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Partially based on this question and answer

If a person experiences a miracle related to a mitzvah, for example a Chanukah candle is lit with only enough oil to last one hour and it miraculously persists for 24 hours or more and the person would need to extinguish the candle in order to relight it and make the blessing. Or Shabbat candles are light Friday night and miraculously stay light until the next Friday night and a person would likewise need to extinguish it in order to relight and make the blessing. Or any other possible example wherein a person would need to undo a miracle in order to perform a mitzvah; do any halachic authorities discuss what the proper action would be in such a circumstance?

Meaning, is it preferable to (attempt to) undo/terminate a miracle so that a person can perform a mitzvah with/through the miraculous item, or is it better to not take an action that might cause a miracle to stop so that you can perform a mitzvah?

rikitikitembo
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  • Why would you want the miracle to continue? And who said the relit candle won't continue miraculously too? – Double AA Dec 11 '23 at 17:24
  • The same principle of the naturei karta anti-zionist Jews which tries to do evil by assuming the miracle state or present good is not from God, thus unacceptable. Refer the principle of bat kol story, where the rabbinic sources teaches to ignore even the voice of God and side with the group of men, worship men, ignore God. https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/103382/was-the-bat-kol-right – Michael16 Dec 11 '23 at 17:37
  • @Michael16 that maaseh of machlokes was not about siding with men over God, but siding with majority over heavenly voice – Rabbi Kaii Dec 11 '23 at 17:46
  • it is the same thing. or does majority of men becomes superior to god due to their number? – Michael16 Dec 11 '23 at 17:48
  • @Michael16 no, there is a mitzva d'oraissa (a commandment of God) to rule by the majority (see Sefer Hachinuch 78), but there isn't one to rule by a heavenly voice, so they had to keep God's law and rule by majority. Not saying there aren't different opinions about that maaseh, but saying that it is an example of Chachamim rebelling against God ch'v is unthinkable – Rabbi Kaii Dec 11 '23 at 18:07
  • I was looking forward to see where you were going. One thing you haven't dealt with in this this interesting question is, what is stopping the person from doing both i.e. leaving that candle burning and doing the mitzva of lighting with a different candle? – Rabbi Kaii Dec 11 '23 at 18:09
  • doesnt that self contradict the commandment, since the command is from God's voice from heaven? The command is against going with the majority to do evil, the rabbis twisted it. How can God command against following his own voice and to favour the group of men? why dont you use reason? – Michael16 Dec 11 '23 at 18:10
  • @Michael16 there is definitely a full and reasonable answer to your question, however I can tell from your last question and your bio that you are not here to learn about it, so I refuse to respond any further. Good luck – Rabbi Kaii Dec 11 '23 at 18:34
  • @RabbiKaii you would have to concoct a scenario wherein the person can only perform the mitzvah with the item that is currently involved in the miracle. – rikitikitembo Dec 11 '23 at 18:45
  • Related: https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380178/jewish/The-Moon-Over-the-River.htm – shmosel Dec 11 '23 at 18:50

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Our job is to do the mitzvos as Hashem commands us. There is no mitzvah for us to perform or allow miracles to continue. In fact, miracles can be used as a test

Every matter which I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God puts you to the proof, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy Ch. 13)

In addition, our Sages teach that having a miracle performed on one's behalf lessens the merits of the recipient.

N.T.
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