Its clear from Tanach that Hashem performed open miracles during those times. What is the reason that there are no open miracles nowadays (i.e. ones without any clear natural explanation)?

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    Tanakh doesn't mention that many, so it's appropriate that they are pretty rare – Double AA Jun 27 '16 at 21:33
  • It's also worth noting that many miracles from Tanach were explained by various mefarshim as having occurred 'naturally'. They may have met resistance from other authorities, but their opinions do exist. See for instance Ralbag on the sun standing still, Maimonides Radak and Shita Mikubetzes in B.M. about the resuscitation of the kid in melachim etc. – user6591 Jun 28 '16 at 19:58
  • @user6591 It is true that rationalistic writers do all that they can to minimize miracles; corresponding to their degree of rationalism, but that does not really change the question. Even if in the times of Tanakh there were relatively few miracles, today there appear to be none. Why the change. – mevaqesh Jun 28 '16 at 20:06
  • That's true. I like the question. I up-voted it. I was addressing the parenthetical precondition. – user6591 Jun 28 '16 at 20:09
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    Seems like a duplicate of judaism.stackexchange.com/q/27362. cc @DoubleAA – msh210 Jun 29 '16 at 19:23

See Ramban Shemot 13, 16:

ובעבור כי הקב''ה לא יעשה אות ומופת בכל דור לעיני כל רשע או כופר, יצוה אותנו שנעשה תמיד זכרון ואות לאשר ראו עינינו, ונעתיק הדבר אל בנינו, ובניהם לבניהם, ובניהם לדור אחרון. ‏

A free translation:

there is no need to make miracle at each generation for each miscreant and heretic. It is sufficient to remember the miracles of Egypt.

A miracle is a demonstration of Divine knowledge, Justice and intervention of G-d. When somewhat is demonstrated, you need not to demonstrate again and again. When Rishonim builded "scholastic Hebrew", they called demonstration "Mofet" for logic demonstration. You can learn from this what is a miracle. After the cancellation of many errors, no need to new demonstration.

@mevakesh wrote that

Ramban does nothing to answer the question.

@mevaqesh "formally speaking" is right. A = הקב"ה לא יעשה אות ומופת A => we need something else, C = we have Mitsvot. But something is not mefurash in Ramban (in Torah learning formal logic structure is not entirely literated). The world in its "natural" form is good, and is a will of G-d. And is good for non-miscreant persons. If a teacher makes all his teaching for a student that don' want hearing, he will cause a damage to others. So, the Ramban has something to do with the question. Mitsvot, particularly Mitsvat Tefilin (you know the text inserted in the black boxes but you are not reading this. I.E. you remember that it was demonstrated but you are dealing with something else) are here to remember demonstration, demonstrations with witnesses. Witnesses transmitted Masoret of mitsvot.

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    But for fifteen hundred years He did do them. Then stopped. Why do it for that long and why stop then is not really addressed by this Ramban. – user6591 Jun 28 '16 at 12:59
  • @user6591 good question. I have an idea but not sure. Nowaday, the Giluy Elokut is greater without Miracles – kouty Jun 28 '16 at 19:51
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    To clarify @user6591 's question is not on the Ramban. Rather, he notes that Ramban does nothing to answer the question. – mevaqesh Jun 28 '16 at 20:08
  • Why not remind people on a regular basis? The sinners and miscreants of Egypt witnessed miracles and its still not enough for people nowadays. Also, 'rationalists' will argue that this answer is 'all too convenient' – bondonk Jun 28 '16 at 20:21
  • @bondonk in a regular basis is nature, the sun is shine in a regular basis – kouty Jun 29 '16 at 3:38

According to the Gemara, Berachot 20a, it's because we're not willing to sacrifice ourselves Al Kiddush Hashem quite as readily nowadays.

Rab Pappa asked Abbai : How were our predecessors different from us that miracles occurred for them but not for us? Is it a question of learning ? In the time of Rab Judah, their whole study was limited to the Order "Damages," whereas we study the six Orders; and when Rab Judah reached the paragraph in Mishnah 'Uksin : "If a woman presses vegetables in a pot" (some declare it was the paragraph : "Olives which are pressed with their leaves are clean"), he said, "We see here the conflicts of Rab and Samuel," whereas we study 'Uksin in thirteen lessons ! Yet, with respect to Rab Judah, when he took off one of his shoes, the rain descended ; but we afflict our souls and cry aloud and there is none that takes notice of us ! He replied : Our predecessors jeopardised their lives for the sanctification of the Name, but we do not.

  • +1 however, the OP is looking for the types of open miracles that are found in Tanach. Do we have a reason to assume the miracles referred to here as having happened to the earlier generations were of those type? Perhaps the miracles they experienced were not those type. – user6591 Jun 29 '16 at 19:55

the period of exile is compared to night before the dawn of the Messianic era. our job in this era is to search for God on our own and there are plenty of hidden miracles in nature (the extreme wisdom is itself a sort of miracle) and also in the guidance of our own lives to see the hand of God.

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    sources? [char] – mevaqesh Jun 28 '16 at 18:53
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    Dramatizing the role of so called hidden miracles does not answer the question. If they are so miraculous, why did they not suffice in the Biblical period. If they didn't suffice in the Biblical period, why do they now? – mevaqesh Jun 28 '16 at 18:55
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    @mevaqesh, this answer post contains an answer ("the period of exile is compared to night before the dawn of the Messianic era. our job in this era is to search for God on our own"). As you noted, though, citation needed. – msh210 Jun 29 '16 at 19:26
  • @mevaqesh they always sufficed for those not looking to deny the obvious as Rambam wrote: "When a person contemplates G-d's great and wondrous deeds and creations, and he observes through them His infinite wisdom which surpasses all comparison.." Yesodei Torah ch.2 – ray Jul 2 '16 at 21:01
  • @Gizbar So once again חזרה קושיא לדוכתא. As I noted originally. I am not interested into entering an endless repetitive back and forth. – mevaqesh Jul 3 '16 at 2:47

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