Machshavaמחשבה

Ramban on Hidden and Revealed Miracles

Ramban discusses how the great revealed miracles of the Exodus teach us to recognize the existence of hidden miracles operating throughout creation. This understanding forms the foundation of Torah belief, establishing that divine providence operates both visibly and imperceptibly in all events.

מִן הַנִּסִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים הַמְפֻרְסָמִים אָדָם מוֹדֶה בַּנִּסִּים הַנִּסְתָּרִים

2 sources · all verified

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What the sources say

The locus of this teaching is the Ramban (Shemot 13:16), where he writes that from the great and well-known miracles, a person comes to acknowledge the hidden miracles — וּמִן הַנִּסִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים הַמְפֻרְסָמִים אָדָם מוֹדֶה בַּנִּסִּים הַנִּסְתָּרִים — declaring them to be the very foundation of the entire Torah.

The Ramban (Shemot 13:16) continues that a person has no share in the Torah of Moshe unless one believes that all of our affairs and experiences are miraculous, with no natural or routine order of the world operating independently, and that reward and punishment are entirely by divine decree.

This principle connects to the Ramban (Shemot 20:2)'s parallel argument that the Shemot from Egypt serves as proof of God's existence, will, and providence — precisely because publicly attested miracles of that magnitude establish that nothing unfolds by mere nature alone.

Source 1 · Rishonim
Verified

Ramban on Exodus 13:16

Ramban on Exodus 13:16

Ramban explains that the great revealed miracles teach that there are also great hidden miracles. From this, a person comes to acknowledge that all occurrences are miracles, even those that appear natural.

וּמִן הַנִּסִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים הַמְפֻרְסָמִים אָדָם מוֹדֶה בַּנִּסִּים הַנִּסְתָּרִים שֶׁהֵם יְסוֹד הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ, שֶׁאֵין לָאָדָם חֵלֶק בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עַד שֶׁנַּאֲמִין בְּכָל דְּבָרֵינוּ וּמִקְרֵינוּ שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִסִּים אֵין בָּהֶם טֶבַע וּמִנְהָגוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בֵּין בְּרַבִּים בֵּין בְּיָחִיד, אֶלָּא אִם יַעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְוֹת יַצְלִיחֶנּוּ שְׂכָרוֹ וְאִם יַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם יַכְרִיתֶנּוּ עָנְשׁוֹ, הַכֹּל בִּגְזֵרַת עֶלְיוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי כְּבָר (בראשית יז א, ולעיל ו ב).

Source 2 · Rishonim
Verified

Ramban on Exodus 20:2

Ramban on Exodus 20:2

On the opening of the Ten Commandments, Ramban emphasizes that the Exodus is the foundation of faith because it reveals God’s intervention in history and establishes belief in hidden providence behind later events.

אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַדִּבּוּר הַזֶּה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, אָמַר אָנֹכִי ה', יוֹרֶה וִיצַוֶּה אוֹתָם שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ וְיַאֲמִינוּ כִּי יֵשׁ ה', וְהוּא אֱלֹהִים לָהֶם, כְּלוֹמַר הוֹוֶה, קַדְמוֹן, מֵאִתּוֹ הָיָה הַכֹּל בְּחֵפֶץ וִיכֹלֶת, וְהוּא אֱלֹהִים לָהֶם, שֶׁחַיָּבִים לַעֲבֹד אוֹתוֹ. וְאָמַר אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כִּי הוֹצָאָתָם מִשָּׁם תּוֹרֶה עַל הַמְּצִיאוּת וְעַל הַחֵפֶץ, כִּי בִּידִיעָה וּבְהַשְׁגָּחָה מִמֶּנּוּ יָצָאנוּ מִשָּׁם, וְגַם תּוֹרֶה עַל הַחִדּוּשׁ, כִּי עִם קַדְמוּת הָעוֹלָם לֹא יִשְׁתַּנֶּה דָּבָר מִטִּבְעוֹ, וְתוֹרֶה עַל הַיְּכֹלֶת, וְהַיְּכֹלֶת תּוֹרֶה עַל הַיִּחוּד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות ט':י"ד) "בַּעֲבוּר תֵּדַע כִּי אֵין כָּמֹנִי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ". וְזֶה טַעַם "אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ", כִּי הֵם הַיּוֹדְעִים וְעֵדִים בְּכָל אֵלֶּה:

I AM THE ETERNAL THY G-D. This Divine utterance constitutes a positive commandment. He said, I am the Eternal, thus teaching and commanding them that they should know and believe that the Eternal exists and that He is G-d to them. That is to say, there exists an Eternal Being through Whom everything has come into existence by His will and power, and He is G-d to them, who are obligated to worship Him. He said, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, because His taking them out from there was the evidence establishing the existence and will of G-d, for it was with His knowledge and providence that we came out from there. The exodus is also evidence for the creation of the world, for assuming the eternity of the universe, [which precludes a Master of the universe Who is in control of it], it would follow that nothing could be changed from its nature. And it is also evidence for G-d’s infinite power, and His infinite power is an indication of the Unity, as He said, that thou [i.e., Pharaoh] mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth. This is the intent of the expression, Who brought thee out, since they are the ones who know and are witnesses to all these things.