Q&A: Miracles and Their Relevance to Our Time
Miracles and Their Relevance to Our Time
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I study in a yeshiva high school, and our rosh yeshiva tells us that what happened on October 7 was an open miracle, and that the miracle is that not more people were killed. I tend to believe that there is no divine intervention in the world, and this really raises the question for me whether there is intervention. I’d be happy to hear your opinion.
Answer
Of course. Completely obvious, plain for all to see. The Holocaust was also an open miracle—that a hundred million didn’t die. Because you’re his student, I won’t use the words that would be appropriate for this delusional claim.
Discussion on Answer
By the way, it’s best not to use a non-Jewish date (October 7). There are halakhic decisors [including the Chatam Sofer] who held that this is prohibited.
Ask the rosh yeshiva (who presumably is a genius and a righteous man), “Teach us, our rabbi” — why are you asking someone who doesn’t hold that way?