Fascinating theological implications in this little story

My cynical assumption was just that the rabbi was a real G and set up some kind of water pumping system in the statue

Given how many Catholics make money off of spurious stories of miracles, it's only fair for other religions to get in on the hustle

This probably requires the cooperation of the clergy, which implies that there’s a committee of clergy in charge of planning miracles

It's more like there are independent contractors who invent miracles and then they send in the miracle checking squads

The origin of the term "devil's advocate" is the guy who argues "this shit is fake, some Polish peasant jerry rigged (Jerzy-rigged?) a mirror on a hinge on a string to shine light on worshippers when they kneel to pray

The Children of Lieutenant Schmidt but it’s for miracle contractors

“Thank you for the report on how the ohel is doing reb Issachar, I am told the local potato growers are quite pleased with their sales. Now father basil, if you would share with us this quarter’s applications for a wonder-working icon…ah yes, we did have a 12% increase in myrrh production.”

Without making the point too ... awkward, from the Hasidic perspective this is somewhat like the Rebbe negotiating with God to let Satan perform miracles, because his Chasid needs to make a living

Same energy:

Jesus is the devil in this case

I feel like whenever this happens god just flips a coin metaphorically

Spinning the dreidel to figure it out

Satan going.. ah whatever, they’re peasants, better they do the soft idolatry that they kinda don’t realize is idolatry than just get up to reinventing Perun or something

And then the Sanzer Ruv refuses to renew his contract one year

This is how we get the dumbest fucking revivalist neopagans

Lol