Haddad's miracle

The minister has already exhaustively explained the tax reform, detailing it thoroughly, following the principle of fair distribution in proportion to each person's wealth. The wealthy, who previously didn't pay taxes on aircraft, yachts, inheritances, and other items, will now have to pay, while the poor will be exempt from taxes on basic goods. The project even includes a "sin tax," which will be levied on products harmful to health. Of course, the Finance Minister didn't do this alone; he has a team of scholars and politicians both for and against the government working on it, but the resistance comes precisely from those with millions. How to convince them? The very rich, while agreeing that the poor shouldn't pay taxes, also don't want to pay a single cent for their private jets and stereotype the minister as 'Taxad' (a derogatory term implying excessive taxation).

I will again draw an analogy with the passage about the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Despite some fraternal disapproval from religious circles, I will do so. Jesus' miracle was not multiplication, but rather stirring the pride of human compassion. To avoid theological disputes, the multiplication wasn't even necessary. Similarly, in today's world, there is enough food for everyone, even though watermelons, potatoes, onions, eggs, and other products are thrown away to keep prices from falling. 

George Lamsa, an Assyrian exegete, meticulously investigated and translated the Bible into Aramaic, his native language. He observes that even in contemporary times in the region, no Eastern pilgrim sets out without concealing their food provisions, placing spare loaves of bread in the folds of their garments and in deep, hidden pockets, and these wanderers do not share and deny having food with them. Their ancestors, however, when they saw Jesus generously sharing his only loaves and fish, would have been ashamed and thus repeated the rabbi's gesture of sharing with the poorest of the poor, something that could be seen in the rough and worn clothing of the needy. The preacher knew the customs of the people of those parts, as did Lamsa, and after speaking to them, the master was able to conclude with a practical lesson. He had spoken for a long time, and no one had yet eaten or drunk; they needed to eat so as not to faint on the way back, although many, enraptured by the encounter, would stay into the night to hear more. 

The disciples, already tired and distracted, didn't even consider the possibility of sharing and only accepted what they saw concretely in front of them, that is, very little bread and fish for themselves. The easy solution for a magician would be to "multiply" food with a snap of his fingers, more convenient than sharing his own with others. The copyist translators of Alexandria redacted the beginning of the passage in the Greek translation, according to the theme they considered more convenient, multiplication. In the body of the biblical text there isn't even the word multiplication, but the idea that fair sharing satisfies everyone and there are still baskets left over.

Of course, Haddad is neither Jesus nor Mother Teresa, but approving this reform will be a step towards making the nation more just, participatory, and decent. Would it be a miracle?