Difference between revisions of "Philosophy:Miracles/2"
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<point><b>Examples</b> – Ibn Ezra brings two examples of R. Saadia reinterpreting miracles to follow the laws of nature. These examples are the two cases of speaking animals in Tanakh: the snake in the Garden of Eden (Bereshit 3) and Bilam's donkey (Bemidbar 22). According to R. Saadia, animals are physically lacking the ability to speak, and therefore he explains that angels spoke, pretending to be the animals.</point> | <point><b>Examples</b> – Ibn Ezra brings two examples of R. Saadia reinterpreting miracles to follow the laws of nature. These examples are the two cases of speaking animals in Tanakh: the snake in the Garden of Eden (Bereshit 3) and Bilam's donkey (Bemidbar 22). According to R. Saadia, animals are physically lacking the ability to speak, and therefore he explains that angels spoke, pretending to be the animals.</point> | ||
<point><b>Exceptions</b> – According to Ibn Ezra's understanding of R. Saadia, miracles that contravene the laws of nature can only occur if necessary to prove the truth of a prophet's statement.</point> | <point><b>Exceptions</b> – According to Ibn Ezra's understanding of R. Saadia, miracles that contravene the laws of nature can only occur if necessary to prove the truth of a prophet's statement.</point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Purpose of Miracles</b></point> | ||
<point><b>What is Natural?</b> R. Saadia views angels as part of nature, and not contravening the laws of nature.<fn>Cf. Rambam, who takes the opposite approach, stating that angels do not exist in reality, and all mentions of them are part of dreams and prophecies.</fn></point> | <point><b>What is Natural?</b> R. Saadia views angels as part of nature, and not contravening the laws of nature.<fn>Cf. Rambam, who takes the opposite approach, stating that angels do not exist in reality, and all mentions of them are part of dreams and prophecies.</fn></point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
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<p>The laws of nature were pre-designed at creation to include certain exceptions, which are viewed as miracles.</p> | <p>The laws of nature were pre-designed at creation to include certain exceptions, which are viewed as miracles.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="MishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Mishna Avot</a><a href="MishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Avot 5:6</a><a href="Mishna" data-aht="parshan">About the Mishna</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah5-5-6" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah5-5-6" data-aht="source">5:5-6</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambamCommentaryontheMishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Rambam</a><a href="RambamCommentaryontheMishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Commentary on the Mishna Avot 5:6</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim229" data-aht="source">Moreh Nevukhim 2 29</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Maimon</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="MishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Mishna Avot</a><a href="MishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Avot 5:6</a><a href="Mishna" data-aht="parshan">About the Mishna</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah5-5-6" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah5-5-6" data-aht="source">5:5-6</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambamCommentaryontheMishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Rambam</a><a href="RambamCommentaryontheMishnaAvot5-6" data-aht="source">Commentary on the Mishna Avot 5:6</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim229" data-aht="source">Moreh Nevukhim 2 29</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Maimon</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
| + | <point><b>Examples</b> – The Mishna in Avot mentions ten objects (including Bilam's donkey and Moshe's staff) created at the very end of creation. The Rambam understands this to mean that all of the miracles related to these objects were preset in the laws of nature from the time of creation. Similarly, Bereshit Rabbah states that as part of the creation of the sea, Hashem also created the possibility of Yam Suf splitting. The Rambam expands this to include other sea-related miracles (such as the Jordan splitting for Yehoshua, Eliyahu, and Elisha), and to include as part of each day of creation, the miracles related to that day.</point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Purpose of Miracles</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Unchanging Nature</b> – The Rambam follows the Aristotelian view that nature is unchanging. Thus, Hashem does not interfere in nature, despite being able to do so.</point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 08:14, 18 October 2018
Miracles
Exegetical Approaches
Miracles Follow the Laws of Nature
Miracles don't contradict the laws of nature. Stories of miracles should be explained in ways that match the laws of nature.
Miracles Have Scientific Explanations
Miracles don't contravene the laws of nature, and can always be explained by physical non-miraculous phenomena. Miracles only appear to be miracles due to fortuitous timing.
Examples – Ibn Ezra brings two examples of R. Saadia reinterpreting miracles to follow the laws of nature. These examples are the two cases of speaking animals in Tanakh: the snake in the Garden of Eden (Bereshit 3) and Bilam's donkey (Bemidbar 22). According to R. Saadia, animals are physically lacking the ability to speak, and therefore he explains that angels spoke, pretending to be the animals.
Exceptions – According to Ibn Ezra's understanding of R. Saadia, miracles that contravene the laws of nature can only occur if necessary to prove the truth of a prophet's statement.
Purpose of Miracles
What is Natural? R. Saadia views angels as part of nature, and not contravening the laws of nature.2
Miracles Should Be Understood Allegorically
Miracles that contravene the laws of nature did not happen in reality, and stories that speak of them must be understood as allegories, dreams, or prophecies.
Sources:Rambam
Examples – The Rambam gives several examples of miracles that need to be understood allegorically.
- Mentions of Angels – According to Rambam, all stories which mention angels appearing or speaking did not happen in real life, but rather were prophetic dreams. These include Avraham's Guests (Bereshit 18), Yaakov's encounters (Bereshit 32:2-3,25-33), Bilam's Donkey (Bemidbar 22), and many others.
- The End of Days – According to Rambam, the prophecies regarding changes in nature in the end of days (such as Yeshayahu 11:6) should be understood allegorically, as referring to world peace, and not actual changes in the behavior of animals.
Exceptions – The Rambam is not consistent in his view of miracles, and understands other miracles to have happened in reality. These he understands to have been hard-coded exceptions to the laws of nature, planned already during the creation of the world – see below.
Purpose of Miracles – These miracles did not (or will not) affect reality, and as such only have meaning in conveying a prophetic message to the target of the dream or prophecy.
Unchanging Nature – The Rambam follows the Aristotelian view that nature is unchanging. Thus, Hashem does not interfere in nature, despite being able to do so.
Miracles Are Exceptions to the Laws of Nature
While laws of nature exist, and Hashem generally does not interfere with them, He occasionally does make exceptions, and causes miracles.
Nature Is Entirely Miraculous
The laws of nature don't contradict miracles. The laws of nature need to be explained in a way that includes miracles.
There Are No Laws of Nature
There are no "laws" of nature, since everything is caused directly by Hashem's will, and may change at His desire.
Sources:Ramban
Miracles Are Hard-Coded Into the Laws of Nature
The laws of nature were pre-designed at creation to include certain exceptions, which are viewed as miracles.
Examples – The Mishna in Avot mentions ten objects (including Bilam's donkey and Moshe's staff) created at the very end of creation. The Rambam understands this to mean that all of the miracles related to these objects were preset in the laws of nature from the time of creation. Similarly, Bereshit Rabbah states that as part of the creation of the sea, Hashem also created the possibility of Yam Suf splitting. The Rambam expands this to include other sea-related miracles (such as the Jordan splitting for Yehoshua, Eliyahu, and Elisha), and to include as part of each day of creation, the miracles related to that day.
Purpose of Miracles
Unchanging Nature – The Rambam follows the Aristotelian view that nature is unchanging. Thus, Hashem does not interfere in nature, despite being able to do so.
