- All Miracles Were Part of Creation
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- God's perfection and His complete knowledge dictate that God knew at
the very outset in Creation, when specific miracles would need to
unfold to achieve various goals. Maimonides explains in Avos, 5:6,
that with this knowledge, God instilled precise laws timed exactly to
unfold and enact all miracles in their proper hour. For example,
miracles dealing with earth were created in the fabric of earth in its
creation;. All miracles dealing with water were created in the fabric
of water on its day of creation. This rule applies to all matter
created during the six days of creation. As matter was created,
specific miracles destined to unfold in the future were built into
that matter. This principle attests to God's supreme and complete
knowledge of all events which are to unfold throughout all time. To
assume that God performed miracles only at "the time" in
history, assumes that God could not anticipate the exact moment the
miracle would need to be performed. It assumes ignorance on God's
part.
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- Maimonides' explanation on the mishna quoted demands that man
attribute complete knowledge to the Creator. Man must affirm God's
wisdom and ability to create matter in such a way that specific, short
term alterations in natural law would occur at exact, defined moments
throughout time.
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- The question arises from the text of the mishna which states:
"Ten things were created at dusk on the sixth day of creation,
the mouth of the earth (which swallowed Korach), the mouth of the well
(during the 40 years in the desert), the mouth of the donkey (the
account of Bilam), the rainbow, the Manna, Aaron's staff, the Shamir
(the worm used to miraculously cut stones) the Hebrew letters, the
tool used to write the Ten Commandments, the Ten Commandments (the
actual sapphire tablets) and some say even Mazikim, the burial site of
Moses, the ram of Abraham, and some say even the first tongs (metal
instruments used to forge other instruments)."
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- The question is, why weren't these miracles also created in their
respective days like all other miracles? What is the concept taught
that they were created at dusk on day 6 of creation?
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- Understanding the mark of distinction held by these few miracles
will lead to the answer. So how are these miracles different than all
others?
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- I believe the distinction is that these miracles incorporate that
which is antithetical to the substance in which it resides. For
example, the mouth of the rock which gave forth water. Rock is a
purely arid substance - water is the opposite. The donkey is the most
stubborn and stupid creature, yet it spoke, implying intelligence. The
first tongs by definition are a contradiction. How does one make the
'first' tongs, if there are no others with which to forge that first
set? The shamir worm is a tiny insect, a weak creature, yet it had the
capacity to split huge stones. And the tool to write the Ten
Commandments, made for sapphire. Sapphire being one of the hardest
substances, the existence of the tool used to cut such a substance
would be a contradiction, i.e., how can something else be harder than
the hardest thing?
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- In contrast, the splitting of the Red sea for example does not
incorporate a direct contradiction to water's nature, but as the
passage states, God blew a strong wind to break open the waters. This
means that something external to the water itself provided the
separation. When Joshua caused the sun and moon to stand still, again,
motion of heavenly spheres is external to the spheres themselves.
Again, no inherent contradiction.
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- So why didn't God incorporate inherent contradictory miracles into
their respective days of Creation? What is the purpose of their delay
until dusk?
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- The answer is that it was not a 'delay', but it was an impossibility
for these few miracles to inhere in a substance before the substance
became complete, with all its laws. I will explain. As an example, had
God brought stone into existence in a state containing moisture, the
entire definition of stone would be different than what is needed for
an inhabitable planet. God first had to create substances, which are
defined as how they first come into existence. This is what
took place on each of the 6 days of creation, i.e., matter coming into
existence in distinct forms, each containing specific, essential
properties. Once a certain substance exists in a desired form with its
essential properties, only then can God make aberrations in its
nature, without altering the actual substance. God desired that stone
exist - this means an arid, hard substance. So God brought stone into
existence as stone, and not as a moist object, which would not be
stone. Subsequent to its creation, God can made aberrations. This is
what is meant by dusk. Meaning, first, God defined matter by giving
each substance specific, unique properties. This occurred during the 6
days. Only subsequent to the completion of many substances, could God
incorporate a "suspension" of those properties. But
suspension means, altering that which already exists.
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- Certain miracles were needed for future events, without which,
catastrophe would occur. As it is God's wish to benefit man, the
suspension of a specific few laws at a few times was essential to
preserve mankind. God therefore made concessions to man (implied by
making these miracles at the "last moment possible") by
altering laws of created matter.
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- In summary, all miracles were already built into all of created
matter. Miracles on the whole do not contain contradictions in
material substance, but are rather multiple forces operating
simultaneously. Due to the need for substance to maintain essential,
structural properties, matter needed to come into existence as a
defined entity. Only once existing in an essential form could God
"alter" it to assist man.
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- A friend had asked how the rainbow fits into this theory. The answer
is that it cannot, as it is not a suspension in a substance's laws.
But it does fit into our theory if we make an amendment: We stated
before that all miracles which were designed at sunset on the
primordial Friday had one thing in common, i.e., they were all
suspensions or contradictions in the very laws governing and actually
making that substance what it is. Therefore, these few miracles, by
definition, had to arrive subsequent to the creation of all matter.
But we can include a rainbow into our theory if we suggest that what
these few miracles had in common was something else; the impossibility
of existing simultaneously with the creation of all matter. Meaning,
just as in the miracle of the rock - Miriam's well - moisture had to
be created subsequent to the very creation of an arid rock. So too, a
rainbow could only exist subsequent to the existence of water and
light, the two elements which combine to create a rainbow. A rainbow
is not a new creation. A Rabbi once pointed out, God said the rainbow
I "place" in the clouds as a sign. God does not say at
Noah's time, "My rainbow I "created". Meaning, the
rainbow always existed, even before Noah's time. But, it was created
subsequent to water and light, and therefore included in the few items
which had to be created last. It could not come into existence at the
time of the creation of light, or at the creation of water, but
subsequent to both.
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- So our revamped theory will read; All miracles created at sunset on
the first Friday share the common theme that they could not be created
earlier, for one of a few reasons; Either, 1) All substances had to be
fixed (complete) in order that these few miracles can be alterations
of these fixed substances, or 2)The miracle is not an alteration in
preexisting matter, but the miracle cannot exist without the
preexisting matter. Such is the case of the rainbow.
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