Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Tzadikim control Nature

 Sefer HaIkkarim (01:21) Belief in G-d and in His Torah brings man to eternal happiness and causes his soul to cleave to the spiritual substance. This is proved by experience, as we know from continuous tradition. We know of no instance of a philosopher or other investigator attaining to the degree of the prophet, which means the union of the divine spirit with the human intellect. We do find that the devotees of the Torah came into such close intellectual union with G-d that they were able to change the laws of nature, cause the latter to do their bidding and perform miracles against the laws of nature…

Sefer HaIkkarim (01:21) Pious men, even if they are not prophets, can change the laws of nature by prayer. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were cast into the fire and were not burned. Rabbi Hanina the son of Dosa and Rabbi Phinehas the son of Yair made certain temporary changes in the nature and conduct of the world. This shows that one who believes in G-d and in His Torah is above nature and not subject to natural law. On the contrary, the laws of nature are subject to him, and he can change them as he pleases. This is strong and convincing proof that the Torah is divinely revealed, since God shelters, protects and shields those who trust in Him and who observe His covenant and commandments. 

Sefer HaIkkarim (02:11) The intellect acquired through the Torah will be a separate intellect existing independently, permanently and controlling all material things, as the prophets and pious men produced signs and miracles by means of the intellect which they acquired through the Torah. This intellect is, as it were, a separate intellect, produced by the Active Intellect or by the sefirah called Sabbath.

Sefer HaIkkarim (03:30) There are cases in which the degree that a person attains by the doing of many commandments with the right motives is such that he is the subject of divine providence in this world and is delivered from all accidents, like many of the pious men of Israel, who were able to change the laws of nature by their will, as for example, Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, Nahum of Gamzo, Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair, and others.

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