"To Him who alone does great wonders"
We learn first of a miracle that God had performed in the past by saving some Jews, including Rabbi Pinchas, from robbers. Rabbi Pinchas marvels that such a wonder was done for him, when he did not even know about it. He says we have no way of knowing how often God performs miracles for people because no one knows about them except God Himself. Next the Arabs, who told Rabbi Pinchas about the miracle, tell him about another, how they have just now seen a flock of birds circling around to make shade for five people sitting together. The rabbis know that Rabbi Shimon is among this group of five, and they wonder how to find him. They leave the she-mule to find the path on its own and it takes them straight to Rabbi Shimon and his disciples. Rabbi Shimon opens by saying that "A psalm. O sing to Hashem a new song, for He has done marvellous things" was chanted by the cows, who mooed the song to all who came out to welcome the ark.
Balak: Verse 293
רִבִּי פִּנְחָס הֲוָה אָזִיל לְמֵחֱמֵי בְּרָתֵּיהּ, אִנְתּוּ דְּר' שִׁמְעוֹן, דַּהֲוַת בְּמַרְעָא. וַהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי עִמֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא, וְהוּא הֲוָה רָכִיב בְּחַמְרֵיהּ. עַד דַּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, פָּגַע בִּתְרֵין עַרְבָאֵי, אָמַר לוֹן, בַּחֲקָל דָּא אִתְּעַר קָלָא מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא לֵית אֲנָן יַדְעִין. מִיּוֹמִין דִּילָן, אֲנָן יַדְעִין. דְּהָא יוֹמָא חַד, הֲווֹ אִינּוּן לִסְטִין מְקַפְּחֵי אָרְחִין דְּגוּבְרִין בְּהַהוּא חַקְלָא, וּפַגְעוּ בְּאִינּוּן יוּדָאֵי, וְאָתוּ לְקַפְּחָא לוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּמַע מֵרָחִיק בְּהַאי חֲקַל, קַל דַּחֲמָרָא דָּא, דְּנָהַק תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, וְאָתָא שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָּׁא בְּהַהוּא קָלָא וְאוֹקִיד לוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּזִיבוּ אִינּוּן יוּדָאֵי. אָ"ל. עַרְבָאֵי, בְּמִלָּה דָּא דְּקָא אֲמַרְתּוּן לִי, תִּשְׁתֵּזְבוּן יוֹמָא דָּא מִלִּסְטִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּקָא מְחַכָּן לְכוּ בְּאָרְחָא.
Rabbi Pinchas was going to see his daughter, the wife of Rabbi Shimon, who was ill. The friends joined along with him and he was riding on his donkey. While still walking along on their journey, they met up with two Arabs. He asked them if any sound stirred in this field from ancient days. They said, From times past, we do not know. From our times, we do know, because one day, robbers spread out over the roads in that field and assaulted Jews, and intended to destroy them. From the distance, the voice of this donkey ON WHICH YOU RIDE was heard in this field. It brayed twice. A flame of fire came along with that sound and burned them and these Jews were saved. He said to them, Arabs, Arabs, IN THE MERIT of this episode that you related to me, you will be saved today from the other robbers that are awaiting you along the road.
