תהלים, פרק ע״ז, פסוק י״ג

Facing difficult times naturally draws a person to look back at history, seeking comfort in God's past actions. Remembering these historical wonders restores the soul and provides a way for people to encourage one another. This engagement with the past involves a dual process of internalizing and expressing. First, there is quiet, internal reflection and contemplation. This deep thought then naturally leads to outward speech, allowing a person to share these stories with others [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The focus of both this quiet thought and outward conversation is the history of miracles God performed for the Israelites, such as the Exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the sea, the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the journey through the desert [רש״י, רד״ק]. Some commentators view this two-step process simply as an emphasis on deep, continuous engagement with God's deeds, using two different concepts to describe the same focus [רד״ק].

However, a different perspective offers a deeper philosophical approach, drawing a sharp line between what is kept in the mind and what is spoken aloud [אלשיך]. In this view, the quiet, internal thought relates specifically to the mystery of how the world was created. Because the human mind is limited, it cannot fully understand the secrets of creation. Therefore, a person can only quietly reflect on it, without attempting to investigate it deeply. On the other hand, the outward speech and active investigation relate to God's open miracles in human history, like the Exodus. People are fully permitted and encouraged to speak about, explore, and share these historical events. Ultimately, by openly discussing and investigating the clear miracles of history, a person validates and strengthens their belief in the original creation of the world, a concept too vast for the human mind to grasp on its own.