Every once in a while, a student comments to me, “If G-d would only perform an open miracle for me, then I would believe…” There are several possible responses to this. I would like to share with you my favorite approach, which comes along with a story.

By way of introduction, let us look at this week’s Torah portion, Bo, where we read about the culmination of the Ten Plagues. One may ask, what was the purpose of the plagues? If they were merely to punish the Egyptians, why was it necessary for G-d to bring ten different punishments? He certainly could have achieved the same result with one powerful plague!

G-d sums up to Moses the purpose of bringing ten plagues upon the Egyptians in the following verse: He says, “I shall place these signs of mine in his (Pharaoh’s) midst, and so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I have mocked Egypt, and My signs that I placed among them that you may know that I am G-d.” (Exodus 10:1, 2) We learn from this verse that G-d’s intention wasn’t just to punish the Egyptians, but rather to teach the world for all future generations that G-d exists. The Ten Plagues were, in essence, a ten-part lesson proving His existence and total control over all aspects of the earth and their sub-components. The first plague, blood, altered that which is below sea level, the lowest level of the earth with which a human being comes in contact;, in subsequent plagues, G-d worked His way up to the animals and human beings, and then eventually to the upper hemispheres.

Now for the story: There lived a great sage in the nineteenth century by the name of Rabbi Yisroel Lipkin (1809-1883), better known as Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, named for the town of Salant where he was from. When traveling, he would frequent an inn owned by a G-d-fearing Jew. During one visit to the inn, the Rabbi was quite surprised to find the Jewish owner bare-headed, bereft of any semblance of head covering, kipa or otherwise. Seeing the puzzled look on the Rabbi’s face, the innkeeper explained, “Across the street from my inn lives a renegade Jew who became an atheist. He came into my inn holding a piece of pork, and asked me, ‘Do you believe that G-d exists?’ to which I replied, ‘Yes.’ He then said, ‘If G-d exists, then let Him kill me now as I eat this pork!’ He went on to eat the pork, and nothing happened to him! After that, I veered from the way of the Torah.”

The Rabbi remained silent. Soon after this conversation, the innkeeper’s daughter walked in displaying a certificate. She was an accomplished pianist who had apparently just performed at a recital and had been awarded a certificate acknowledging her skill. The Rabbi turned to her and asked, “Are you indeed an accomplished pianist?” The girl replied, “Yes.” “Well then,” said the Rabbi, “can you play for me a piece on the piano so that I can see if you are indeed an accomplished musician?” to which the girl replied, “No.” The Rabbi turned to the innkeeper, and the innkeeper asked his daughter, “Why don’t you want to play for the Rabbi?” The girl responded, “I already proved my skill in front of an entire panel of judges, and I have this certificate documenting my accomplishment. Am I to perform for anyone who stops me in the street and asks me to prove myself because they are skeptical of my skill?” Satisfied with his daughter’s response, the innkeeper turned to the Rabbi to see his reaction. The Rabbi then said to the innkeeper, “The response your daughter just gave me is the same response I have for you with regard to your experience with your atheist neighbor. G-d performed amazing miracles in Egypt during the Ten Plagues and at the Splitting of the Sea, proving His existence and constant control over nature. These miracles were evident for all to see. They were then documented in the Torah for all of time. Does G-d have to perform a miracle every time someone is skeptical of His existence and capabilities?” Upon hearing this, the innkeeper agreed and returned to his roots.

It is for this reason that there is a commandment to recount the Jews’ exodus from Egypt in the Shema prayer twice a day. This serves as a constant reminder of the amazing miracles that occurred at that time, and helps us strengthen our belief in G-d and all that He does.