Miracles Miracles - Re'eh 5786

 There are many different types of tests that we face in life.  There is the test of suffering and the test of abundance.  Will we continue to keep our faith and serve Hashem under duress, and will we recognize the great gift of abundance that Hashem has given us and respond with greater fervor in our observance?  There is the test of temptation to sin that we all face every day.  There was the test of the “Akeida,” when Avraham was called upon to sacrifice his son, and other tests that great Tzaddikim have faced to expose their deep, unshakeable faith.

I think it is fair to say that the test that Moshe describes in this week’s Parsha, Re’eh, is a major challenge, especially for our generation.  “If there will arise among you a prophet or dreamer, and he gives you a sign or a marvel, and the sign or the marvel of which he spoke to you takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other peoples’ deities, which you have not known, and let us worship them.’ You must not heed the words of that prophet or dreamer, because G-d, your G-d, is testing you to ascertain whether you really love G-d, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul.  You shall follow G-d, your G-d; fear Him; safeguard His commandments; heed His voice; worship Him; and cleave to Him.” (Devarim 13:2-5.)  As always in Torah, there is the basic translation and the broader implications. 

Moshe is telling us that Hashem has given false prophets the ability to perform miracles.  There are magicians, sorcerers, evil practitioners and all kinds of people that can convince you that Hashem has sent them by performing a miracle, and it may actually come about.  But it’s all a test, because our faith and the strength of our convictions are not based on miracles.  

Rambam explains at length that the reason we believe that Moshe is Hashem’s faithful prophet and that his teachings are the eternal word of Hashem is not ultimately because of the miracles he performed.  If that were the case, then another person’s miracles might signal a new era with a new message, G-d forbid.  We know that Hashem sent Moshe because at Mount Sinai every single man, woman and child shared the identical experience.  They all heard the voice of Hashem telling Moshe to speak to the people.  And Moshe told us unequivocally at the beginning of this section: “Everything I command you—that is what you must be careful to do; you must neither add to it nor detract from it.”  He then proceeds to warn us about all the false prophets who will appear in the future, as indeed has happened again and again.

It is a very powerful pull when someone shows us spiritual phenomena, miracles, visions and very convincing arguments.  It is, unfortunately, easy to get sucked into the “latest and greatest” spiritual approach.  This is especially true when Jews are raised without the proper understanding of our heritage, looking at Torah and Judaism through the lens of other religions and accepting lies and misrepresentations about what the Torah teaches.  Then when someone is seeking meaning and spirituality, they often will hear of some sort of great way to feel spiritual, even if in fact it takes us away from the true holiness of the Torah, which is the one way for us to really connect to Hashem.

I think this passage also is referring to the many movements that try to disprove the truth of Torah.  On one extreme there is Atheism, a religion in itself, and then all those who believe that science somehow disproves the Torah’s Creation story and the teachings of traditional Judaism.  Moshe is telling us: there will always be very convincing arguments against what I am teaching you.  That is an intentional part of your mission on Earth: to deal with these tests.  Because when we refuse to follow the current trends, no matter how convincing, and remain faithful to Torah and Mitzvot, this elevates us and reveals our deep intrinsic bond with Hashem, and causes us to “ascertain that we really love G-d, our G-d, with all our heart and with all our soul.”

This section is in the Parsha “Re’eh,” which means “see.”  The name of the Parsha implies that it is possible to “see” Hashem and the truth of the Torah, at least with the mind's eye.  A friend asked me to submit an essay for his book, on my “elevator pitch proving that there is a G-d.”  I told him:  I can't prove to you logically that there is a G-d, but you can.”  Movements come and go.  Religions modify and change. Scientific truths evolve over the years. The one thing that remains constant and unchanging is Torah. Judaism does not teach “blind faith.”  After we committed at Sinai to observe the Torah, we committed to “hear it.”  To understand logically as much as is possible for a human being.

If we approach it in that order:  First, to accept with certainty that this is the truth and to ignore any movement, philosophy, religion or science that tells us it is not so.  When we approach Torah with that faith, and yes perhaps it starts with blind faith, we can then see in our lives how Hashem’s Presence permeates the world.  It all fits and makes sense, if we withstand the test of all the other spiritual or logical seductions.  We do get to “see it and experience it in our lives.

(Speaking of “Re’eh,” this weekend we have Scholar in Residence Rabbi Avrohom Jacks speaking on the theme of “see.”  Please see the program here.  We’d love to see you.