Jewish tradition is filled with such stories, glimpses behind the veil that reveal the hidden hand of providence.
One such tale unfolds as the Israelites journey toward the Promised Land, a journey fraught with peril, both seen and unseen. As they approached the border, a rather peculiar event occurred involving two mountains. According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, it wasn't just any mountain that moved, but specifically the rocky mountain marking the beginning of the Promised Land. Think about that for a moment. The very land itself, eager to welcome its people, leaped forward as Israel approached from the Moabite mountain. It awaited them most longingly.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting. The surrounding nations, the "heathens" as they're sometimes called, harbored hostile intentions. They plotted to ambush the Israelites, a threat completely unknown to them. Imagine marching forward, oblivious to the danger lurking just around the bend!
God, in His infinite wisdom, orchestrated a subtle, yet profound revelation. You know the well that miraculously reappeared for the Israelites at Beeroth? God commanded it to flow past the caves where the heathens lay in wait. As it flowed, it washed out fragments of corpses, revealing the carnage of a battle the Israelites never even knew occurred. An old proverb says: "If you give a piece of bread to a child, tell its mother about it." God, likewise, wanted Israel to know the great miracles He had accomplished for their sake.
Picture this: the Israelites, their eyes fixed on the well, now flowing powerfully through the valley of Arnon, gleaming like the moon. And what does it carry? The grim evidence of a divine intervention. As the Midrash Rabbah tells us, only then did they discover the incredible miracles that had been wrought for them.
It wasn't just the mountains moving to clear their path, only to move apart again, but God actively shielded them from a devastating attack. This realization sparked an outpouring of gratitude, a song of praise dedicated to the well that revealed the hidden miracle.
This story, found in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, is more than just an ancient anecdote. It's a reminder that we're often unaware of the forces working to protect us, the subtle miracles unfolding behind the scenes. It encourages us to look beyond the obvious, to recognize the unseen hand guiding our journey. Perhaps the challenges we face aren't always what they seem. Maybe, just maybe, they're concealing an even greater blessing, a hidden miracle waiting to be revealed.