Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, Chapter 7 (Auto Translated)

Laws of Foundations of the Torah, Chapter 7 – Foundations of Prophecy

Introduction: Rosh Chodesh Adar and Joy

Chavrusa 1: Good day. We’re going to learn today Laws of Foundations of the Torah, Sefer HaMada, Chapter 7. This chapter discusses the topic of prophecy (nevuah).

It’s very fitting that today is Rosh Chodesh Adar, and we increase in joy. The Rambam is going to say here that one of the conditions of a prophet (navi) is that he must be in a state of joy (simcha). Not as people think, that reaching a great spiritual level is helped by seclusion (hitbodedut), and one is somehow — one won’t be in a state of joy. On the contrary — joy brings about great things.

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It Is a Foundation of the Faith to Know That God Grants Prophecy to Human Beings

Prophecy as a Foundation of the Faith — Not Merely a Commandment

We are still here in the foundations of knowledge, Foundations of the Torah. Prophecy is one of the Foundations of the Torah, because Moses our teacher — the entire Torah was given through prophecy. And besides the Torah, the Prophets and Writings — we had a world full of prophets, and it is a foundation of knowledge.

That means, besides the fact that it is a commandment (mitzvah) — among the commandments in Laws of Foundations of the Torah, the Rambam enumerated ten commandments, and the last two of the ten — we have already learned eight of the ten — the last two are:

– To obey a prophet — a positive commandment to listen to the prophet (mitzvat aseh lishmo’a min hanavi)

– And the negative commandment, interestingly, is not “not to obey,” but rather not to test him excessively (shelo lenasoto) — one shouldn’t trouble him too much, one shouldn’t test him too much.

Now the Rambam — later he will state the commandment, but as a foundation of knowledge — he begins: there is a positive commandment to obey, but even before obeying there is the foundation of knowledge to know that such a thing as prophecy exists, to believe that such a thing as prophecy exists. From the foundations of knowledge, from the foundations of the faith.

Insight: The Structure of Sefer HaMada — Foundation Comes Before Commandment

This is very similar to the structure of the first chapters, I realize. Because the most fundamental foundation is to know that there exists a First Being (lida she’yesh sham matzui rishon) — not the first foundation, the second foundation, the foundation of knowledge.

That means the foundation is even more important than the commandment. Let’s say, a person doesn’t get killed over a commandment — he sometimes also fails with lashon hara (evil speech). But if he fails with a foundation of not knowing “I am the Lord your God” (Anochi Hashem Elokecha), or not believing in prophecy, he is missing a foundation, and all other commandments have nothing to rest upon. So it states at the end of the Yagel Mikra in Parshat Mishneh.

But also here you see that the structure follows the same pattern as the structure of all these laws — aside from the two chapters we’ve had until now — but the same thing applies: first he states the foundation, that there is a knowledge of this matter, or here it will be a bit more about obeying. Prophecy is a positive commandment that is built upon the foundation, upon the reality, basically.

“To Know” — Not “To Believe”

From the foundations of the faith, from the foundations of the faith. And foundations of the Jewish faith.

Chavrusa 2: Interesting, the word “dat” (faith/religion) — before the Rambam, do we see the word “dat”?

Chavrusa 1: In Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther).

Chavrusa 2: Ah, indeed, “dat” of every province.

Chavrusa 1: Yes, that means…

Chavrusa 2: What does “dat” mean? A statute, a law.

Chavrusa 1: Yes. The Rambam uses it… We view religions more as laws.

Chavrusa 2: Yes, the foundation of all laws. The foundations behind the laws. The Rambam says “dat” the way we say “religion” — foundations of the religion.

Chavrusa 1: Yes. But there it means foundations of law. And the law of Parat Ivda.

Chavrusa 2: Yes. That is Parat Imda. There is one instance where it does appear. And in the Chumash (Pentateuch) it says “mimino eshdat lamo” — “eshdat” means the Torah.

Chavrusa 1: Wonderful.

From the foundations of the faith is to know (lida) — to know. He does not use the word “to believe” (leha’amin). Just as also at the beginning of Sefer HaMada it says “to know that there exists” (lida she’yesh) — that there is a Creator of the world. “To know” means it is a fact.

To know — that God grants prophecy to human beings (she’ha’Kel menabeh et bnei ha’adam), that the Creator grants prophecy to people. He speaks to human beings. The Almighty communicates with human beings.

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Discussion: “God Grants Prophecy” — Three Approaches to Prophecy

The Almighty’s Role in Prophecy

A few things I want to pause on here. One — I think this is an important matter, because later they will be a bit more closely examined.

Chavrusa 2: But I remember, you should say it better, because you are a greater expert in the teachings of the Rambam — that the Rambam brings three approaches.

Chavrusa 1: So here what they say…

Chavrusa 2: What? But why don’t you say a greater prophet?

Chavrusa 1: Eventually — I’m only at my own level, one who is arriving, it’s on the way.

The Three Approaches in the Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh Nevuchim)

The Rambam says in other places that there are three approaches:

1. People who think that prophecy lies entirely in the hands of the person — that if he achieves the spiritual levels, he becomes a prophet.

2. A second approach that it lies entirely in the hands of the Almighty — that the Almighty can take a person who is a fool and suddenly he becomes a prophet.

3. The Rambam says they are both incorrect, rather the truth is that a person must exert himself and prepare himself and reach spiritual levels, and afterward, if he merits it, it is a gift from the Almighty — that the Almighty will grant him prophecy.

Okay, I’ll tell you more precisely: “God grants prophecy” (Kel menabeh) — the Almighty gives him the power of prophecy.

Insight: A Correction in Understanding the Third Approach

Chavrusa 2: I can correct you a bit, pardon me, not a small bit. Certainly, the three approaches appear at the beginning of the chapter on prophecy in the Moreh, I don’t remember exactly where. But the Rambam lays down the third approach a bit differently than how I understand it, a bit differently than how you laid it down.

And perhaps this is a secret, perhaps these are things where one needs to be precise with what it says here, perhaps what’s in the Moreh doesn’t always say the same thing as what’s here. Perhaps this is a secret — you’re going to say this before thousands, thousands, thousands, myriads of Israel.

Chavrusa 1: Yes. So should I say how the Rambam says it more clearly there?

Chavrusa 2: What the Rambam says, as it also states here, by the way — what one notices is that it doesn’t say “that it is a foundation of the faith that God grants prophecy to the Children of Israel,” for example.

