Thick darkness descended upon all the land of Egypt…but all the Israelites enjoyed light. (Shemos 10:22-23)

Normally when we think about miracles, we conjure up images of paranormal events that violate the rules of nature, such as the splitting of the sea or the plague of blood. This is based on the fact that there are norms in our lives, and we consider something abnormal to be a miracle. However, we as believing Jews understand that there is nothing that is beyond the power of Hashem. Just as He can decree that oil will burn, so too He can decree that vinegar will burn. To Hashem it is all the same, but to us, seeing events which are against the rules of nature reminds us of this truth.

There is however another type of miracle which is much more subtle and goes unnoticed. At the time when Napoleon went to war against Russia, the Russians accused Reb Itzle Volozhiner of treason and put him into prison. The Czar’s justification for his imprisonment was based on the fact that the Gedolei Yisrael who lived in the areas of Napoleon’s sphere of influence supported Napoleon, and everyone knew that Jews stick together. Thus, the Czar said, “Being that Jews stick together, you must be supporting the enemy!” To this Reb Itzle answered with a metaphor. Should two ships go out to sea, the ship which needs to sail north prays for southerly winds, and the ship which needs to sail south prays for northerly winds. Hashem has the ability to answer both prayers, and enable both ships to arrive at their destination, even though the two prayers seem to be contradictory. Therefore, I can tell my people to side with your Highness, despite still being the leader of my congregation in France.

Reb Gedalia Schorr tells us that the Plague of Darkness was unique because simultaneously, in the same place, there was light for the Jews and darkness for the Egyptians. This is something that we cannot fathom, as it defies all the rules of nature in which we live. The miracle of the Plague of Darkness was possibly done to instill in us the idea that there are things in the world which are beyond our ability to understand. An example of this is the classic dilemma of how we can have free will to choose what we like, while at the same time Hashem already knows what we will choose. It seems to me that a basic requirement for us to be taken out of Egypt, was to both feel and know that Hashem’s ways are above our ability to comprehend. This basic knowledge can help us at times when we have questions, for only someone who thinks he can understand everything is resentful when his questions can’t be answered.

The word mitzrayim means “a land of borders”. The mekubalim tell us that this reminds us that there are only borders in the natural world. As we leave Mitzrayim this week, we should strengthen our belief in Hashem’s ability to orchestrate our world in ways beyond the imaginable.