Here’s a little secret that I’ve been keeping to myself for quite some time: I can perform miracles. No, I haven’t gone off the deep end – I truly can perform miracles. Not only that, I can train you too– for free! - in the secret practice of miracle working.
Ready for some free training? Let’s jump right in to Miracle Working 101.
First, though, we need to understand just what is a miracle? A miracle is an extraordinary, supernatural event. More specifically, there are two sorts of miracles; the type that overwhelms and shatters the natural order of the world (e.g. the splitting of the Reed Sea described in the Torah) and the type of miracle that is disguised in natural events. A timely example of this second sort of miracle would be the Six Day War that took place this week 46 years ago.
Here’s where the miraculous fun begins! For this to work you need to actually participate in this exercise. Choose one personality trait that you would like to perfect. Now, perfect it. Poof! A miracle has been performed!
What’s that you say? Not so simple? Well of course there are times of inspiration when everything just happens to go right – that’s the first sort of miracle. It just overpowers our nature and we seem perfect for a day or two. But then reality sets back in.
The good news is that there is the second kind of miracle. We can expand and stretch our nature, ever so slowly nudging it in the right direction. This is a miracle which is disguised as nature. It’s far from natural but because it happens over time, we don’t appreciate its miraculous-ness.
This week, we study about a strange event. Following the rebellion of Korach, in order to prove that Aaron was the Heaven-chosen High Priest, a miracle occurred. Aaron’s staff, made of plain wood, blossomed and grew almonds. The strange thing about this is that the same Producer of Nature-Shattering Miracles, G-d, seems to keep within the laws of nature in performing this miracle. Why did Aarons staff have to first blossom in order to grow miraculous almonds? Although it was completely miraculous it conformed (somewhat) to natures terms. Strange, no?
There’s a profound lesson here. We each have the ability to perform miracles. We can change the negative aspects of our life for good. But it doesn’t have to be in a dramatic nature-shattering way (that usually doesn’t last anyway), it can be accomplished by pushing the confines of our nature outward.
Then all we need to do is step back and appreciate the miraculous change that we have enabled. Performing miracles is lots fun! Shall we do another?