Chavrusa 1: Okay, we’re talking about the Moreh. The three approaches we’ve also discussed, yes.

Chavrusa 2: It’s a human matter. In other words, it is indeed a perfection of human beings. What the Rambam says is that certainly the simple meaning is not — not exactly, perhaps one can be precise about what he meant — not simply that when a person has the preparation, a gift comes to him. The gift comes, the prophecy comes through preparation. It is indeed a perfection of the person to be a prophet.

But the Almighty reserves the rights, so to speak, to whom He wants to give it or not. One cannot try to be a prophet. The Almighty can say no more than He can say yes — that the Almighty can prevent a person from attaining prophecy.

Chavrusa 1: But even after the qualifications, one doesn’t necessarily become one.

Chavrusa 2: Not necessarily. But more analytically one can say that the preparation produces the prophecy, only it’s not entirely automatic, because the Almighty has the right — He can take it away from whomever He wants.

So what it says here “God grants prophecy” (Kel menabeh) doesn’t necessarily mean it goes according to that understanding, rather it could be that one must remember that the Almighty makes everything happen, anyway.

Discussion: What Does “God Grants Prophecy” Mean — Supernatural or Natural?

Chavrusa 1: To say that the Almighty does something — we don’t mean that the Almighty does it not through the way of nature, not through some perfection that a person prepares for. The Almighty does it, but because the prophecy is attributed directly to the Almighty.

And prophecy means, as you say, communication — somehow it comes, I remember the Rambam’s language in the other place, that “a quality that reaches from the Creator to the person” (midah she’magi’a min haboreh el ha’adam) — something comes… This is the divine flow (shefa) that comes from the Almighty to people. This comes from the Almighty to people — knowledge, right? Some kind of knowledge, some kind of what is called speech (dibur). Speech doesn’t necessarily mean making noise, speech means knowledge.

So it’s certain that it comes from the Almighty to people. The direction is certainly so. As for how it works — if I understand correctly, in this chapter the Rambam explains more the order of preparation for prophecy, he doesn’t describe how the Almighty does it.

One still needs to think about what the difference is between the Almighty granting it and the Almighty withholding it from certain people. But the point is: it’s not simply that a person — as if there’s a world of knowledge, a world of wisdom or of prophecy, and the person can tap into it. No — the Almighty must give it to him, it’s a communication, it’s a relationship, so to speak.

The Difference Between Prophecy and Intellectual Attainment

Chavrusa 2: The entire world is like that.

Chavrusa 1: True, but what one might think — just as when a person grasps something with his intellect, it’s not necessarily that now an angel gave him knowledge. Okay, that’s already a higher level, one needs to discuss that too. But we can’t say that if I just now understood something — a thing that exists, I now understood. But this is “God grants prophecy to human beings” (Kel menabeh bnei adam) — the Almighty communicated with him, the Almighty gives him something.

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“Human Beings” — Not “Children of Israel”

Chavrusa 2: Okay, “God grants prophecy to human beings” (Kel menabeh bnei adam) is the precise wording, one needs to discuss this too. Because the Rambam says in the Epistle to Yemen (Igeret Teiman), the Rambam says that the reason we don’t believe in gentile prophets is not because they aren’t Jewish, rather a gentile can also have the quality of prophecy if he merits it and performs all the preparations.

Rather, the reason is because the prophets in whom gentiles believe are trying to contradict the Torah of Moses our teacher, which is itself the greatest proof, as the Rambam says in the next chapter — that if someone touches the Torah of Moses our teacher, that alone is the greatest proof that he is a false prophet.

So in any case, it fits with the fact that he doesn’t use the language “God grants prophecy to the Children of Israel,” as someone noted in the context of the Kuzari. He uses the language “God grants prophecy to human beings” (Kel menabeh bnei adam).

Insight: The Dispute Between the Rambam and the Kuzari

This is connected to the general dispute between the Rambam and the Kuzari. The Rambam holds that it is a human level that a person, a human being, can reach. It’s true that from a gentile one doesn’t demand the same thing as from a Jew, but if a gentile reaches his perfection, technically he could have prophecy if he doesn’t contradict the Torah of Moses. In any case, that’s what “human beings” (bnei adam) means.

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Conditions for Prophecy: Wise, Mighty, Broad-Minded

“Prophecy Only Rests Upon One Who Is Greatly Wise in Wisdom”

The Rambam continues — and this is also a foundation of the faith. The continuation: “Prophecy does not rest” (ve’ein hanevuah chalah) — prophecy does not rest, prophecy does not descend — “except upon one who is greatly wise in wisdom” (ela al chacham gadol bechochmah). It could have already been so — first he says when the Almighty gives, but he says before that the person must… Here we’re already talking about the person and his preparation.

Chavrusa 2: You laid down a bit here, you wanted to be a bit innovative that the Almighty gives, yes — but the point is that the Rambam immediately moves on to the human preparation. He doesn’t say “God does not withhold His will” — it’s obvious that the Almighty does what He wants.

Chavrusa 1: He says that prophecy is specifically upon one who is… upon one who is a “greatly wise in wisdom” (chacham gadol bechochmah) — one who is a great sage in wisdom.

Chavrusa 2: “Wise” doesn’t say specifically in Torah, yes.

Chavrusa 1: Greatly wise in wisdom, yes, true.

“Mighty in His Character Traits” — He Has Already Conquered

“Mighty in his character traits” (gibor bemidotav) — he is mighty with his character traits.

Chavrusa 2: I’m actually thinking that “his traits” (midotav) refers to — the traits of the Holy One, Blessed Be He (midotav shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu), that he walks in the ways of the Holy One, Blessed Be He.

Chavrusa 1: But that’s a homiletical interpretation. On the plain meaning, he says etc.

But I mean, also “mighty in his character traits” fits with what the Rambam says in other places, that there is one who doesn’t need to exert himself at all. That means “mighty in his character traits” — not that he’s constantly in the process of conquering, but rather he is already mighty.

“He Does Not Desire Anything in the World”

Okay, let’s directly see the passage: “He does not desire anything in the world” (velo yit’aveh ledavar ba’olam) — he has no more struggle, so he doesn’t give away extra energy for the struggle that ordinary people have.

“Rather, he constantly overcomes his inclination with his intellect” (ela hu mitgaber beda’ato al yitzro tamid) — his intellect is perpetually stronger than his senses and his desires.

