by the Divine Will during the six days of creation, nature being then so constituted that those miracles which were to happen really did afterwards take place. Then, when such an occurence happened at its proper time, it may have been regarded as an absolute innovation, whereas in reality it was not.[1]
The Rabbis expatiate very much upon this subject in the Midrash Koheleth and in other writings, one of their statements in reference to this matter being, "Everything follows its natural course".[2] In everything that they said, you will always find that
the Rabbis (peace be unto them!) avoided referring to the Divine Will as determining a particular event at a particular time. When, therefore, they said that man rises and sits down in accordance with the will of God, their meaning was that, when man was first created, his nature was so determined that rising up and sitting down were to be optional to him; but they as little meant that God wills at any special moment that man should or should not get up, as He determines at any given time that a certain stone should or should not fall to the ground.[3] The sum and substance of the matter is, then, that thou shouldst believe that just as God willed that man should be upright in stature, broad-chested, and have fingers, likewise did He will that man should move or rest of his own accord, and that his actions should be
- ↑ M. reiterates this view of the miracles in his Commentary on Abot, V, 6, which enumerates ten things created on the eve of the Sabbath of the week of creation. See Lipmann Heller, in Tosefot Yom-Tob, on this passage; and Hoffman, Mischnaioth, Seder Nezikin, Berlin, 1889, p. 353. Cf. Moreh, I, 66, and Munk, Guide, I, p. 296. M. also supported this view in Moreh, II, 29 where he refers to Genesis Rabbah, V, 4, and Exodus Rabbah, XXI, 6, which read, "When God created the world He made an agreement that the sea should divide, the fire not hurt, the lions not harm, the fish not swallow persons singled out by God for certain times, and thus the whole order of things changes whenever he finds it necessary." Consult on this subject Joel, Moses Maimonides, 1876, p. 77 ; Rosin, Ethik, p. 69, n. 5; "Wolff, Acht Capitel, Excursus, IV; Lazarus, Ethics, II, p. 77, n. 1; Kohler, art. Miracles, in J. E., vol. VIII, pp. 606-607; Geiger, Judaism and its History, p. 348.
- ↑ `Abodah Zarah, 54b. See Lazarus, ibid., II, p. 74 ff.
- ↑ Cf. M.'s Commentary on Abot, IV, 23 (Rawicz, Commentar, pp. 89 90); H. Teshubah, V, 4, and Moreh, III, 17, Fifth Theory. See Rosin, Ethik, p. 69, n. 6.
