Remembering Miracles—and Recognizing Them Today: Bo 5786

 This piece by Rabbi Kenigsberg was first published in Hanassi Highlights, 22 January 2026.

Every day, twice a day, we fulfill the command to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim—the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah anchors this memory in countless mitzvot: Tefillin, Mezuzah, Shabbat, Kiddush, Matzah and many others are all described as zecher l’Yetziat Mitzrayim. The Exodus is more than a historical event; it is meant to shape our Jewish outlook on life itself.

This week’s parsha recounts that extraordinary moment when the Jewish people left Egypt amid open and dramatic miracles. The ten plagues marked the complete suspension of the natural order. For a brief period, the impossible became real.

Why is the Torah so insistent that we remember these events constantly?

The Ramban explains that the Exodus was not only about the past; it was meant to transform the way we see the world in the present. Through the open miracles of Egypt, we are supposed to learn to recognize the hidden miracles that surround us every day. As he famously writes:

“Through the great and obvious miracles, a person will come to recognize the hidden miracles, which are the foundation of the entire Torah… A person has no portion in the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu until they believe that all our experiences are miraculous, and that there is no such thing as mere nature or coincidence.”

The open miracles of the Exodus happened only once, but they were meant to teach an eternal lesson: the world we call “natural” is itself miraculous. We simply become accustomed to it and stop noticing.

Yet this idea applies not only to the laws of nature, but also to the laws of history.

In our generation we have been granted the privilege, and at times the challenge, of witnessing modern miracles with our own eyes. Over the past two years we have lived through a period of war and uncertainty, with real pain and loss that have touched so many families. There have been moments of fear, grief, and deep anxiety.

And yet, alongside the hardship, we have also seen remarkable resilience and extraordinary acts of Divine protection: communities that have stood strong, soldiers who have fought with incredible bravery, a nation that has refused to break, and countless stories that can only be described as miraculous. Even in the midst of darkness, there have been rays of unmistakable light.

More broadly, only one lifetime ago the Jewish people were shattered and homeless, and the idea of a Jewish state seemed unimaginable. Today Israel stands as a centre of innovation, strength, and Torah learning on a scale never seen before. What once appeared impossible has become everyday reality.

Centuries ago, Rav Yaakov Emden wrote that the continued existence of the Jewish people is the greatest miracle of all—greater even than the splitting of the sea. How much more true is that statement in our times, when we have witnessed not only survival, but renewal and rebirth.

When we mention the Exodus each day, we remind ourselves that our world is not governed by chance. Even in difficult times, we live in miraculous times.

Shabbat Shalom!

You can also read this piece in Hebrew, thanks to ChatGPT, here.