“One of Broad and Very Correct Understanding” — Quantity and Quality

“One of broad and very correct understanding” (ba’al de’ah rechavah nechonah ad me’od) — a broad understanding and a true understanding to the utmost degree.

I mean, “broad and correct” (rechavah nechonah) is a very beautiful thing. It’s a bit like — there are people who know a great deal, but knowing the truth, the absolute truth, is… There is wisdom in quantity and wisdom in quality.

Chavrusa 2: I would have thought that “broad understanding” (de’ah rechavah) means character traits, just as we see later “de’ot” — which is character traits. Wise, you say wise, mighty.

Chavrusa 1: It could be, I’m thinking of something new now.

Discussion: “Wise, Mighty, and Wealthy” — The Rambam’s Interpretation of the Gemara

It could be — we know that the Rambam’s language is built upon a Gemara that states “Prophecy only rests upon one who is wise, mighty, and wealthy” (ein hanevuah shorah ela al chacham gibor ve’ashir). And the Rambam reinterprets here:

– Wise (chacham) — in its plain sense: a great sage

– Mighty (gibor) — not in its plain sense: he builds upon the Mishnah “Who is mighty? One who conquers his inclination” (eizehu gibor hakovesh et yitzro), yes? And the Rambam adds a bit more — not only that he’s in the middle of conquering, I mean you’re right, he has already conquered.

Question: Where Is “Wealthy”?

And now — what about wealthy (ashir)? The Rambam skipped wealthy. We need to understand, to ask: what is here in its place? Why did the Rambam skip wealthy?

It could be that the Rambam interprets wealthy as the “broad understanding” (de’ah rechavah) that he speaks of in terms of richness. A person might think that the problem of wealth is that he needs to come to people, that he has worries, that he needs to seek favor from people — so he is “content with his lot” (same’ach bechelko). A person who is a… It could be the Rambam indeed means that he no longer has any…

Continuation of Chapter 7, Laws of Foundations of the Torah – Conditions for Prophecy and the Path of Attainment

“Broad Understanding” – Connection to Character Traits

Chavrusa 1: I would have thought that “broad understanding” (de’ah rechavah) means character traits, just as we see later “de’ot” — which is character traits (hilchot de’ot).

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The Rambam’s Connection to the Gemara “Wise, Mighty, and Wealthy”

Chavrusa 1: Wise — I say wise. Mighty — I’m thinking of something new now. It could be, you know, the Rambam’s language is built upon a Gemara that states “Prophecy only rests upon one who is wise, mighty, and wealthy”, and the Rambam reinterprets here: wise in its plain sense — a great sage. Mighty, the Rambam interprets not in its plain sense. He builds it upon the Mishnah “Who is mighty? One who conquers his inclination,” and the Rambam adds a bit more — not only that he’s in the middle of conquering, conquering his inclination, but rather he has already conquered.

Discussion: What About “Wealthy”?

Chavrusa 1: And now, what about wealthy? The Rambam skipped wealthy. We want to investigate and ask — the Rambam skipped wealthy here.

It could be that the Rambam interprets wealthy as the “broad understanding” (de’ah rechavah), which he expresses in terms of richness. I mean, the plain meaning of wealth is that he doesn’t need to come to people, that he has worries, that he needs favor from people.

Chavrusa 2: That’s “content with his lot” (same’ach bechelko).

Chavrusa 1: So wealthy — it could be that the Rambam indeed means that he has no material concerns dragging him down. That is, the worry of how to cover the bank drags him down, so he has a broad understanding. Because someone who worries about some trivial matter, it constricts his mind.

Chavrusa 2: So according to this interpretation as well, “understanding” (de’ah) doesn’t mean only knowledge, it means more of an understanding that has to do with character traits, like Laws of Character Traits (Hilchot De’ot). Not necessarily that he means the same Laws of Character Traits, but more of a matter of…

It’s very beautiful what you’re saying — that mighty is one who conquers his inclination, and he has already conquered. And the broad understanding is a person who has no worries about money — he has a broad understanding.

Chavrusa 1: How do we say that?

Chavrusa 2: Content with his lot.

The General Meaning of the Gemara

Chavrusa 1: One needs to understand that Gemara, that wealthy and of great stature means simply that he has nothing dragging him down. He is never afraid of anyone, because he is mighty, he is a strong person. That he has no things that take him away from his wisdom, because the main thing is the wisdom.

Chavrusa 2: That is apparently how the Rambam learned it.

Chavrusa 1: That is how the Rambam learned it.

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Halacha 2 – The Path to Prophecy

“Filled with All the Qualities… Physically Complete”

Chavrusa A: “A person who is filled with all these character traits” – a person who is filled with all these traits – “and he is physically complete”, he is physically complete. What does this mean? He needs to be physically complete?

This is apparently as the Almighty says plainly, just as the Rambam says in the Laws of Health, that a foundation of serving God is that a person should be healthy – because he won’t need to worry about his health, and he is always healthy, and he feels good.

And later we also see that it is very difficult on the body when sins are present, and we see later that prophecy (nevuah) is a very heavy experience. And the Almighty did say: a small laughing gift makes a large laughing gift.

“When he enters the Pardes” – Connection to the Previous Chapter

Chavrusa A: “And he is physically complete, and he is filled with all these character traits, when he enters the Pardes” – and we already know what the Pardes is. The Rambam said it at the end of the previous chapter. So this is truly a direct connection – the two chapters in between are something like that. He brought in the aforementioned Pardes.

“Veyimashekh” – Language of Duration

Chavrusa A: “And he is drawn into them” – very good, into that Pardes of – great and distant matters. We know everything that the Almighty created.

“Veyimashekh” – what does the word “veyimashekh” mean? He will extend himself. He means the language of duration – he will be engaged in such a matter for a long time. When “he is engaged in great and distant matters” – this means he won’t only be engaged in the small world, rather he will swim in his mind in distant, great worlds. This means he will think about the world of angels and so forth.

“Correct Knowledge to Understand and Grasp”

Chavrusa A: “And he will have correct knowledge to understand and grasp” – not only will he be drawn in. For this he needs to be a wise person (chakham). We’re not talking here about – both that he will spend much time engaged in this, and also that he will actually arrive at the correct understandings, because he has correct knowledge to understand and grasp. This apparently means that he succeeds – he will understand with his intellect, he can grasp everything that is happening.

