Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses a particular miraculous phenomenon, but then describes it as a miracle within a miracle. In our Gemara the miracle was the production of a usually impossible crossbreed of animal, and the miracle within a miracle is that, as a providential punishment, the animal ended up terrorizing those immoral people who sought to breed such a creature against God’s will. That seems to be according to the simple reading of the text and Rashi. Chasam Sofer (ibid.) has a different interpretation. A miracle is the unlikely crossbreeding of these two incompatible species. The miracle within the miracle is that the creature that came out was in no way similar to either of its parents.

The concept of miracle within a miracle occurs in other instances in rabbinic literature and has a specific theological implication. Rav Tzaddok (Sichas Malachei Hashares, Yerushalmi 5) cites other examples, such as when Elisha summoned wild bears from the forest: not only was it a miracle that these bears came, but the forest itself was generated as a miracle. Similarly, Pesachim (118a) tells us that when the heavenly court was deciding to intervene to save Chananya, Mishael, and Azaryah from the fiery furnace, originally the ministering angel over cold was going to cool off the furnace. In the end, the angel Gavriel, who was in charge of fire, stepped forward to cool off the furnace. His argument was that it is a greater miracle for fire itself to become cool than for an external cooling agent to cool it. This too was a miracle within a miracle.

Rav Tzaddok explains the significance of this kind of double miracle. There are two kinds of miracles. One is an event that is providential, but nevertheless comes about through natural means. In a subtle fashion, God is pulling the strings. It is still, though, through the natural order. And then there are miracles that are clearly an override of the natural order. That is the miracle within a miracle and is reserved for situations, in God’s wisdom, that call for a more public display of Godly intervention. The interbreeding of animals is a miracle and providential but still relatively natural; the specific breeding of this beast is a non-natural kind of crossbreeding and it is a miracle within a miracle. Same regarding Gavriel cooling the fire of the furnace and Elisha’s bears. The bears were natural, but the spontaneous creation of a forest was not.

Ultimately, why does it matter to categorize what kind of miracle occurs? I believe it is no different than why we make specific blessings instead of a generic “thank you Hashem.” Specificity and mindfulness increase awareness and gratitude.