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Why did God institute a natural order so that His presence would be hidden. I know so many people who are hopelessly convinced of the scientific perspective that the world is basically a machine running eternally on its own and that man evolved randomly from self-replicating molecules.

Wouldn't it be better if He showed some open miracles sometimes so that those who are really seeking the truth can choose to go in His ways? (such as Yisro who was one of the very few truth-seekers who converted due to hearing of the miraculous exodus)

(the obvious answer is to give man free will. but perhaps a few rare miracles would not alter free will so much)

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Any miracle at all would destroy the ability to have the free will to dis-believe in God. –  Ariel Mar 22 '13 at 9:14
@Ariel Don't think so -- see SethJ's answer below. It would not achieve anything -- same people would claim same things. –  gt6989b Mar 22 '13 at 15:46
@Ariel, are you saying that when we did get miracles, people didn't have free will because of it? Or are you saying that that was then and now would be different? –  Monica Cellio Apr 5 '13 at 15:08
@MonicaCellio If we had clear miracles people would have no choice except to believe in God, which means there is no free will to believe or disbelieve. For then things are the same, but at some point God has to get things started and make clear miracles, so at least for the generation of the giving of the Torah things were different. –  Ariel Apr 5 '13 at 19:41
No miracles today? I awake each morning and the complex machinery of my body, way beyond human capability to invent, works. I have a mind that can both reason and marvel. I live in a world where people sometimes seem to beat impossible odds and survive diseases, natural calamities, and man-made accidents that should have crushed them. No miracles? Really? –  Monica Cellio Aug 4 '13 at 15:33
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5 Answers

What a great question for preparing for Shavuos! I think there are many answers, but I think the best answer is two-fold:

(1) G-d cannot reveal Himself yet because we are not spiritually prepared. Long ago, at Mount Sinai, G-d actually spoke to the Jewish people when He gave them the Decalogue. It was more than they could handle. Our ancestors told Moshe, "speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let G-d speak with us, lest we die." Exodus 20:16; see also Deut. 5:20-24 (Moshe's summary of the event). As high in spirituality as that generaton was, it was still overwhelmed by the Holiness of G-d that they experienced at that moment, and deemed themselves unworthy. Ramban's commentary to that verse offers the point that G-d's personal revelation to the Jewish people posed a great challenge to them and the concept of preparing ourselves to receive the Divine revelation remains a challenge to us today; a challenge that requires us to achieve higher levels of holiness.

(2) G-d appears to be hidden because He wants us to seek Him out. Isaiah 55:6 states, "Seek Hashem where He is found and call Him when He is near." The Targum Yonasan paraphrases: "Seek fear of Hashem while you are still alive, pray to Him while you still can seek Him and while you can still call Him, not after death when it is too late." This is closely related to the first point -- seeking G-d requires that we elevate ourselves spirtually, repent, humble yourself before Him, love Him and fear His wrath. Rav Nachman (the Tanna) held that the opportunity to seek G-d in this manner to be during the 10 days of Repentence between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Yevamos 49b.

I believe that when one prepares himself to meet G-d, and seeks Him in prayer -- especially during the High Holy Days -- G-d's existence becomes increasingly real and more and more apparent in nature, in events affecting our lives, and in the eyes of our teachers. And when I go to the beis midrash on Shavuos night, hearing the cacaphony of the bachurim arguing over pages of Gemara, I think I can make out the Voice of Hashem; and then it is not scary at all.

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Any open miracle would still be questioned. 'Amalek did not fear G-d when they attacked. Billions of religious people agree that G-d exists, but they don't agree on whose version of G-d (or service to G-d) is the correct one. Having rare, open miracles would not alter this reality. There are what some would consider open or nearly-open miracles that occur every day. And yet the people who observe the miracles, even the people affected by the miracles, come up with their own interpretation of them.

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yes, exactly. but the true truth seeker would take notice. so why not do it for them –  ray Mar 22 '13 at 14:40
@R.Sebag everyone is a truth seeker. But they don't always agree on what they are looking at. –  Seth J Mar 22 '13 at 14:41
@SethJ I think this is my new favorite quote from the Internet. –  Charles Koppelman Mar 22 '13 at 15:50
@SethJ I once heard Rabbi Leff say that in the time of the Rambam people were seeking truth and talking philosophy was beneficial, but in our times the biggest question in people's minds is whether to put ketchup or mustard on their hotdogs. –  ray Mar 23 '13 at 19:43
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Perhaps if the person were truly a truth seeker they would be moved by the knowledge of the event rather than the experience of the event. The experience has a temporary impact that overwhelmes the emotions of the person. However, the knowledge of the event is what can be lasting. The event of the Egyptian experience demonstrated God's existance and control over the universe, his providence, awareness of particulars, prohpecy, his unity etc. This event is remembered in perpetutity to support these philosphical truthes. That is why it is so central to many comandments we have such as Tephilin, Mezuzah, the requirement to mention the exodus twice a day, on Shababt, the Kiddush. It is so vital because it confirms and teaches us these fundemental truths. It is the ideas that the true truth seeker would be moved by, not just the WOW experience of the miraculous.
Furthermore, if miracles were constantly happening, then there would be no pattern or natural law for us to study. What makes us unique and human is our ability to think and reflect on the world around us (Rambam). To be able to study the laws of nature, there must be a consistency and a patern to be able to uncover what the universal concept is that explains their particular behavior. If God was constantly breaching these laws and producing on going miracles, we would not have the natural world to study and use our intelect to understand.
The above ideas regarding the events of Egypt are based on the Ramban on "On Hashem took me out from Egypt" (Shemot Chapter 20, Verse 2) and his commentary on "Uletotafos" by Tephilin (Shemot Chapter 13 Verse 16).

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Here's a possible answer I thought of today.

The Drashos HaRan brings down (forget the exact place) Why were there 10 plagues back then? Because it was the prelude to the giving of the torah. G-d had to do it,because there had to be no doubt whatsoever that the torah was from G-d. That's we He had to make all these miracles to show that He controls everything. There had to be no doubt. That's also why it was in Egypt. Because it was the place of sorcery. It was the big capital of witchcraft and sorcery. So He had to do it there to show that it wasn't witchcraft. If it were witchcraft, they could have stopped it. They couldn't. It's also why Moses couldn't speak. He stuttered. So people wouldn't say he was a big charismatic speaker.

When He had to give the torah, there had to be no doubt whatsoever that it was from G-d. So that's why G-d was forced to make these miracles. (source: Drashos HaRan)

So the question is why not today? Make some miracles. Get these arabs off our backs. Get these atheist Jews to come back.

The answer is back then He was forced, but today He is not forced. So the reason He is hidden is because - it's not proper for G-d to reveal Himself for no reason, because it's not befitting. If you have a great king walking down the street it's not very befitting. That's why He's so hidden, except for the big tzadikim, they make themselves worthy and He reveals Himself to them privately. But to have Him on the street in front of everybody, it's not befitting a great king.

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When my children were young and we'd go shopping sometimes they'd wander off and I'd follow them from afar keeping watch over them. When they started getting scared or other people would come near them I'd catch up to them. I wanted them to have the free will to realize that they NEEDED their father's protection. Is it not so with Abba? He calls us to be near, we choose to stray... He is not out of relationship with us, but we are out of relationship with Him.

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