A miracle is usually understood as an intervention by God
who suspends the laws of nature for a purpose. The rabbinic and modern Hebrew
term for it is “NES.” However, this is not what it meant in biblical times.
The term NES, deriving from the Hebrew root NSS, simply
means an ensign, a signal, a pole, as in “The Lord said to Moses, ‘make a seraph [meaning uncertain, some say, a
winged snake] figure and mount it on a standard (NES)” (Num. 21:8). Or, by
extension, it may refer to an example: the rebellious Korah’s band disappeared
when the earth opened up, thus becoming a NES (“an example’) (Num. 26:10).
In the ancient Near
East, the belief in miracles was based on the assumption that God is
omnipotent, and, consequently, He [in the Bible it is always a masculine
figure] can interrupt the flow of nature at will. Various Hebrew expressions
are used for this phenomenon, such as, GEDOLOT (“great things”) and NIFLAOT
(“marvelous works”). In the early rabbinic literature, the word NES refers to miraculous
signs, such as: “One who sees a place where miracles (NISIM) happened to Israel
should say, ‘Blessed is he who performed miracles for our fathers in this
place” (Ber. 9: 1).
It is important to note, however, that neither the Bible nor
early rabbinic texts have a systematic understanding of miracles. In those days,
people believed that God acted like humans, but considerably stronger and with
incredible results. Only during the medieval period did the Jewish philosophers
start to interpret the ancient miracles according to the prevailing thinking of
their time, without, however, reaching unanimity of opinion. Even though many
professed a belief in miracles, others came up with novel interpretations. For
instance, Nahmanides (13th cent. Spain) and Hasdai Crescas (14th
cent. Spain) believed that miracles were immutable supernatural realities, but others,
like Maimonides (d. 1204, Spain and Egypt), argued, in accordance with their rationalistic
Aristotelian philosophy, that the so-called miracles were built into the
structure of the universe, and when circumstances become favorable they emerge
as something new (See, Maimonides, Eight Chapters, ch.8; Guide,
2: 29), and others, like Spinoza (17th cent., Holland) and , later
on, Mordecai Kaplan (d. 1983, USA) totally rejected all beliefs in the creditability
of the biblical miracles.
There is no doubt that many people in ancient times took
miracles for granted, but, even then, there were some who discounted the idea.
Thus, for instance, in the biblical times, according to one source, miracles
cannot be used to prove a religious truth: The Book of Deuteronomy teaches us
that if a prophet gives you a sign, asking you to follow another god, do not do
it, “even if the sign or portent (OT or MOFET) that he named to you comes true”
(Deut. 13: 3). Similarly, in the rabbinic literature, the sages stressed that
no one should pray for something that would alter the past, for it cannot be
undone. Thus, “To cry over the past is to utter a vain prayer” (Ber. 9:3).
In our time, it is incumbent upon us to remind people that
miracles do not happen. God, as the energy of the universe, does not interrupt
the flow of nature for the benefit of anyone, no matter how sincere or hopeful.
It is always good to hope for the best, but one cannot depend on it. As one
rabbi said in the Talmud: “Never depend on a miracle” (Sab. 32a).
The Universe is a wonderful place. Every moment is a
“miracle.” As Walt Whitman (d. 1892) once wrote, “To me every hour of the light
and dark is a miracle; Every cubit inch of space is a miracle.” As we observe
nature, we realize that many of life’s secrets still need to be discovered. And
when something incredible does occur, it is because we have not as yet learned
how the world really operates and how the laws of nature make this possible. New
knowledge enriches us and gives us a better perspective on life. We cannot pray
so that the world outside will bend to our purposes, but we can pray so that we
can have a better understanding of ourselves and learn how to deal with
nature’s surprises. In that respect, the Gates of Prayer, hit the right
note when it stated, “Who rise from prayers better persons, their prayer is
answered” (1975, p.127).
Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D.
Framingham State University
