Q&A: Faith in the Righteous
Faith in the Righteous
Question
Hello and blessings, honorable Rabbi.
I wanted to know your view regarding stories of wonders and miracles reported even about people living among us today. In your opinion, should one adopt intellectual suspicion and express skepticism, or remain silent?
2. Can open miracles really occur through people of our own time?
3. Does rejecting the acceptance of such miracle stories on the grounds of disbelief in them constitute a lack of faith in the sages, or in the authority granted to them by the Torah?
Answer
I am very suspicious regarding these stories, though I do not reject them categorically. It is certainly proper to express skepticism, if only in order to prevent people from stumbling after the nonsense is clarified and exposed to the public.
There is no flaw here in faith in the sages. There is no commandment of faith in the sages at all; rather, this falls under the category of common sense: to accept what seems reasonable to you. See the words of the commentators (Maimonides and Rabbenu Yonah) on the Mishnah in Avot, “Judge every person favorably.”