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Israel and US

Rabbi David A. Israel

The Miraculous
PERSPECTIVE

pon hearing my frustration For your miracles every day, and your miracle of the war, so do the lights of
looking for a parking spot in wonders and kindnesses every moment: the Chanukiah serve as a beacon to help
U Manhattan, the passenger in evening, morning and afternoon. us appreciate the miracles all around
the seat next to me remarked, “You have us. Religious Zionists may look at the
to have ‘parking bitachon,’ faith that G-d We refer to some miracles as hidden, by re-establishment of an independent
will provide.” I broke out in laughter. which we mean they can be rationalized Jewish State of Israel as a miracle with
And then, to make sure the last laugh was by science or circumstance. Chanukah is echoes of the Maccabean victory.
on me, a car down the block pulled out the celebration of both a hidden miracle The lights of Chanukah remind us
and I had a spot (and without a meter)! as well as a visible, unconcealed miracle. of this miracle but call upon us to go
The miracle of the oil lasting eight days farther and recognize that not only are
Why do some see G-d’s presence and instead of one was clear for those in the turning points in Jewish history
hand in everything and others, even the Temple to see. However, it required miracles, but all that happens in our lives
those who might verbally affirm belief faith and bitachon to believe that the and in the world around us is miraculous
in G-d’s participation in world events, Jews would defeat the Greeks and to as well.
struggle to see His presence and then see that victory as the fulfillment of
providence in front of their very eyes? May we wake each morning of
G-d’s design. The miracle of the oil was Chanukah, and every subsequent day,
“There are only two ways to live your meant to show that the result of the war and recite with renewed vigor:
life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as was also a miracle, similar to the famous
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though everything is a miracle” (Albert Ramban at the end of Parashat Bo: י ִּ ב ָּ ת ְ ר ַז ְֱ ח ֶ ה ֶ ׁש ם ָּי ַ ק ְ ו י ַ ח ך ֶ ל ֶ מ ךי ֶנ ָ פ ְ ל י ִנ ֲ א ה ֶ ד ֹומ
ָ
Einstein). .ך ֶ ת ָנּומ ֱ א ה ָּ ב ַ ר ה ָ ל ְ מ ֶ ח ְּ ב י ִ ת ָ מ ְ ׁש ִנ
ה ֶ ד ֹומ ם ָ ד ָ א םי ִ מ ָ ס ְ ר ֻ פ ְּ מ ַ ה םי ִ ל ֹוד ְּג ַ ה םי ִ ס ִּנ ַ ה ן ִ מּו
While neither the origins nor the true .'ּוכ ְ ו םי ִ ר ָּ ת ְ ס ִּנ ַ ה םי ִּ ס ִּנ ַּ ב Thank you, G-d. I do not take for granted
intention of Einstein’s comment are clear And from the great and known miracles, a that each morning you faithfully return
(Einstein did not believe in a personal person acknowledges the hidden miracles… my soul to me and enable me to live in this
G-d), it is a basic tenet of our mesorah miraculous world.
that we should celebrate mundane, The Baal HaTanya wrote that a little
everyday events as miracles. light dispels much darkness. This is
true not only in the physical world,
As we recite three times daily,
but in the spiritual world as well. Just Rabbi David A. Israel is the Executive
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ךי ֶ ת ֹוא ְ ל ְ פ ִנ ל ַ ע ְ ו ,ּונ ָּ מ ִ ע ם ֹוי ל ָ כ ְּ ב ֶ ׁש ךי ֶֶּ ס ִנ ל ַ ע ְ ו as the eight days of light in the Temple Vice-President of Religious Zionists of
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.םִי ָ ר ֳ ה ָ צ ְ ו ר ֶ קֹב ָ ו ב ֶ ר ֶ ע ,ת ֵ ע ל ָ כ ְּ ב ֶ ׁש ךי ֶ ת ֹוב ֹוט ְ ו helped the Maccabees recognize the America–Mizrachi
HAMIZRACHI PATRONS CHICAGO LOS ANGELES

• Martin and Reva Oliner 3740 W. Dempster 209-286-7141
Skokie, IL 60076
• In memory of Mr. Jack Nagel office@rzla.org
847-674-9733 President
305 Seventh Avenue office@rzc.us Dr. Yakov Agatstein
Room 1200, Presidium www.rzc.us
New York, NY 10001 Dr. Ernest Agatstein
Rabbi Leonard Matanky President
212-465-9234 Martin Oliner Dr. Oren Lakser
office@rza.org Executive Vice-President Executive Director
www.rza.org Rabbi David A. Israel Rabbi Jerold Isenberg
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