Yaakov Menken: A Jewish Rabbi's Take on Miracles | Special Episode

Summary

Episode Summary: Yaakov Menken: A Jewish Rabbi's Take on Miracles | Special Episode

Podcast: The Miracle Files
Host: Holly Worthington & Emily Jones
Guest: Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Release Date: June 23, 2025

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Introduction

In this special episode of The Miracle Files, hosts Holly Worthington and Emily Jones engage in a profound conversation with Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values and founder of Project Genesis. Rabbi Menken brings a rich perspective on miracles from the Jewish faith, exploring how these divine interventions are perceived, experienced, and integrated into daily life.

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Understanding Jewish Perspectives on Miracles

Defining Miracles in Judaism

Rabbi Menken begins by elucidating the Jewish understanding of miracles, emphasizing that in Judaism, every moment of existence is considered a miracle. He states, "Judaism regards every... our very existence is something that God is doing" (03:02). This continuous divine creation fosters a profound sense of gratitude among adherents.

Everyday Miracles

The Rabbi highlights that even mundane actions, such as breathing or using the bathroom, are viewed as miraculous because they rely on the flawless functioning of the human body, which is seen as a divine gift (04:32). This perspective encourages a daily practice of gratitude and recognition of God's ongoing presence.

Defining Extraordinary Miracles

When discussing what constitutes a miracle beyond daily existence, Rabbi Menken explains that miracles are events that "go off the charts," surpassing normal expectations. For instance, the unexpected recovery of someone with a terminal illness would be considered miraculous (05:09).

Divine Intervention and Hashgacha Pratit

The conversation delves into the concept of Hashgacha Pratit (08:01), translated as "particular supervision," which signifies God's personal oversight in individual lives. This belief underscores that every person's life is watched over meticulously, reinforcing the notion of divine intervention in specific moments.

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Personal Experiences and Testimonies

Rabbi Menken's Miraculous Journey

Rabbi Menken shares his personal miracle of meeting his wife, describing it as a "very complicated miracle" (06:17). Additionally, he recounts his rapid progress in Jewish studies, which he attributes to divine guidance, exemplifying how personal achievements can also be seen as manifestations of God's support (06:20).

Anecdote of Survival

An illustrative story shared by Rabbi Menken involves a woman surviving a building collapse during the first Gulf War. Initially in shock, she later recognizes her survival as a miracle, highlighting how trauma can delay the acknowledgment of divine intervention (16:48).

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The Role and Purpose of Miracles

Intrinsic to Creation

Rabbi Menken asserts that miracles are inherently part of the world, embedded in the very fabric of creation. They occur not only as extraordinary events but also as constant renewals of life (08:38).

Purpose Beyond Existence

He elaborates that miracles often serve a greater divine purpose, such as facilitating survival in dire situations or guiding individuals towards a specific path (08:38).

Balancing Miracles with Adversity

Addressing skepticism, Rabbi Menken acknowledges the existence of suffering and evil but maintains that everything, including hardships, has a divine purpose. He suggests that recognizing this helps believers find meaning even in negative circumstances (09:40).

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Miracles and Science: A Harmonious Relationship

Reconciling Faith and Science

Rabbi Menken, with a background in computer science, discusses how Judaism sees no conflict between scientific understanding and miracles. He explains that the Jewish faith accommodates scientific discoveries, viewing the universe as mature and purposefully structured, which aligns with scientific perspectives on the age and complexity of the universe (11:10).

Supportive Jewish Scientists

He points out the presence of observant Jewish scientists in various fields, illustrating that faith and scientific inquiry coexist harmoniously within the Jewish community (12:35).

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Common Ground Between Judaism and Christianity

Shared Values and Beliefs

Rabbi Menken emphasizes the deep-seated commonalities between Judaism and Christianity, noting that foundational values such as the sanctity of life, pursuit of peace, education, justice, social responsibility, and family are prevalent in both faiths (13:19).

Historical Connections

He highlights historical intersections, mentioning that Jesus was Jewish and that the founding principles of America were heavily influenced by Jewish biblical ideas, underscoring the intertwined nature of the two religions (13:19).

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Favorite Miracles and Scriptures

Biblical Miracles

When asked about his favorite miracles, Rabbi Menken references the revelation at Sinai, the 40 years in the desert, and the provision of manna. He describes manna as "perfect food" where every molecule was digested, eliminating waste, which he considers a profound miracle (14:24).

Scriptural Inspirations

His favorite scripture is from the Shema prayer: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one." Rabbi Menken appreciates its directive to teach and speak its lessons to the next generation, emphasizing the importance of education and moral upbringing (18:20).

