[Avodah] The Ram of the Akeida

[Akiva Miller]

.
There is a mishna in perek 5 of Pirkei Avos which lists several things that
were created at Bein Hashmashos just prior to the Shabbos of Bereishis. My
understanding is that they were all miraculous, unnatural things. Good
examples are the mouth of Bilaam's donkey, which talked, and the mouth of
Miriam's well, which traveled through the midbar. And the reason they were
created at this particular time is so that they would technically be part
of nature (and *not* unnatural), and not require a new creation later on.
Hashem wanted no new creations after The Creation.

My question concerns one particular item on that list, namely the Ayil
which was sacrificed at the end of the Akeida story. Some editions of that
mishna refer to it as Avraham's ram, and some as Yitzchak's ram, but they
are clearly talking about the same animal. And I do concede that the
inclusion of that ram on this list is only a "yesh omrim", so I will stress
that my question applies only from the perspective of those who do include
it.

My question: What was miraculous about that ram?

Reviewing the meforshim on this mishna, and on Bereshis 22:13, I found some
interesting comments about that ram. For example, some write that this ram
was hefker, so that the korban would not be of a stolen animal. I don't see
what's so miraculous about that. I think we'd agree that if something
happens to be in the right place at the right time, that is the very
definition of a nes *nistar*, a *hidden* miracle. It does not rise to the
"open miracle" level of the mon or the other things in that mishna, and
there was surely no need for it to be created at the very last moment of
Creation.

What did I miss? Can someone tell me (according to the Yesh Omrim who
includes it on this list) what was so special about this particular ram?
Hashem could have arranged for ANY hefker ram to be in that place at that
time. What was so miraculous about THIS ram?

Thanks in advance
Akiva Miller
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