Dix miracles ont été accomplis pour nos pères dans le Temple: Aucune femme n'a jamais fait une fausse couche à cause de l'odeur des sacrifices; la chair des offrandes ne s'est jamais putréfiée; une mouche n'a jamais été vue dans l'abattoir; le grand prêtre n'a jamais eu une émission séminale sur Yom Kippour. [Parce que c'est un tumah qui sort de son corps, il est plus répugnant que les autres types]; une pluie n'a jamais éteint le feu sur le tas de bois, [même si l'autel était exposé], le vent n'a jamais remué la colonne de fumée de sa place [qu'elle ne monte pas en colonne]; un psul [un défaut disqualifiant] n'a jamais été trouvé dans l'Omer [offrande], les deux pains ou le pain de démonstration. [Car si un psul était trouvé avant le (temps prescrit) de leur mitsva, il n'était pas possible d'en offrir d'autres à leur place. Car l'omer était récolté la nuit, et ils ne récoltaient pas beaucoup; et les deux pains furent cuits la veille de yom tov, et leur cuisson ne l'emporte pas sur yom tov. Et, de même, le pain de démonstration était cuit la veille du sabbat]; ils se tenaient dans la constriction (tzfufuim) [comme dans «tzaf (flottant) sur la face des eaux». Ils étaient tellement nombreux qu'ils étaient pressés l'un contre l'autre au point que leurs pieds quittaient le sol et qu'ils «flottaient» dans les airs] et ils s'inclinaient en expansion. [Lorsqu'ils s'inclinèrent, un miracle fut accompli pour eux et ils s'inclinèrent dans une (grande) pièce, chacun à quatre allures éloigné de son voisin, afin que l'un n'entende pas l'autre quand il a confessé ses péchés]; et un serpent ou un scorpion n'a jamais fait de mal à personne à Jérusalem, et personne n'a jamais dit à son voisin "Jérusalem est" trop serrée "pour que je puisse y vivre." [parce que l'endroit leur offrait un moyen de subsistance, et il n'y avait aucun besoin pour quiconque de partir et de dire "Les choses sont" trop serrées "pour moi et je ne peux pas vivre à Jérusalem." Certaines éditions doivent "dormir" (au lieu de "vivre"), la référence étant les pèlerins du festival, aucun d'entre eux ne trouvant trop de mal à dormir à Jérusalem à cause du manque d'espace (voir Yoma 21b)].
Akeidat Yitzchak
There are numerous examples of Israel being compared to wheat. (Baba Batra 114, Midrash Tehillim Shocher tov 2) Offering two loaves made of wheat on Pentecost known as "the two breads," is symbolical of Israel having matured to the point of receiving both Torahs, the written as well as the oral law. Each Torah performs a separate function. Therefore, two separate loaves are used in the offering. The Talmud Menachot 94, describes the kneading and baking of each of these loaves as being a separate operation, symbolising the different nature of the two parts of the Torah. The achievement of the necessary status indicated by offering of the "two breads," led to the eventual offering of the "show breads," a steady diet on the table in the tabernacle/temple, the preparation of which required tremendous skill. The Talmud relates about the unwillingness of a certain family who possessed this skill, to teach it to anyone else. (Yuma 38) When the Mishnah in Avot 5,5, mentions ten miracles that were manifest in Jerusalem during the time the temple was standing, three of them relate to the Omer, the showbreads and the two loaves that were offered on Pentecost. None of these offerings were ever disqualified for any reason. This may indicate special hashgachah merited by the fact that each of these offerings was symbolic of the people's efforts to elevate themselves spiritually. The fact that these offerings were subject to very stringent regulations, making some disqualification at one time or another likely, underlines the special Providence that alone prevented such disqualification. It is noteworthy that the mussaph offering on Shavuot, was not accompanied by a sin offering, something that does not occur on any other occasion. This is symbolic of the fact that the spiritual growth that had taken place since Passover was such that there was no need at a time when that growth was being recalled,- to add a sin offering. (Midrash Chazit Song of Songs 4)
Balaam also, who was a great sage and a prophet, though not a member of the Israelitish nation, testifies to this. He said: “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his.” It seems that through his wisdom or prophetic inspiration he understood that Israel had an end and a hope after death, hence he expressed the desire to have after his death such an end and hope as Israel had. He understood that providence in this world proves happiness in the world to come. And especially when extraordinary miracles take place constantly in the life of a nation, it is proof of their spiritual happiness in the next world. During the whole period of the first temple prophecy existed in Israel continually, and even in the time of the second temple, when there was no prophecy, the people often had their questions answered by a voice from heaven (בת קול), and there were other miracles taking place constantly, for example, every sixth year the land produced enough for three years, as we read: “I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth produce for the three years.” Also, in accordance with the verse, “Assemble the people, the men, and the women, and the little ones, and thy stranger that is within thy gates …,” all Israel went up during the feast of tabernacles of the sabbatical year to Jerusalem to hear the Torah, and the Bible says: “Neither shall any man covet thy land, when thou goest up to appear …” And there were many other miracles constantly in the temple, such as are enumerated in the treatise Abot. In Yoma we are told that a thread of red wool turned white every year on the day of atonement. And there are other miracles told there which took place continually. The Christians have no continuous miracle to prove the truth of their belief.
Onkelos adopted in this place a strange explanation, and rendered the words literally “written by the finger of the Lord”; he thought that “the finger” was a certain thing ascribed to God; so that “the finger of the Lord” is to be interpreted in the same way as “the mountain of God” (Exod. 3:1), “the rod of God” (ib. 4:20), that is, as being an instrument created by Him, which by His will engraved the writing on the tables. I cannot see why Onkelos preferred this explanation. It would have been more reasonable to say “written by the word of the Lord,” in imitation of the verse “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made?” Or was the creation of the writing on the tables more difficult than the creation of the stars in the spheres? As the latter were made by the direct will of God, not by means of an instrument, the writing may also have been produced by His direct will, not by means of an instrument. You know what the Mishnah says, “Ten things were created on Friday in the twilight of the evening,” and “the writing” is one of the ten things. This shows how generally it was assumed by our forefathers that the writing of the tables was produced in the same manner as the rest of the creation, as we have shown in our Commentary on the Mishnah (Aboth, 5:6).