Wednesday, January 22, 2014
RAV KOOK ON Yitro PART 3: Blessings on Miracles
Moses' father-in-law Jethro rejoiced when he heard of all that God had done for the Israelites:
"Blessed be God Who rescued you from hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who liberated the people from Egypt's power. Now I know that God is the greatest of all deities: the very thing they plotted came on them!" (Ex. 18:10-11)
The Sages learned from Jethro's blessing that when one sees a place where a miracle occurred for the Jewish people, one should recite the blessing "She'asah nissim" — "Who made miracles for our fathers in this place" (Berachot 54a).
This statement, however, is difficult to understand in light of the fact that Jethro did not say this blessing when visiting the Red Sea, but when he met Moses and the Israelites in the Sinai desert. How could Jethro serve as an example for this brachah, which is only recited when seeing the location where a miracle took place?
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