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Concluding Thoughts

Rabbi Yaakov Menken imparts a holistic view of miracles, rooted in constant divine creation and personal experiences of intervention. He bridges the understanding between faith and science, while also highlighting the shared values between Judaism and Christianity. The episode concludes with an affirmation of the ever-present potential for miracles and the importance of recognizing them in everyday life.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rabbi Yaakov Menken (03:02): "Judaism regards every... our very existence is something that God is doing."

• Rabbi Yaakov Menken (08:01): "Hashgacha pratit is... somebody's watching over that person at that moment."

• Rabbi Yaakov Menken (14:24): "The whole concept of Jewish schooling is that we start a child off from preschool level learning Judaism and learning Jewish texts as part of study every single day."

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This episode offers a rich exploration of miracles through the lens of Jewish faith, providing listeners with a deeper appreciation of divine interventions and their significance in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Transcript

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[Emily Jones]

As we've interviewed people, we've discovered something incredible. Miracles transcend boundaries. In fact, no matter someone's background or religious beliefs. A Newsweek poll found that 84% of Americans believe in miracles.

[Holly Worthington]

But here's the thing. We are not priests. We're not pastors or religious scholars. We're just two sisters who love God and love miracles. So we thought it would be fascinating if we sat down with different religious leaders to see what they teach about miracles. This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.

[Emily Jones]

And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story. But we're also seeking more light in our lives.

[Holly Worthington]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey today.

[Emily Jones]

Our guest is Rabbi Yaakov Menken. Rabbi Mencken is the executive Vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values. He's the founder and director of Project Genesis. He's been published in Fox News, Newsweek, the Federalist, the New York observer and others. He's also the author of the Everything Torah book.

[Holly Worthington]

Welcome, Rabbi Yakov.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

I'm glad to be with you.

[Holly Worthington]

Thank you so much for being here. So I, I don't, I'll be honest with you. I don't know a lot about the Jewish religion. I know a little bit. Now, are you Orthodox Jewish or observant.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

For the, the traditional what, what Judaism always looked like? The truth is that all the modern movements are a 200 and some odd year old invention which is a blip on the radar when you look at the length of history and Jewish history in particular.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually was a wedding videographer, so I, I filmed an Orthodox Jewish wedding. And it was amazing. I mean, it was so impressive and the amount of like scripture that they had memorized in Hebrew and I was so impressed by everything I saw. But maybe you can enlighten us a little bit more about the Jewish faith. I know that you, you know, you believe in miracles. In the Old Testament, you know, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and the whale. Yes.

[Emily Jones]

So many miracles in the Old Testament.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Yeah. So can you tell us what the Jewish faith believes about miracles? And also, do you believe miracles still happen today?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Yes, miracles happen at every moment. That's the short answer. Judaism regards every. Our very existence is something that God is doing and not that God did. There's no past tense in that we actually read. Now I'm going to say it, and I'm going to translate it. Who renews in every day, always or constantly, the work of creation? That's part of our morning prayers. That phrase that I pulled out is right there in daily prayers. That this concept that at every moment God is renewing the work of creation. So even the air we breathe is a miracle. The fact that our bodies continue to function properly is a miracle. We actually have a blessing of gratitude every time we use the bathroom correctly. Because when a person is filled with vessels and orifices, and if any of them go wrong, all of a sudden a person can no longer survive. And so we are enjoined to continue remembering and thinking about this idea that life itself is a miracle. And so, yes, of course, we see miracles all around us.

[Emily Jones]

It sounds like you live in a lot of gratitude, which is really beautiful.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

That is a very important place to be. I think that that's one thing that if we. If we think that everything is coming to us and we expect more, you live a very different life because you're looking at all the things you don't have. When you live a life of gratitude, you're looking at life and thinking about all the things that you do have. And, yeah, it's a much better place to be.

[Holly Worthington]

I would definitely agree that our lives and just existence are miracles.

[Emily Jones]

So how would you define a miracle?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Well, what we regard as a miracle is when something goes off the charts, as it were. Meaning to say that since everything is a miracle, it's all a matter of a judgment call. When you see something that is really like, oh, that should not have happened that way. And yet it did. And, you know, recently, I was just yesterday speaking to someone who, you know, asked how he's doing, and he says, oh, I'm getting better, you know, day by day. And I had understood that this fellow had an illness from which one is not meant to recover, and he's recovering, that's a miracle. You know, that's. That's the type of thing, you know, that you don't expect.

[Holly Worthington]

It is amazing to me that you know, so many people, regardless of their religious faith, believe in miracles. And that's something that kind of. We discuss it earlier, that it transcends boundaries. We all kind of share this belief in miracles. So one question I would have for you is, have you experienced any really powerful miracles in your own life that you would be willing to share with us?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Meeting my wife.

