Philosophy:Miracles/2

Miracles

Exegetical Approaches

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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.

Sources:R. Saadia Gaon in Ibn Ezra1Bereshit First Commentary 3:1Bereshit Second Commentary 3:1Bemidbar 22:28About R. Avraham ibn Ezra¹

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 Miraculous? R. Saadia views angels as part of nature, and not as miraculous in of themselves.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:RambamMoreh Nevukhim 2 42Hilkhot Melakhim 12:1About R. Moshe b. Maimon

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.

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 3:1Bereshit Second Commentary 3:1Bemidbar 22:28About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RadakYehoshua 5:2Shemuel I 28:24Melakhim I 17:21About R. David Kimchi

Purpose of 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:RambanBereshit 6:19Bereshit 18:19Shemot 6:2Shemot 13:16Vayikra 26:11Bemidbar 11:22Devarim 11:13About R. Moshe b. Nachman

Divine Providence – Ramban understands that everything that happens in the world is caused by divine providence. All of nature is miraculous, caused by Hashem in order to reward the worthy and punish the sinners.

What is Miraculous? Ramban views all of nature as hidden miracles. However, obvious miracles only include cases where Hashem's intervention is clear and obvious.

Purpose of Miracles – Ramban differentiates between two classes of miracles. The large and famous miracles, such as the exodus from Egypt, are intended as proofs of Hashem's existence, that He created the world, and His continuous providence. Meanwhile, the hidden miracles, such as rain, sickness, childbirth, and even peace or war, are intended as reward and punishment.

Unchanging Nature – Ramban views miracles as proof that nature is not unchanging, and therefore that the belief in the eternity of the world is false.

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.

Sources:Mishna AvotAvot 5:6About the Mishna, Bereshit Rabbah5:5-6About Bereshit Rabbah, RambamCommentary on the Mishna Avot 5:6Moreh Nevukhim 2 29About R. Moshe b. Maimon

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.

¹ The citation of R. Saadia in Ibn Ezra does not match R. Saadia's own commentary, where he states that the snake was a specially modified snake which was given human characteristics in order to test Adam.

² 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.