means nature also equals
: 86....

Actually, the inclusion of the "ha-" is question begging.

: we get to know God. This is a kabbalistic and mystical avenue through
: approaching God in a natural way...

Rationalists can get in on it too. There is more Divine Wisdom in a
universe which was set up so perfeclty that its Maker does not have to
intervene and interrupt its normal operation. A number of rishonim
grapple with "Why miracles?" in commentaries to the first parshios
to seifer Shemos.

Typical answers are to deny that miracles differ from nature (Ramban),
in that both are Divine Action and both were written into creation during
the initial week. Or that free will plus reward-and-punishment requires
responses rather than a system.

Jumping ahead in history, the Maharal says that miracles follow their own
laws, and earning a miracle is a matter of which set of laws you live in.
(More at <http://www.aishdas.org/mesukim/5764/beshalach.pdf> and
<http://www.aishdas.org/asp/rav-dessler-on-reality-and-perception>.)

:                                   Even while splitting the Sea to allow
: the Children of Israel to escape the Egyptians, there was a strong eastern
: wind blowing (the natural component). So, too, in regard to the altar,
: we are commanded to ignite our own flame in order to camouflage the
: incredible miracle of the fire descending from the heavens, thus allowing
: nature to be included in the awesome event. Different people experiencing
: the same occurrence will walk away with different understandings of what
: has transpired.

However, our own flame is camouflage. The strong east wind is that AND
also reduces the gap in nature that the miracle has to violate.

: There is a beautiful illustration of this idea. Imagine a child born
: in the Midbar ...                            Joshua takes some seeds and
: places them into the earth -- a seeming waste of the scant food they still
: had. If one were to look into the ground and see the seeds they would
: appear to be disintegrating and, at that point, appear totally useless. A
: few days later, when food begins to grow from the ground, this person,
: with wide eyed amazement, would scream IT'S A MIRACLE!!! Food from the
: ground -- how unnatural! Clearly the wondrous Hand of Hashem is at work!

That truly is a beautiful illustration.

And sounds a lot like the above Maharal.

: 2) Among the sacrifices mentioned in this weeks parsha is the Thanksgiving
: Offering. The Medrash tells us that in the future all the sacrifices
: will be nullified, except the Thanksgiving Offering -- for there is
: always need to give thanks.

Yeah, but I never know what to do with medrashim like that. Because we
also believe that the Torah won't change. I mean, it could mean that
chatas and asham will simply become moot or near moot, as we change our
relationship to sinning. But shelamim? "Qorban" Pesach? Olah? Tamid?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Someday I will do it." - is self-deceptive. 
micha at aishdas.org        "I want to do it." - is weak. 
http://www.aishdas.org   "I am doing it." - that is the right way.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                   - Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk