April 2006 Prescription For Miracles By Rabbi Alvin Kass The Midrashic account of the splitting of the Red Sea, the central event celebrated at this Passover season, emphasizes, not the manifestation of a miracle by God, but rather an act of faith by man. Thus, we are told that initially Moses and God had an argument over the Almighty's intention to divide the waters. Moses felt that the rending of the Red Sea would be a bad thing since it necessitated violating one of the immutable laws of nature that God Himself had ordained at the time He had made the world. Moses wanted no part of such an enterprise. Nevertheless, God finally prevailed upon Moses to go along with the Divine plan. When Moses ordered the waters to divide, however, they refused to listen. In the midst of the deadlock, the Israelites didn't know what to do. Should they go back to their former masters? Should they fight? Should they run away? Ultimately, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin mustered all the courage and fortitude at their disposal, and hurled themselves into the sea. At that instant, the waters divided and the Exodus became a reality. This version of the famous tale is fascinating because it discloses what the rabbis of old felt about miracles. To be sure, they believed that God could do anything. Since He was omnipotent, nothing was beyond His powers. But even more significantly they contended that it was not because miracles happen that people have faith, but just the opposite. It is because people have faith that miracles occur. The Israelites did not wait to believe in God until after the Red Sea split asunder. Initially, they demonstrated their faith and then, only then, did the waters divide. There is an expression in Hebrew: kol hatchalot kashot, "all beginnings are difficult." It is often very tough to make an initial gesture such as that of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Imagine, for example, how hard it must be for an infant to take his first step. A youngster's first day in school can also be a most traumatic experience. Asking a girl out on a date for the first time looms forth for a lot of teenage boys as the most momentous challenge of their lives. Some people who are dissatisfied with their job have a rough time overcoming the complacency, lethargy, and apprehensiveness which stand in the way of trying something different. How difficult it is for many in a strange social situation to make the first move in an effort to meet new friends. One who has been incapacitated for a long time by serious illness is likewise fearful of resuming normal activity. The bereaved, too, face serious problems in efforts to readjust to a world in which those whom they loved the most are physically absent. Yet, when we finally muster the courage and fortitude to take the first step, miraculous things happen and a whole new world opens before us. The great turning points in history have been brought about by human beings who possessed the requisite boldness and faith of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who stepped into untried waters. Such was the accomplishment of Christopher Columbus who discovered a new world in defiance of the accepted scientific beliefs of his time. Such was the achievement of Abraham the Patriarch who initiated a religious revolution when he left his native city of Ur. Such was the triumph of Moses who abandoned the comfort and luxury of his royal situation in response to the call of justice. Those in life who wait for extra favorable circumstances to occur before they act will never bring about miracles; for they can never be sure whether this is the most propitious moment for the realization of their objectives. Those, however, who are willing to take risks, to show courage and daring, to demonstrate the inner mettle necessary to act on the basis of faith and trust - these are the special people who often make the impossible a reality. It was that kind of faith that enabled the Israelis to defeat the Arabs in five wars since 1948. It is that kind of faith that may eventually pave the way for reconciliation among all the nations in the Middle East. It is that kind of faith which is as important to life as food and water. Nothing short of a miracle will resolve the very serious problems that plague mankind in every corner of the world; nevertheless, like the ancient Israelites, men and women of faith can make miracles an immediate reality. We ought never to forget the prophetic exhortation: "The righteous man shall live by his faith."