Nature is a Series of Miracles
A comedian once shared a great perspective he learned during his travels:
"I was on an airplane recently, and the flight attendant announced that there was high-speed internet on the airplane. It worked great, and we were all enjoying the service. But shortly afterward, it broke down, and an announcement was made on the loudspeaker to apologize. Just then, the person sitting next to me made a face and expressed his profound disappointment with the airline.
Like how quickly the world owes him something he knew existed only 10 seconds ago?
Flying is the worst one; people come back from flights, they tell you their experience, and it's a horror story. ‘It was the worst day of my life! First of all, we didn't board for 20 minutes. And then we got on the plane, and they made us sit there on the runway for 40 minutes.’
‘Oh, really? What happened next? Did you fly through the air incredibly, like a bird? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight, you non-contributing zero? You're flying! It's amazing! Everybody on every plane should be constantly going 'oh my G-d, wow!’”
In fact, nature itself is nothing more than a recurring series of miracles. From the rise of the sun, the birth of a baby, to each breath we emit, these are plain miracles. It is only because we have become so accustomed to it that it ceases to amaze us.
However, for a person attached to a respirator, struggling to breathe, G-d forbid, the ability to breathe freely would be miraculous.
Judaism teaches us to delve beneath the surface of nature and reveal the miraculous divine spark and purpose within each creation. We develop an appreciation and remain grateful for all the capabilities and blessings G-d bestows upon us.
Otherwise, our accomplishments can easily feed into our own egos and lead us down a slippery slope of never-ending self-serving narcissism.
In this week’s Torah portion, Va'eira, we learn about the first seven of the ten plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians. Many commentators struggle regarding the significance of these particular plagues. If they were meant to serve only as punishment to the Egyptians for brutally enslaving the Jewish people or to ensure they let the Jewish people free, there were many faster and easier ways for G-d to accomplish this.
One of the great Biblical commentators, Rabbi Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437, Lisbon, Portugal- 1508, Venice, Italy), who also served as the financier and treasurer of King Afonso V of Portugal, explains that the plagues were meant to not merely to serve as punishment for the Egyptians but rather, more importantly, to elevate and transform the Egyptian culture by providing a lesson regarding certain truths about G-d's existence and providence. As the verse states, “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch out My hand over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from their midst” (Exodus 7:5).
The Nile was the mainstay of the Egyptian economy. Very little rain falls in Egypt, so the Egyptian farmer did not look to the heavens for sustenance. Instead, the Egyptians worshiped the Nile River, as it provided irrigation for their fields. The very first plague turned the waters of the Nile to blood. This forced the Egyptians to recognize a higher power and to turn to G-d for assistance. The same was true with each of the subsequent plagues; they served as an important lesson for the Egyptians by removing their false sense of ego and belief in their own accomplishments.
Pharaoh is identified with his stubborn boasts, “I do not know G-d,” and “the river is mine and I have fashioned it,” denying G-d’s influence in our world and replacing it with a belief in self and man’s power. The fundamental purpose of the plagues was to negate this approach, to manifest G-dliness openly so that all could see, and in doing so, to break the pride of Pharaoh and his nation.
This also serves as an important lesson to the Jewish people. The message of the miracles of the plagues is to probe beneath the surface and become conscious of G-d’s involvement in our lives. Nothing happens by chance. Instead, in a way in which only His infinite wisdom can fully comprehend, G-d is guiding our lives and working miracles on our behalf. The only difference between the plagues in Egypt and our present situation is the degree to which G-d’s hand is overtly manifest, but the presence, and the working of that hand, always remains the same.
Belief in one G-d means not only to negate the idea of polytheism but also to reject the notion that there are other forces that control the world. Nature, science, the stock market, and medicine are no more than powerful tools that G-d wishes to use to provide for our needs. They lack any inherent power of their own. As Maimonides explains in his Guide to the Perplexed, "[the sun acts in the same manner] as 'the ax in the hand of him that hews with it." Just as an ax has no independent choice of its own, so too nature has no power of its own and is only a tool in the hand of the Creator.
While we must contribute our efforts by utilizing our brains and capabilities to work hard, explore, and develop the world around us, it is crucial to always keep in mind the Divine providence and purpose that permeates all of existence.
It is heartwarming to witness our brave IDF soldiers returning from battle, singing praises and expressing gratitude to G-d for protecting them from harm in a most miraculous manner. These young soldiers comprehend that, while they must act with utmost professionalism and employ the most sophisticated weaponry and technology available to combat evil, these capabilities are merely tools that G-d has enabled us to use. Our true protection comes from G-d.
The mission statement of the Jewish people to the world is to reveal G-dliness within the universe by demonstrating how every physical creation is meant to serve and express its true good and divine purpose. This mission helps us prepare the world for the coming of Redemption when all nations will live in peace, harmony, and prosperity together and serve G-d as one. As stated by our Prophets, “I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him of one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9).
Let us continue to pray and do an additional Mitzvah for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world and merit the coming Moshiach today!