[Emily Jones]

That is the great.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Yeah, very complicated miracle. Seeing my kids meet their spouses, I remember it being described to me by a rabbi. The fact that I progressed so quickly in my studies. If I started as an adult, I started at the age of 18 to be observant and at the age of 20 to really start studying. And that is something that. The whole concept of Jewish schooling is that we start a child off from preschool level learning Judaism and learning Jewish texts as part of study every single day up to the high school years and then into college. So how does a guy come in at the age of 20 and catch up to that? So, you know, and he said to me, you know, he quoted an aphorism from Jewish thought, that is the one who owns the miracle, the one who went through the miracle is the last person to recognize the miracle in rough translation of what he said. Just the fact that I can make my way through the books behind me is complicated and I shouldn't have been able to accomplish that if not for God shepherding me along the way.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So we always hear the term divine intervention. Is that something like. Would you use that term or is that.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Yes, divine intervention. Yeah, that works with us. That is awesome. There are certain terms, we can tell you the ones that are uniquely Christian when they come up, but that is definitely not one. The divine intervention is all there.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Hashgacha pratit is like particular supervision is almost a more precise translation of that. Like that somebody's watching over that person at that moment, or obviously the divine was watching over that person at that moment.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

I mean, the whole point of this concept of Hashgacha pratis is that every individual experiences that that God really is watching over each of us.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, I would definitely agree.

[Emily Jones]

So why do you think miracles happen and. Or like, what is the point of miracles?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Well, it's built into the world. As I said, everything is a miracle. So therefore every moment, we wouldn't be here without that constant refresh on. On the universe. And at the same time, these. You know, there's no question that sometimes these miracles happen because God has a greater purpose. There's something special there that, you know, there was a situation where, you know, the only two people walked off that, that plane crash. And, you know, there was something there, there was some reason.

[Holly Worthington]

It's interesting that so many people see these amazing miracles and just want to say, oh, you know, I'm going to credit it to just coincidence or have you seen all the bad things that are happening in the world too? And there's so many people that just want to explain away a miracle through science or coincidence. And so what would your response be to when people just say, oh, well, bad things are happening too, or, you know, not everything ends up being a miracle.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

There is definitely, you know, obviously there's bad things happening in the world. And, you know, we regard as everything having a purpose, even the bad things, when, you know, we've seen a holocaust in Jewish history, so we know what bad things look like. But there's always a divine purpose. And, you know, there's obviously a psychological resistance to acknowledging a miracle. That when people want to live their, their own lives, and a lot of it is the idea that, you know, you're subjugated to an ultimate authority. If there's somebody watching over you, want something better for you or from you, the, you know, your failure to deliver on that becomes something that you have to deal with and think about. It's easier to say that life is up to me. I can do whatever I want. And, you know, that's, that's a great way to, you know, you live your life with total freedom to do whatever you want. Your overriding religious principle becomes, don't get caught. You know, that, that's, that's not it. That's not, you know, the point is that, that, you know, when, when, when you're, when your authority is a real authority, when it's God, he knows what's going on in the bedroom when nobody else is watching you. So, you know, there's no such thing as don't get caught. You were caught the moment it happened.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So what would you say about, like, science? Would you also say, like, science and miracles coincide? How would you describe a Jewish perspective on science?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Well, you know, it's, it's colored a little bit by my background. I'm a science person. Yeah. My degree is in computer science. I not only did physics and chemistry, I also did biology. You know, and, and so you, you see, when you look at what the medrash says about, for example, Adam and Eve were 20 years old when they were created, meaning biologically, they were adults. They were adult people walking around. They were not babies who needed care, guidance, Feeding changes of diapers, etc. The universe in which they were found. The fact that it looks to be 15 billion years old is not a contradiction according to us. That's what it's supposed to look like. It is supposed to be that the universe is also adult. In fact, it would not make sense for a 20 year old Adam and Eve encountering adult trees and adult animals to be walking on an earth that was five days old. So it's the fact that it looks 5 billion years old that is again, not a contradiction. That's the pretty not short answer to the science and Bible question, you know, from our perspective.

[Holly Worthington]

So you could be Jewish and you can be a scientist and it's.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Oh, there's a lot, there's a lot who are.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, I'm sure there are.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Evolutionary biologists are a self selecting group somehow. But the rest of the sciences are filled. You know, there's plenty of observant Jewish physicists and astronomers and I actually had the wife of a friend of mine, I knew the friend before he got married. The wife joked later that she was having problems with technical support and she said to the guy, don't tell me that you have to be a rocket scientist to understand this, because I'm a rocket scientist.

[Emily Jones]

Okay, so we are Christian and many of our listeners are Christian.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

I figured that.

