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Jewish World Review
Jan. 19, 2007
/ 29 Teves 5767
Great miracles do not change human behavior and beliefs in any meaningful fashion
By
Rabbi Berel Wein
The keys to faith
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Plagues, miracles and natural disasters are all recorded for us in this week's Torah portion. They seem to make little impression, either on Pharaoh or even on the Jewish slaves. These events indicate how difficult it is to alter people's preconceived perceptions and mindset.
Pharaoh is not impressed by the plagues because his own professional miracle
makers were able to replicate the first three plagues. He therefore
attributes all of the later plagues to forces of nature or superior
professional miracle-makers that Moses has somehow employed. The Jewish
people also are, relatively speaking, little impressed by the plagues. They
are so despondent as to their continued condition of slavery and, in fact,
to their worsening situation since the onset of the rain of plagues, that
they have little hope that the plagues or Moses can or will deliver them
from Egyptian bondage.
One of the hallmarks of a slave mentality is the feeling of hopelessness and
ingrained pessimism that is engendered into the psyche of the slave. Though
completely understandable as to why this should be so, it is nevertheless
most counterproductive to the drive for personal freedom and emancipation
that is necessary in order to eventually become a person who is free not
only in body but in spirit as well.
The commentators, notably Ibn Ezra, state that this negative mentality
persisted throughout the years in the desert of Sinai and was the
contributing cause why that generation of former slaves could not enter the
Land of Israel. For this reason we can understand the frustrations expressed
by Moses to G-d as recorded at the end of the last week's Torah portion. He is
performing miracles left and right and no one seems to pay any attention to
his feats.
Eventually, Moses comes to the realization that the Lord has been teaching
him a basic lesson about human behavior. Great miracles, no matter how
awesome and overwhelming, do not change human behavior and beliefs in any
meaningful fashion. Pharaoh will be defeated only by force that strikes home
to him personally -- his first born child is killed and he is also in danger
of being killed. It is not the miracle of the first-born killings that
impresses him. It is the fear for his own safety that the miracle engendered
that causes him to free the Jews, a decision that he almost immediately
regrets. Miracles may raise Jewish faith temporarily but they do not form
the methodology for developing lasting faith and commitment.
After all of the miracles, the Jews are still capable of making and
worshipping a golden calf and rebelling against the rule of Moses and G-d.
Moses realizes that no matter how many miracles occur, faith has to be
nurtured and developed and maintained from the inside and not from outside
circumstances and happenings.
Study, education, loyalty, and family become the keys to faith. At times
miracles are necessary for the physical survival of the Jewish people. But
the spiritual survival of Jews is wholly dependent upon Jews themselves.
That is what G-d meant when He compared the patriarchs behavior to that of
Moses. They, to a great extent, did it on their own. Moses learns to emulate
them. So should we.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Rabbi Berel Wein --- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer offers a complete selection of CDs, audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and
books on Jewish history at www.rabbiwein.com Comment by clicking here.
© 2006, Rabbi Berel Wein
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