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“And He Sanctifies Himself Continuously” – Separating from the Darkness of Time

Chavrusa A: “And he sanctifies himself continuously” – this apparently means, after he knows all these wise things, he sees the importance of what is truly important, and he begins more and more to disregard foolish things. He becomes sanctified, he becomes holy, he separates from simple matters.

He goes on to say: “And he continues and separates from the ways of the general populace who walk in the darkness of time” – he moves away from the concerns of the general populace. This perhaps has some connection – yesterday we learned that a Torah scholar (talmid chakham) doesn’t associate with an evildoer. Evildoers are those who walk in the darkness of time – they are the darkness, walking in darkness. Just as Proverbs (Mishlei) calls something “mellin” – they are not the true light of God, they are not the light of knowledge, they are in darkness. He moves away from all those people who drag one into the darkness of time, he moves further from that.

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“And He Continuously Spurs Himself” – Diligence Even After Perfection of Character

Chavrusa A: And what does he do? Rather, “and he continuously spurs himself” – he is always spurring himself on.

Chavrusa B: Interesting – even though he has already overcome his character traits, one still needs diligence (zerizut) the entire time.

Chavrusa A: Yes, very good. Because apparently the overcoming of character traits is a matter of perfection of character. Now he’s already speaking about the intellectual work, about contemplation (hitbonenut). This means it’s even more extra on his part here. Even after one has already been engaged for a long time, and one has already achieved a certain level – apparently one still needs to maintain diligence in very many things. It’s not about character traits, the diligence is more of a…

Chavrusa B: I want to say to Rabbi Yitzchak, that even if we won’t reach high levels, one still needs to work with this.

Chavrusa A: But the diligence here isn’t diligence meaning he shouldn’t be lazy. It means the diligence so that “he trains his soul” – these are further matters.

Chavrusa B: Yes. He pushes himself, one could say. He’s not satisfied, he doesn’t yet hold that he’s already grasped everything, rather he wants more and more all the time.

Chavrusa A: “And he trains his soul” – he teaches himself. “That he should have no thought at all in idle matters” – which idle matters? It’s an interesting expression. This means that even after he will have already arranged everything, he can still get stuck in the darkness of time with idle matters, and he still needs to train himself, train himself. He learns – it’s a very deep learning, it’s not like one learns the Four Chapters and already knows everything.

Chavrusa B: Yes, yes, yes.

Chavrusa A: And I’m correct that just as one is precise at the end of the Guide (Moreh), when the Rambam goes into the service a bit, he explains that even after knowing, there is the new work of focusing on what one knows, of being what one calls concentrated.

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“The Vanities of Time and Its Schemes” – Two Levels of Futility

Chavrusa A: And one should not have thoughts primarily in idle matters – “nor in the vanities of time and its schemes.” He should not think, he should not have even a thought in idle matters. Even if he doesn’t focus, he devotes himself to holy things, to great things – but even a thought in idle matters, and in the vanity of time and its schemes, pulls a person away.

Chavrusa B: This is for a prophet; for ordinary people one may not.

Chavrusa A: “The vanity of time and its schemes” is a bit of a piece – it appears to be a statement and its opposite. “The vanity of time” means the superficial things, but even the schemes – the schemes are already the deeper things, all the deep things in politics.

Chavrusa B: Yes, even greater facts, even greater facts, but still it’s the study of foolishness, it’s still foolishness.

Chavrusa A: I would say the Rambam would not agree with “the study of foolishness.” It’s a color shift, it’s even greater foolishness. The schemes of vanities are vanities, he says.

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“His Mind Is Always Free and Directed Upward” – What Does “Free” Mean?

Chavrusa A: Rather, what then? “His mind is always free and directed upward” – his mind is free (panui).

I’m thinking of an interesting thing here: even if he will have already grasped everything, he no longer needs to toil over a new thing, but he could think “I already understand everything, now I can make use of a bit of the vanity of time.” But then his mind is not free – his mind is not available to grasp more.

I think that “panui” means from the language of “poneh” (turning) – it turns upward, it is available upward to be able to grasp new things.

Chavrusa B: I think it’s more of a way… I don’t know, I think it’s more of a way.

Chavrusa A: I interpreted “panui” from the language of it turns upward, it turns, it is directed upward.

His mind is – the Rambam simply says that where a person thinks, that’s where he is. If you want to think his thoughts of time, the thoughts of the vanity of time – you want to know them, you knew yesterday, now you don’t know it. Yes, knowing doesn’t mean “I remember” – knowing means “I know it now.” And if so, consequently the prophet, the one who is perfecting himself in prophecy, he needs to accustom himself never to think about this world – he thinks only about what is above.

Chavrusa B: Okay, I think it means both – “panui” means that he has nothing else whatsoever that could distract his focus from above.

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“Bound Beneath the Throne” – What Does This Mean?

Chavrusa A: Here lie powerful words: “bound beneath the Throne.” It’s simply, it has something to do with “And the soul of my master shall be bound in the bundle of life”, or bound beneath…

It was beneath the Throne. Remember that beneath the Throne refers to the highest angels, yes?

Chavrusa B: No, I remember what it said in the Chumash Torah – that the Throne (Kisei) means the Almighty Himself, and the holy creatures (chayot hakodesh) are beneath the Throne, they are beneath the Almighty.

Chavrusa A: So “bound beneath the Throne” means that he is among the highest angels – his mind is among the highest angels.

But you’re simply right that this is a reference to the expressions found in the words of the Sages (Chazal), found in the verses, about the souls of the righteous that are beneath the Throne of Glory (Kisei HaKavod) and so forth.

And the Rambam says: how are they beneath the Throne of Glory? They are not physical bodies after all. The treasures of holiness that are in the Torah – it’s not a hint, it’s not a hint, it’s what the intellect does when it is not physical. The intellect is beneath the Throne, as it says in other places. And what can he do – he can contemplate the treasures of holiness of the Torah. That is what it means to be beneath the Throne. What does it mean to be beneath the Throne? It’s not something you can see after all, it’s not something you can see after all. All the levels.

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“Holy and Pure Forms” – Two Categories

Chavrusa A: Exactly, he thinks about the “holy and pure forms.” If I remember the previous chapter: “holy” refers to the celestial spheres (galgalim), and “pure” refers to the forms that have no matter at all. That’s how it seems to me when I learned earlier, the definition from before.

Chavrusa B: Yes.