[Emily Jones]

I was just wondering, I was just wondering like, what do you want Christians to know about Judaism?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

It's interesting, Mike Huckabee, several years ago, long before he was nominated to be the new ambassador to Israel, he said, you know, Jews can go through life not having a whole lot of familiarity with Christians, but Christians can't go through life without having a familiarity with Judaism. Because you know what, Jesus was a Jew. The founding fathers used the book of Deuteronomy more than any other source text for the ideas that they were using to form America. A first world civilization depends on certain biblical ideas. And those are ideas that we share.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

The value of human life, choosing peace over warfare, universal education, universal justice, social responsibility, charity, the value of family. They're all built in.

[Emily Jones]

So we have a lot more in common than probably people even realize.

[Holly Worthington]

Okay, one more question I have for you is if you were to just pick your favorite miracle in the Old Testament or anytime.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Well, hey, start with what I'm familiar with. Yeah, I mean, I know the stories about the fish and things, but you know, but I mean, obviously the revelation at Sinai, the whole, the number of miracles on which, that surround all of that, the 40 years in the desert that's you know, those were the biggest biblical miracles. Those were, you know, an entire nation confronting the voice of God to the point where they. The people said, moses, we can't handle it. You have to go. You go listen and you tell us what God says. We believe it because we've heard God speak now, and it's too much for us, you know, so they. That was obviously miracles. The whole thing of being surrounded, having clouds of glory, fire by. By night, clouds by day, all the protections, God's divine presence descending on the tabernacle, all of these things which we don't see today. And that was all, you know, at one point happening together.

[Holly Worthington]

Pretty amazing.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Miraculous food every morning.

[Emily Jones]

Oh, yeah, manna.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

That's right.

[Emily Jones]

Wouldn't that be interesting?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

You know, speaking of manna was perfect food. Every molecule was digested. There was no need to excrete afterwards. So this is all, you know, like that. Think about that as a miracle. That's in our medrash. Wow.

[Emily Jones]

Well, is there anything else you would like to share with us about your thoughts?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

You know, I think. I really do think we covered, you know, miracles pretty well. I mean, even. Even the negative, even the ones that, you know, don't work out the way we would like them to because we don't know what's going on upstairs. There's. There's a reason we don't know what it is. And, you know, one day we will learn.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Well, it is such an honor to speak with you. I love to, you know, just learn more about other religions and cultures and really to find our common ground and the things that we can share and the things that we can appreciate together. So I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Sure.

[Emily Jones]

I just have to ask you, how do you say miracle in Hebrew?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Nais. Okay. Nes is the spelling in English characters. Okay.

[Emily Jones]

So we could be the.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

I'm remembering, you know, there was some case where an entire building fell during the first. The first Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein was firing Scud missiles at Israel, and one after the other was landing and nobody was dying. And there was a woman in a building, you know, and the entire building was destroyed, and she didn't have a scratch. And the reporter on TV or radio. The radio reporter. I know this story because there was an observant fellow riding the back of a taxi, being driven by an apparently secular Israeli. And the reporter asks the woman, what do you think about this miracle you just experienced? You know, she walks away without a scratch from the building falling all around her. And she says, neis mapitom nes. You know, miracle. What do you mean it's a miracle? That's what happened. And the taxi driver said to the fellow in the back, she doesn't know what she's talking about. She's still in shock. Wait. Wait until she wakes up from the trauma and realizes that she experienced a miracle. Because it's obvious that what she experienced was a miracle and she just wasn't prepared to accept it.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, a lot of people recognize miracles easier than others. And some people just.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

That is very true.

[Holly Worthington]

They're just always gonna say it wasn't a miracle.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

So there you go.

[Holly Worthington]

Just depends. Okay, well, will you, before we head out, will you share your favorite scripture or prayer in Hebrew with us?

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Favorite prayer?

[Holly Worthington]

A favorite.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

Will you share a favorite, I think about the paragraph of the Shema. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one. That first paragraph of Shema, which women at least recite it once a day. Men have to say it twice a day. That passage right in there has vishinantam levenecha vadivartama. You should teach it to your children and you should speak about them. It's a parental obligation to educate the next generation. That's, you know, that's part of the whole mission of forming a family is you have kids, you have a next generation, you teach the next generation right from wrong. And so that makes it a favorite passage, both in the way it's constructed and what it tells us to do.

[Holly Worthington]

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us. I love it. Yeah, we really appreciate you.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah, it has been great to talk with you.

[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

All right, thank you. Have a great day to you and all your listeners.

[Emily Jones]

Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact [e-mail] or find us on Facebook.

[Holly Worthington]

We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.

[Emily Jones]

Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.

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[Rabbi Yaakov Menken]

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