Dieci miracoli furono compiuti per i nostri padri nel Tempio: nessuna donna ha mai abortito a causa dell'odore dei sacrifici; la carne delle offerte non è mai stata putrefatta; una mosca non fu mai vista nel macello; il sommo sacerdote non ha mai avuto un'emissione seminale su Yom Kippur. [Perché è un tumah che esce dal suo corpo, è più ripugnante di altri tipi]; una pioggia non spense mai il fuoco sul palo di legno, [anche se l'altare era esposto], il vento non mosse mai la colonna di fumo dal suo posto [che non si alza in una colonna]; uno psul [un difetto squalificante] non fu mai trovato nell'Omer [offerta], nei due pani o nel pane dello spettacolo. [Perché se uno psul fosse trovato prima del (tempo prescritto di) la loro mitzvah, non sarebbe stato possibile offrire altri in loro vece. Poiché l'omero veniva raccolto di notte e non raccoglievano molto; e i due pani erano cotti alla vigilia di Yom Tov, e la loro cottura non prevale su Yom Tov. E, allo stesso modo, il pane dello spettacolo veniva cotto alla vigilia del sabato]; si trovavano in una condizione di costrizione (tzfufuim) [come in "tzaf (galleggiante) sulla superficie delle acque". Ce n'erano così tanti che furono premuti l'uno contro l'altro al punto che i loro piedi lasciarono il terreno e "fluttuarono" nell'aria] e si inchinarono in espansione. [Quando si inchinarono per loro fu compiuto un miracolo e si inchinarono nella (ampia) stanza, ognuna delle quattro urne rimosse dal suo vicino, in modo che uno non sentisse l'altro quando confessò i suoi peccati]; e un serpente o uno scorpione non hanno mai fatto del male a nessuno a Gerusalemme, e nessuno ha mai detto al suo vicino "Gerusalemme è" troppo stretta "perché io viva." [perché il posto ha offerto loro un sostentamento, e non c'era bisogno che nessuno se ne andasse e dicesse "Le cose sono" troppo strette "per me e non posso vivere a Gerusalemme". Alcune edizioni devono "dormire sopra" (invece di "abitare"), con riferimento ai pellegrini del festival, nessuno dei quali trova troppo difficile dormire a Gerusalemme per mancanza di spazio (vedi 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).