Q&A: Prayer for a Hidden Miracle?
Prayer for a Hidden Miracle?
Question
Hi. I know that the Rabbi’s view is that God does not intervene, but I’m less convinced (and you yourself also don’t reject it categorically, but simply say that it isn’t evident, so apparently it doesn’t happen).
But regardless of that, from a purely halakhic standpoint—is it permissible for me to pray that the Ministry of Education lose my exam booklet and therefore give me my coursework grade as the final grade? Is that basically a prayer for a hidden miracle (which is forbidden), or not?
(Maybe the Rabbi could also answer what he thinks the definition of a hidden miracle is?)
Answer
Any divine involvement is a miracle. There is no involvement within the framework of nature. As for prayer for a miracle, that principle is based on a mistake by the Sages, so I have no way to answer the question. See column 280, 464.
Discussion on Answer
I explained there that it contains a factual assumption (that there are gaps in nature) and a normative ruling (that one should not pray for a miracle, but only for things that fall within the gaps in nature). The norm is not based on a fact, but if they had known the fact, I don’t know what they would have ruled normatively. I have now reached the conclusion that there is a mistake in the factual assumption, and that raises a dilemma about what to do: accept the normative instruction and not ask for anything, or reject the normative instruction and continue praying.
I didn’t understand what the case is for rejecting the normative instruction. I’m not referring to prayer that is an obligatory prayer, but to requests beyond the obligatory prayers.
Because in my estimation, if the Sages had known that there is no possibility of involvement within the framework of nature, it is doubtful they would have forbidden asking for a miracle (because that would mean not asking for anything at all).
But I can raise doubts like that about many normative instructions of the Sages, and still it doesn’t seem that people cancel the Sages’ instructions on the basis of such doubts.
Because the implication is to stop making requests in prayer, including in the obligatory prayers. That is a far-reaching step. That too would be nullifying a binding halakhic instruction. So why is one stronger than the other?
As for prayer for a miracle—if it is based on a mistake, doesn’t that make it void?