Living With Miracles

This is a funny period for Chaya Rochel and I - a period of miracles. Our eldest son and first go-around with miracles, Yehuda, was born premature (26 weeks) on 18 Shevat/27 January, and Nissi was born 29 Shevat/8 February. Yehuda is now 16, and Nissi is about to hit a half decade. Unbelievable.

Living with miracles is an interesting place to be. The enormity of our appreciation to G-d can’t really be put in words, and it almost feels like we can’t ever match up with even our self-expectations in lieu of everything we’ve been through. Our forefather Jacob said it best: “I’ve been humbled by all Your kindness and truth you’ve done for me.”

But the irony is this: we have four other children, with whom - thank G-d - we did not go through medical challenges. Do we adequately appreciate the massiveness of the miracle of “normalcy”? While intellectually I understand that I should, I’m not sure I can say in all honesty that I do.

Jewish mysticism teaches that “revealed” miracles are actually not as lofty as “hidden” miracles. The “wow-factor” of revealed miracles makes G-d’s existence obvious; but the point of life is to find G-d within the grind. Call it a cosmic hide-’n-go-seek game, if you will. Looked at that way, open miracles cheat the system. They eliminate the challenge, which is to recognize this: The world’s existence is the greatest miracle of all. It’s only that the regularity of it all makes it seem … well, natural. But the point is to recognize what’s under the facade - it’s all essentially miracle after miracle.

My guess is that we’ll live a happier, fuller and more meaningful life the more we integrate this into ourselves.