Illustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
Our parashah contains some of the pesukim from the Torah that are placed inside of tefillin. These pesukim explain that tefillin are reminders of the miracles God made at יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם (yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt).
The Ramban explains that we no longer experience obvious miracles that change nature – but tefillin are important because they remind us of our miraculous past.
וּבַעֲבוּר כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת בְּכָל דּוֹר…יְצַוֶּה אוֹתָנוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תָּמִיד זִכְרוֹן וְאוֹת לַאֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֵינוּ, וְנַעְתִּיק הַדָּבָר אֶל בָּנֵינוּ, וּבְנֵיהֶם לִבְנֵיהֶם, וּבְנֵיהֶם לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן…
וּמִן הַנִּסִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים הַמְּפֻרְסָמִים אָדָם מוֹדֶה בַּנִּסִּים הַנִּסְתָּרִים…שֶׁאֵין לְאָדָם חֵלֶק בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עַד שֶׁנַּאֲמִין בְּכָל דְּבָרֵינוּ וּמִקְרֵינוּ שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִסִּים…
And because the Holy Blessed One does not make signs and wonders in every generation…therefore God commanded us that we should always make a memorial or sign of what our eyes have seen, and that we should transmit it to our children, and their children to their children, forever…
Talking about the great and obvious miracles can lead a person to acknowledge hidden miracles too… for you can only have a part in the Torah of Moshe our teacher if you believe that everything that happens is miraculous…
- What does it mean to see everything in the natural world as a miracle?
- What do you think are the most miraculous parts of the world around you?
- Try it out! Think of some miraculous parts of nature and thank God for them!
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