When Miracles Aren't Big Enough
Tech Tribe Dispatch #246
💡 Think:
This Shabbat, the last before Passover, is called Shabbat Hagadol - the Great Shabbat. The name refers to a great, if somewhat esoteric, miracle that took place shortly before the Exodus. When the first born of ancient Egypt heard about the impending plague smiting the first born, they rebelled against Pharaoh, demanding that the Jews be set free before this final plague. This rebellion, which took place on Shabbat, further destabilized the situation in Egypt, shaking the country's infrastructure and paving the way for the Jews to finally leave.
Pretty great.
But stop for a moment and think about this miracle. How miraculous can it really be? On its face, it’s a fairly natural response to events. After all, if the Egyptians had already experienced nine of the ten plagues, doesn't it stand to reason that hearing about a plague targeting the first born would elicit civil unrest from said first born in an attempt to set the Jews free and avoid the plague?
The answer lies in our understanding of miracles.
A miracle that breaks nature shows how G-d may be above the natural realm, but also presents a world where G-d, on some level, is in conflict with the world: There is a world, there is a Creator, and then when the Creator wishes to be felt in the world, He must break the rules . . .
But on Shabbat Hagadol, G-d's presence was expressed through the natural order. G-d doesn't need to break the world to be felt, but rather can be experienced through it.
This is also hinted in the date we choose to remember this miracle: Not on the day of the month like every other Jewish holiday (Passover, of course, but also Chanukah, Purim) but rather uniquely on the day of the week the miracle first occurred: The Shabbat before the Exodus.
This is because the day of the month, with the waxing and waning of the Moon, represents cosmic shifts that transcend the natural order. The weekly cycle, however, built around the rising and setting sun, represents nature at its fullest.
We’ve permeated the natural order with the divine.
🏃 DO:
🍪 Join us for the Passover Seders! Join your Tech Tribe fam for a home-style seder, with great food, amazing people and plenty of wine! Limited space on Night One, with more room night two
🤝 Sell your Chametz online! It’s a super easy way to prep for Passover.
🍷 FESTIVAL OF THE FUTURE - End the holiday of Passover with four more cups of wine, Chasidic song, great company and more.
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🔥 Lit:
This week, light Shabbat candles in NYC at 7:22 PM
For Shabbat candle-lighting time in your area click here.
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