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The Miracle
of WheatThe Gemara in Taanit (24b) recounts the story of Elazar (Ish Birta): Whenever the gabba’ei tzedakah (charity collectors) saw him, they would hide because he would give away everything he had.
One day, while in the market buying items for his daughter’s dowry, he spotted the gabba’ei tzedakah and ran after them. Catching up, he insisted they tell him what mitzvah they were collecting for. They responded that they were arranging a marriage for an orphan boy and girl. Without hesitation, he declared, “They take precedence over my daughter,” and gave them everything he had.
With only a single zuz left, he bought wheat and stored it in his attic. Later, when his wife went to check what he had brought home, she found the attic overflowing with wheat—so much that the door could not fully open! Seeing the miracle, his daughter ran to the Beit HaMidrash and told her father, “Come see what your beloved Friend (Hashem) has done for you!” But Elazar responded, “I swear, this is consecrated, and you may only benefit from it as one of the poor of Yisrael.”
Rashi explains that one is forbidden to benefit personally from an open miracle, like the surplus of wheat, as it says, “If a miracle is performed for someone, his merits are deducted” (Taanit 20a). This raises an important question: If miracles reduce one's merits, how were the Jews in Egypt allowed to benefit from the plague of blood? The Midrash teaches that the Jews became wealthy by selling water to the Egyptians at high prices, and whatever they sold remained water, not turning into blood. How was this permitted?
When Prayer
is Not a MiracleA possible answer lies in a story in Kiddushin (29b): Rav Acha bar Yaakov prepared to visit the Yeshivah of Abaye. At the time, a mazik (demon) was harassing the Yeshivah, endangering its students. Abaye saw an opportunity—perhaps Rav Acha could resolve the issue. He therefore decreed that no one in the city should offer Rav Acha lodging, forcing him to sleep in the Beit HaMidrash overnight. The Gemara explains that Abaye reasoned that perhaps a miracle might occur, and Rav Acha would save the entire city from the mazik. Rav Acha, unaware of the matter, had no choice but to sleep in the Beit HaMidrash.
That night, the mazik appeared in a terrifying form, resembling a seven-headed serpent. Rav Acha immediately began praying, and with each bow, one of the creature’s heads was severed until it was entirely destroyed.
The next morning, Rav Acha confronted Abaye: “If a miracle had not occurred, I would have been in danger!”
The Maharsha questions Abaye’s actions—how could he knowingly put Rav Acha in danger based on a mere possibility that a miracle might occur? The Maharsha explains that Abaye was certain that Rav Acha’s prayers would protect him. What Abaye was uncertain about was whether Hashem would intervene miraculously before Rav Acha even started praying. If that had happened, Rav Acha's merits would have been deducted. However, With such a slim possibility of such an event transpiring, there was not enough reason to halt the plan, as the salvation of countless Jewish lives outweighed the risk of Rav Acha possibly losing merit. Incredibly, since a great salvation came through sincere Tefillah, it was not considered an outright miracle, and thus, his merits remained intact.
The Jews and the Plague of Blood
This insight provides a powerful explanation as to why the Jews were allowed to benefit from the plague of blood. The Torah states: “And the Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem… and their cry rose up…” The Jewish people’s prayers for salvation from Pharaoh’s oppression were heard, and as a result, Hashem brought the ten plagues upon Egypt. Since their deliverance came through their heartfelt prayers, it was not considered an open miracle in the sense that deducts merit.
Just as Rav Acha’s salvation from the mazik did not diminish his merits, the Jews’ newfound wealth from the plague of blood was not considered an undeserved benefit—it was a direct result of their davening.
This teaches us a profound lesson: A salvation achieved through sincere Tefillah is not an unnatural miracle but a response from Hashem to our cries, and such brachah remains ours.
Rabbi Leeor Dahan, a graduate of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim/RSA, is a noted scholar and teacher, well-versed in halachah. He currently leads Kehilat Avodat Hashem in Hillcrest, Queens, inspiring his congregation to delve into Torah study and embrace its eternal teachings.
Prayer or Miracle? Understanding Divine Intervention
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