“He Contemplates the Wisdom of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, in Its Entirety” – From the Highest to the Lowest

Chavrusa A: And “he contemplates the wisdom of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, in its entirety” – it’s very interesting, he doesn’t only look at the holy forms, rather he looks at the entire wisdom of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. He also doesn’t forget about the world.

He tells us: “From the first form” – from the first form, which means the highest angel, which is the purity of holiness – “to the navel of the earth”, to the center of the world. The navel – the navel of a person is the center of the world. Just as “the navel of the land” means the middle of the land. Down to the middle of the world. That is precisely the lowest place that has not yet been studied.

“And he knows from them” – from all these things he knows the greatness of the Holy One, Blessed Be He.

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“Immediately the Holy Spirit Rests Upon Him” – What Does “Holy Spirit” Mean Here?

Chavrusa A: “Immediately the Holy Spirit (ruach hakodesh) rests upon him” – then a Holy Spirit comes upon him.

The Holy Spirit is not yet prophecy – this is the thing that is closest to prophecy, one step before prophecy.

Chavrusa B: I disagree. Holy Spirit here means prophecy. The Rambam here creates contradictions – he says in other places…

Chavrusa A: It’s truly a different place.

Chavrusa B: Yes?

Discussion: What Does “Immediately” Mean?

Chavrusa A: It comes later, it appears that something comes after that… Did you see that it says?

Chavrusa B: No?

Chavrusa A: Immediately?

Chavrusa B: The Rambam has been saying the whole time earlier that one needs the Almighty to give him another step. You don’t see that here. Here it clearly says “immediately.”

Chavrusa A: The word “immediately” is very important to me.

Chavrusa B: Immediately?

Chavrusa A: Ah, I have, thank God, I have an answer to this. Right away. I think it’s not a contradiction. The Rambam holds, yes, that afterward he still needs to receive. But “immediately” – the Rambam says for example that one who has a majority of sins and fewer merits, immediately his death is upon him. And there “immediately” doesn’t mean he dies that very moment. Rather “immediately” can mean that he has already done everything he needs to do. It can still take a day until he receives the…

Chavrusa B: I think there it means he dies right away.

Chavrusa A: But he doesn’t die!

Chavrusa B: Perhaps you weren’t present at the discussion of majority of sins. The Rav is asking you a question.

Chavrusa A: It’s a good question, but the Rambam wrote it, he meant it literally. And there are those who learn in the Rambam that “immediately” doesn’t mean “right away at that instant,” as one says about “immediately” that it happens that very moment, rather “immediately” means that it’s already… Just as the Gemara says, “lacking time is not necessarily lacking an action.”

Chavrusa B: Yes, but I disagree. Exactly, I disagree with your interpretation of the Rambam there. Because it seems clear to me that one is analyzing here. Here he says the whole thing that you brought in from another place is a problem that exists in another place. Here it doesn’t say that at all.

The Rambam wrote for people who only learn this, who only see this. The Rambam says that one can also not receive prophecy. Later we will see. Until now this is what was written. So I don’t know, perhaps we should look further.

Speaker 2: You’re right that where the Rambam says that the Holy Spirit rests upon him, perhaps it consists of various levels. One needs to know, perhaps according to contemplation there will be Holy Spirit and so forth. But here it doesn’t say that “and immediately the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will decide and send him prophecy.” It says he receives Holy Spirit.

But actually, even in the – the jump here is very hard to say even practically, because you don’t know when the person has already reached this level. This is after all a long process of work, the “sanctifying himself continuously, continuously sanctifying himself.” The Rambam goes on and on at length. You don’t know which moment it is when he has already finished striving in his thought, and then the Holy Spirit rests upon him.

Discussion: Whether the Holy Spirit Is a Separate Stage After Wisdom

Speaker 1: It’s not two levels! It’s not two levels! This is – “immediately” doesn’t mean some specific time when it happened. Rather the person has agreed to all these things and has arrived at some level of perfection. We don’t know when the perfection is, that he already knows everything about the Holy One, Blessed Be He? It’s not knowing! It’s the Holy Spirit resting upon him!

Speaker 2: I don’t know. I also don’t know if it’s even another stage. It could be that the knowledge of everything is itself the Holy Spirit. I’m not sure that it’s another stage.

Yes, it could be that one receives additional knowledge. Once again, one receives things further – whoever learns sees that one receives additional knowledge every time one learns. I don’t see the great novelty (chiddush). There is Holy Spirit at every level. At every level, according to how he sanctifies himself, how he focuses on this, he receives Holy Spirit. I say the opposite, I say that the “immediately” is…

Speaker 1: And you’re saying “immediately” means a prophet, or the wisdom is a prophet?

Speaker 2: I see that it’s certainly that, to believe that he works at it. And he doesn’t seem to me – I don’t see the problem with it. I’ll let him see that these words ring true in my ear. Certainly, one doesn’t need to sanctify oneself, as it were, but I don’t see the complication here. I think you feel – you’re making simple things complicated. Or you’re already coming from there, according to my understanding of what you’re getting at.

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Halakha 3: “And He Smelled the Fear of God” — “And His Soul Mingled with the Level of Angels”

The Expression “And He Smelled”

Speaker 1: Look one more time further, “And he smelled the fear of God.” The expression “and he smelled” is an interesting expression. Also “his gift” – the plain meaning is that he merited a gift (teshurah), he had a gift bestowed upon him. He felt a certain fragrance that came upon him, a certain light of wisdom, light of intellect.

“And His Soul Mingled with the Level of Angels Called Ishim”

Then his soul became intermingled – what happens then is his soul mingles with the level of the angels called Ishim. His soul becomes mixed in. The partition that exists between humans and the angels falls away, as it were. He now arrives at the level, at the rank of the angels called Ishim. Because this is the lowest level of them, as we learned. That is precisely why they are called Ishim, because they are close to the level of human beings.

> Novel insight (chiddush): Here you see even deeper, that the person who is a prophet is not merely close – he is intermingled, he has the same level as the angel.

Matter and Form – Why the Prophet Can Reach the Level of Angels

I think the reason why he can have the same level as the angel is because the reason why we cannot be like an angel is because we are a combination of form and intellect and body, or matter and form (chomer v’tzurah). Here, the person has destroyed and beaten down his matter in so many ways, and he has strengthened his form in so many ways, consequently he has already arrived at the lowest level of Ishim, which is also entirely form without matter.

