Monday, June 27, 2011

Everyday Miracles

Every day has its own miracles even though we often miss them. We acknowledge these constant gifts three times a day in shemonah esrei 'יעל ניסך שבכל יום עמנו'. The Pnei Menachem, zt”l, explained that this is at the root of why the korban todah may be eaten only for one day and one night, unlike other kodshim kalim. “This is to ingrain within us an essential message: that every day is a fresh miracle.”
The Imrei Emes, zt”l, explained similarly. “We eat the korban todah only the same day because we bring a korban todah for a miracle. But there are fresh miracles each day, as we find in Shabbos 13. There Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel explains that we don’t write a megliah of all the afflictions we have been delivered from each day in exile because there would be no end to what we would have to record. Rashi explains that we could not make every day a yom tov, to celebrate a different deliverance.
“How can we eat the same korban toda on the morrow? Perhaps we will be required to bring another korban for a different miracle? Perhaps we will discern and appreciate Hashem’s deliverance that is unique to that day!”
As the Sochatchover wrote regarding the continuous daily miracles we experience, “Every day comes with its own cascase of amazing miracles. We do not discern them due to the maxim: 'אין בעל הנס מכור בניסו'. Yet the Kotzker Rebbe wrote that we will not always remain ignorant of Hashem’s vast daily kindnesses. He explained that there will be a sefer zikaron which will list every single miracle wrought for our benefit that was largely unnoticed. Even now we can appreciate Hashem’s kindness since although we do not know what miracles He is performing, we are aware in a general way that there are miracles.”

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