Wonder of Wonder - Miracle of miracles

There's somewhat of a discussion happening now in one of my prior posts. I find the believers don't really listen to the thrust of my arguments, or at least it seems that way to me. My basic contention is that the Torah does not seem divine, the miracles therein are farfetched and that there are many kashias on JO. Sure, each individual question, but I say the burden of proof has shifted to them. The only fallback they have at that point is the Kuzari & the mesorah, neither of which is rock solid.

I keep on stressing that our belief systems are too easily manipulated and can't easily be trusted.

Her's an example of what's wrong.

Every now and then, I visit a relative. In his shul, as in many shuls, they have some divrei Torah sheets hanging around. In this shul, it's kept to a minimum and the quality is pretty good.

One of them I particulary like is a publication called "Torah Tavlin". They have different sections, the first being Divrei Torah in Lashon Kodesh followed by Divrei Torah in English. One of the English sections is a weekly series entitled "Maaseh Avos - Siman L'bonim." Events that ocurred to our ancestors are premonitions of events that occur to us (Loosely translated). Usually it's a contemporary or recent story of Hashgocha Prutis that has some tie-in to the weekly Parsha.

This goes back to Parshas Chayei Sarah and is in reference to Kefitsas Haderech that occurred to Eleizer the trusty servant of Avraham Avinu.

Here goes:

"Every Erev Yom Tov, the Kalever Rebbe, R'Yitchok Aizek Taub ZT"L, would disappear for many hours; no one knew where he went. One year on Erev Sukkos, the Rosh Hakohol (community president) of Kalev, R' Yankel Fisch, was determined to discover the tzaddik's secret. While the rebbe was occupied, R' Yankel hid himself in the wagon, where he remained undiscovered until the Rebbe was well on his journey. When R' Yankel revealed himself, the Rebbe became visibly distressed. He exclaimed, "what can I do with you now?". He made the stowaway promise not to ask any questions; not of himself nor of anyone else.

Soon they arrived at a city which R' Yankel did not recognize. The Rebbe abrubtly stoppped the wagon near a Mikveh and instructed his passenger to wait while he immersed himself there.

R' Yankel waited in the wagon until he was overcome by curiosity and impatience. Forgetting the tzaddik's warning, he hopped off the wagon and began questioning the people nearby. "Excuse me," he asked the first man he saw, "but where am I?"

"You don't know where you are? Where do you think you are?"

"Well I was just in Kalev (Hungary) a few hours ago.

"Kalev? Well you must be mad, how can you get from Kalev to Tzefas in a few hours?"

"Tzefas?!" cried R' Yanke, you must be crazy..


The argument intensified and in the heat of the debate, R' Yankel forgot to get back in the wagon before the Rebbe reappeared. To his dismay, he arrived as the Rebbe's wagon was pulling away. Here he was now, stranded in a town of crazy people who thought they were in Tzefas. He had no choice but to ask someone to take him in for the Sukkos holiday.

At some point during the Yom Tov, R' Yankel finally realized that he really was in Tzefas and he understood that the Kalaver rebbe, using the Holy name of Hashem for Kefitsas Haderech, came there every Yom Tov to immerse himself in the Mikvah of the Arizal. He also realized that due to his lack of resources, he was compelled to remain in Tzefas until the Rebbe would return the following Yom Tov.

Meanwhile back in Kalev, the Fisch family was frantic about R' Yanke's sudden disappearance and turned to the Kalaver Rebbe for advice. He assured them there was no need for concern, promising that R' Yankel would return by Erev Pesach.

Six months later, R' Yankel was delighted to see the tzaddik's wagon arriving at the Arizal's mikveh on Erev Pesach. This time he made sure not to miss his ride back home. The Rebbe extracted a promise from R' Yankel not to reveal the incident in his lifetime; it was only revealed after the Rebbe's passing."

Note the story supplies the exact identities of the participants, which gives it every illusion of being a clearly verified story that is to be taken at 100% face value.


There is absolutely no indication that the story is in any way different than the rest of the Torah M'sinai that is in the publication.

Need I say more?