> Novel insight: The person has nullified his matter.

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“And He Was Transformed into a Different Person” – He Becomes a New Person

The Rambam’s Expression

Speaker 1: “And he was transformed into a different person” – and he is transformed into a different person, and not the same person he was before.

Very good, because we learned in the fourth chapter that the true definition of a person — there are two aspects of a person. There is a person of “dust from the ground” (afar min ha’adamah) who dies, and there is a new type of person where a person has a soul (neshama), where he has knowledge (da’at), he is similar to an angel (domeh l’malakh). He literally became an “other man” (ish acher). He is the new man, he is the man about whom it says “and his form is that of the King, God” (v’tzuro melekh Elokim).

Speaker 2: The form of God (tzurat Elokim), amazing, yes.

Discussion: Does “And He Was Transformed Into Another Man” Point to a Specific Moment?

Speaker 1: “And he was transformed into another man” (vayehafekh l’ish acher) — the simple meaning is the simple meaning. I think there’s something more here. I think this also has to do with what we just strengthened ourselves in, that there is indeed a certain moment. The meaning isn’t that it’s all levels, that he keeps getting better and better. No, he knows when the change happened. Somewhere a shift occurred.

You think that because he’s a great sage (chakham), a shift happened? No, he is now an entirely different person, he is a different level (madreiga).

So he says clearly: “And he knows in his own mind that he is not as he was before, but rather that he has been elevated above the level of all other wise people” (v’yode’a b’da’ato she’eino k’mot sheha’ya, ela shenitaleh al ma’alat she’ar bnei adam hachakhamim). He has become even higher than the level of all other wise people.

“As it says regarding Saul” (k’mo shene’emar b’Shaul) — so it says clearly in the verse regarding King Saul: “And you shall prophesy with them and be transformed into another man” (v’hitnabita imam v’nehpakhta l’ish acher) (I Samuel 10:6). With the other prophets, a band of prophets that he encountered there. Samuel told Saul that he would meet there a band of prophets, a group of prophets, “and you shall prophesy with them” (v’hitnabita imam), and he would become “transformed into another man” (v’nehpakhta l’ish acher) — he would be turned into a new person.

Speaker 2: Very good, that’s a good verse, very — literally the same language that the Rambam used, that he becomes a new person. “And you shall be transformed into another man” (v’nehpakhta l’ish acher).

Discussion: “Immediately” — Is There a Clear Distinction Between Wisdom and Divine Inspiration?

Speaker 1: But I think it does have to do with what you’re saying, with “he knows that divine inspiration (ruach hakodesh) rests upon him.” As you say, that when one reaches all that wisdom, it is divine inspiration. But I think that here there is a certain moment when one has graduated from wisdom and entered into something called divine inspiration. And the Rambam says that this is a very clear distinction, and the person knows: “I have completed all the levels of wisdom, and now I have entered from the fifty gates of understanding (chamishim sha’arei binah) to the gate of divine inspiration.”

Speaker 2: But you’re right that it says from the language “not all like the rest of the sages,” which is where you drew your inference.

But I don’t see from the whole focus that the problem the Rambam has is entirely the problem that you — I see that you’re struggling with this, that you have prophecies and you’re not sure that it’s real, maybe it’s just a perception. That’s just a spark. I don’t see that this is a real problem.

I think the Rambam in other places talks about this, other people talk about this. But I feel that the Rambam wants — very practically relevant, when the sage had wisdom, does that obligate other people.

I feel that — but I don’t see that this came just to solve the problem essentially of a prophet. I feel that it came to say this: that there is a type of person, that the prophet is a level for a person, a new man. He is another man (ish acher). Just as in the Laws of Repentance (Hilkhot Teshuva) the Rambam also said that the person is a different person — and he was changed and abhorrent, now he is a new person. And a person can become a new person in several ways.

Question: Can One Lose Prophecy?

Speaker 2: And I’m just thinking whether one also stops being a prophet — meaning, when the person falls from his level, does he also know in his mind that he is no longer at that level. One needs to think about this.

Question: “Of Strong Stature” — What Happens When the Prophet Gets Old?

Speaker 2: And I also thought about this — that prophecy only rests upon a person who is mighty and of strong stature (ba’al komah). Does this mean that when he gets old he loses it? Or it just needs to initially be when he is strong, because then he has no limitations. But when he starts getting old, will he lose it?

Speaker 1: And the prophets — it still worked.

Speaker 2: No, not because his eye worked, but because his prophecy worked.

Moses (Moshe Rabbeinu) — A Different Category Entirely

Speaker 2: Because Moses didn’t simply have those limitations.

Speaker 1: It says that Moses was of strong stature, and had he not been of strong stature —

Speaker 2: No, that needs to be — it’s a category of its own. But he lived in a body, he needed to have a body. But what I mean to say is that only the prophets who have all these conditions — that the prophet comes together with the power of imagination (ko’ach hadimyon) etc. — but Moses was of a different category entirely, that needed to be seen already.

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Law 4: “The Prophets Are of Various Levels”

The Rambam’s Words

Speaker 1: Now, let’s — now there’s another section 4 by me, I know by you it’s a different section, and I’m holding it’s already section 4. In the printed Rambam it’s section 4.

Now the Rambam says — I have an introduction, I’ll ask why I’m the one presenting. Well, but the Rambam — until now we don’t know what the essence of prophecy is. You’re right that many details are missing here, and this is part of the details that the Rambam himself is going to complete.

“Just as in Wisdom There Is a Sage Greater Than His Fellow, So in Prophecy There Is a Prophet Greater Than Another Prophet”

The Rambam says: “The prophets are of various levels” (haneviim ma’alot ma’alot hen). There are various — they already learned that “levels upon levels” (ma’alot ma’alot) doesn’t mean that one stands on steps, it means — just as it is said regarding angels. There are levels of angels, and there are levels of prophets.

And the Rambam uses another analogy. The Rambam says: “Just as in wisdom there is a sage greater than his fellow, so in prophecy there is a prophet greater than another prophet” (k’mo sheyesh b’chokhmah chakham gadol mechaveiro, kakh binvu’ah navi gadol minavi).

> Novel insight (chiddush): A very interesting insight. I think that before the Rambam, if I remember correctly, nobody says this. There isn’t a clear — perhaps there are sources. Certainly it’s built on sources, the Rambam understood it. But the Rambam makes a comparison: when you say that two people are sages, must it be that both are exactly the same sages? No, there is a sage — both are in the category of sages, but one is more of a sage than the other. So too when you say prophet, it can be that one prophet is more of a prophet than another.

Novel Insight: Levels in Prophecy Show That Prophecy Is a Perfection of the Person

Speaker 2: You need to understand, this only works if one understands that prophecy is, at least in some sense, a perfection of a person. If prophecy simply means that God speaks, there are no levels in a prophet. God speaks, or God doesn’t speak — it’s one of two things. If prophecy is…

Speaker 1: True, the Sages (Chazal) say that Samuel was the greatest prophet.

Speaker 2: True, true. But the Rambam, I think, formulates it very strongly.

Discussion: What Is the Difference Between Prophets?

Speaker 2: That’s one thing — it has first of all to do with levels.

Speaker 1: Now, you’re saying an interesting thing, that the difference in level is not in what he received, but in the person himself — he is not the same, and not a bit that he is a carrier prophet.

Speaker 2: It could be that, for example, the greater prophet will know more precisely about the world, or more parts of reality and the like. It could be, but not in where he gets it from. Prophecy means that he receives information from God — that can’t change. Perhaps it could be which information, or how clear it is.

It could also be how well he conveys it, because he receives it in a certain vision, and the masters have explained in chapter 30 that one should see it in certain parables. It could — that’s what it’s going into now.

The Main Goal: The Distinction Between the Prophecy of Moses and the Other Prophets

Speaker 1: I think the main reason, or one of the main reasons the Rambam wants — the main levels of prophecy that the Rambam wants to divide here, as we will see in the third half of the chapter, is the distinction between the prophecy of Moses and the other prophets.

Rambam, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, Chapter 7 — Levels of Prophecy and the Distinction of the Prophecy of Moses

The Distinction Between the Prophecy of Moses and Other Prophets — Introduction

Speaker 1: He’s now going to transfer the analogy into a concrete matter. One needs to — he was also driven by a wisdom of a venture. But until now in the Rambam we haven’t yet spoken about conveying to others. He’s still speaking about between him and his Creator, between him and the prophet.

Now, we’re going to see the main point. I think that one of the main reasons the Rambam wants, as we’re going to see in the third half of the chapter, is the distinction between the prophecy of Moses and other prophets. From my perspective, for a Jew who follows halakha, what he’s going to say. But before he gets to that, before the distinction of levels between Moses and other prophets, he’s going to go through in a somewhat straightforward way — what various levels exist between one prophet and another, not regarding the prophecy of Moses.

Moses — An Entirely Different Category

Speaker 1: He says at home like this, first of all — it’s obvious, I’m not surprised — but Moses is entirely different categories. All prophets are the same in the same category, just a higher level. Moses is a different thing, or as he is not among the angels — he is above that one.

Speaker 2: I still built on what a prophet means is what it means, and in a certain way both are prophets. But it’s true, it’s a completely different category of prophet.

“By a Shared Name” (B’shem Meshutaf) — The Rambam’s Approach

Speaker 1: But I remember, the Rambam says somewhere that Moses is called a prophet by a shared name (b’shem meshutaf), but he is a thing unto himself.

Speaker 2: True, true, but it’s important that “by a shared name” means it’s not the same meaning — the word “prophet” (navi) doesn’t have the same meaning regarding Moses as it does regarding other prophets.

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Law 4 — The Manner of Prophecy for Other Prophets: In a Dream at Night

Speaker 1: The Rambam says: All prophets see prophecy at night when they sleep. Or during the day, after a deep sleep falls upon them (achar shetipol aleihem tardeimah) — so it shouldn’t necessarily be at night, but they should be in a dream when they fall asleep, and he sees.

There’s an interesting expression — “a vision of the night” (chazon halailah) — which I just want to note. It’s like a vision of the night: during the day one sees with the eyes, at night one sees with the imagination.

Speaker 2: No, no. “Night” (lailah) is the dream.

Speaker 1: If during the day, after a deep sleep falls upon them — also with imagination.

So, what does the verse say? “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream” (im yihyeh nevi’akhem Hashem, b’marah elav etvada, bachalome adaber bo) — the verse that speaks of the distinction between Moses and other prophets. “Vision” (marah) means a vision during the day, and “dream” (chalom) — a dream at night. That’s the one thing.

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Law 5 — The Body’s Strength Fails During Prophecy

Speaker 1: The second thing is: “And all the prophets, when they prophesy, their limbs tremble” (v’khol haneviim k’shemitnab’im, eivreihem mizdaz’in) — their limbs shake, become trembling. “And the body’s strength fails” (v’ko’ach haguf koshel) — their body collapses. “And their thoughts become confused” (v’eshtanoteihem mitarfot) — that’s three ways of saying the same thing.

“The Mind Is Free” (Da’at Penuyah) — Free From, Not Free To

Speaker 1: Here it does say: “And the mind remains free to understand what it sees” (v’tisha’er hada’at penuyah l’havin mah shetireh) — and the mind is free, they can perceive the things.

Speaker 2: Why does he interpret it this way? Not “free to,” but “free from.” Right? “Free” (penuyah) means — since his body isn’t working, usually a person’s mind, a part of it goes to keeping track of his body, keeping track of what’s going on with the body. When the body is broken down, then his mind is free — penuyah — to understand the things.

Comparison to Sleep

Speaker 2: It’s interesting, a small note. Earlier in chapter 2, when the Rambam said that when a person begins to perceive the greatness of God, it’s also similar to trembling. It says: he recoils backward and is frightened (nirta l’achorav v’nifchad). There’s a beginning — you can say that the smallest level when a person suddenly becomes a person is when he begins to understand a little, but one must always be trembling. That’s the similarity.

But that’s for a different reason. Here the reason is: since, as you’ve been saying the whole time, the material, the thoughts of the body, and the Rambam says here at the beginning — thoughts of the body prevent thinking about prophecy. Since at the time prophecy occurs, his body breaks down, he can’t think about it.

Here he means “the mind is free” (da’at penuyah) — it’s empty, because the body doesn’t bother him. Because usually a person has dreams about things of his body, experiences of the body. That’s what I told you — he’s not talking about the dreams, he’s talking about the fact that a person usually can’t dream, because his mind is busy controlling his body.

You know that when one sleeps, for example, the part of the brain that usually controls the body doesn’t work, the disconnection doesn’t work. Otherwise, when a person dreams, his hand would move every time it moves in the dream. But there is — okay, that’s not the topic now.

But in any case, that’s the point. I mean to say, not specifically that he can think spiritual things. In a dream one doesn’t see abstract matters (devarim mufshatim), right? The point of a dream is that he is free from thinking. All day you have to keep in mind where am I, where am I going — you can’t even dream well. Here you can, your mind is free (penuyah) to be able to understand what he sees. So says the Rambam.

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Proofs from Verses — Abraham and Daniel

Speaker 1: “As it says regarding Abraham” (k’mo shene’emar b’Avraham) — and he brings two proofs that show it is so.

One, regarding Abraham it says: “And behold, a great dark dread fell upon him” (v’hineh eimah chasheikhah gedolah nofelet alav) — he fell into a great darkness. This means, apparently the Rambam means, not that he saw nothing — that he was physically nothing, one saw nothing at all.

Or “as it says regarding Daniel: ‘My splendor was turned upon me to corruption, and I retained no strength'” (k’mo shene’emar b’Daniel: v’hodi nehpakh alai l’mashchit v’lo atzarti ko’ach) — my splendor, meaning my what? My beauty, my body, became disgusting, corrupted — it looked as if his body had deteriorated. “And I retained no strength” (v’lo atzarti ko’ach) — he had no strength to do anything.

So, these are two conditions of how prophecy affects the body of the person.

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Discussion: How Does the Prophet Know He Is Receiving Prophecy?

Speaker 1: I think that from here there is also a bit of proof for what we discussed earlier. Earlier he said that the person knows that he is not the same person. If so many physical sensations occur, he certainly knows. Regarding this I think that earlier he said that he has already reached a level where he can receive prophecy. The actual prophetic vision (mareh hanevuah) is already an entire event — so he certainly knows that he is receiving prophecy.

Speaker 2: I will perhaps disagree with you, because before that, in fact, because I learned it differently before. Because you’re still worried about this — who says it’s prophecy? Maybe I’m fantasizing! I can fantasize, one can make a golem, it says in the Otzarot. This hasn’t solved the problem.

What it says earlier is not that this is a belief — he has a sign, he sees that he collapsed, so he knows it was a prophecy? People collapse and simply had an attack of I don’t know what.

So I think the knowledge that is mentioned earlier is a very internal knowledge. That knowledge is not a proof, because who says you know? I told you, I don’t see that it solved that problem. That problem is an entirely different kind of problem. What the Rambam says earlier is an actual thing, it’s an intellectual thing. It’s not that it’s… because one didn’t want — it’s not from, in other words, not from the fact that his limbs collapsed do I learn that he knows. He knows from what he knows. I disagree with you, it’s a disagreement (machloket).

Speaker 1: But what I’m bringing up from here is that prophecy is not just another level of knowing, but it’s an event, something that happens.

Speaker 2: It looks like there is an event. After the person has reached a level that we don’t know, something happens, a certain event, a very specific one — not a level of knowledge that is called prophecy, but after he has the level of knowledge, something happens…

Speaker 1: No, but that, you know, that makes it worse, not better. Because visions are not — that doesn’t make — those are just visions.

Speaker 2: But what kind of visions? Not visions that happen to an ordinary person, but the visions that happen to him — the wisdom — that is the prophecy.

Speaker 1: No, I understand, I understand. The same vision happens to another person, he’s not a prophet, because that person is not a prophet. The vision…

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What Makes Prophecy True? – Visions Alone Are Not Prophecy

Speaker 2: I just want to move forward because it’s taking a bit too long, but I want to finish this. You need to remember that the prophecy of Moses (nevuat Moshe) doesn’t fall into all these categories. What you’re talking about is at the very least – the prophecy of Moses.

And secondly, even regarding the other prophets, on this point I think a bit differently. It says “da’at penuyah le-havin mah she-tireh” – “a mind free to understand what it sees” – yes? That is, to see visions (mar’ot), that is a matter of the imaginative faculty (koach ha-dimyon). That’s not a great – it’s not a proof. I know many people who fall into trances and see visions (chezyonot), and they are still not prophets. Why? Because their visions are not true.

What’s the difference? Visions, visions are not the sign. We specifically, most of us are not accustomed to seeing visions. It’s not such an uncommon thing among us – it happens very often. And also in other places, and also – don’t tell anyone – in America it happens too. You can take drugs and see visions. Now, that’s very clear.

The difference that you have – that opens it up, but it still doesn’t make it true. What makes a prophet a true prophet is the content of the prophecy, or the source of the prophecy. You can say that it’s perhaps the same thing, or perhaps two things, but it comes from God. And that is the inner essence (penimiyut), that is what makes it prophecy.

These are all external aspects (tzedadim chitzoniyim). Since most people are focused on their body, therefore the only way they can see the truth is when their body falls away, and the like. But it still doesn’t mean that this makes it prophecy.

The Difference Between a Prophet and a Fool Who Sees Visions

Speaker 2: On the other hand, there are things, because one can learn differently “le-havin mah she-tireh” – “to understand what you see.” It already states that visions are powerful things, but fools have no tool whatsoever to be able to derive anything from them at all. A prophet can take a vision and see the message in it – he can understand “le-havin mah she-tireh.” It could be.

Because the essential inner aspect of prophecy (ikkar penim ha-nevuah) is in the inner content and not in Moses our teacher. True, true. I’m saying that we are more – our great work (avodah) is in the inner content. We become very impressed with the stories of visions, but it’s not really impressive.

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Halacha 6 – By Way of Parable They Inform Him

Speaker 1: Okay, now, do you want to learn? Go ahead.

Speaker 2: By way of parable, the Rambam says: “Ha-devarim she-modi’in la-navi be-mar’eh ha-nevuah, derech mashal modi’in lo” – “The things that are communicated to the prophet in the prophetic vision, they communicate to him by way of parable.”

Speaker 1: Here too “they communicate to the prophet” – nobody says it’s not communicated, I didn’t say nobody says that. It’s like person to person, not person to world.

Speaker 2: That’s not what it says. Now you’re adding something that it doesn’t say, right? “Person” – I don’t mean specifically a person, but a being, a personality, a being to a person.

Speaker 1: So what is it then? From God!

Speaker 2: Not wisdom (chochmah), not just wisdom.

Speaker 1: What is wisdom? Wisdom is from God, but it’s direct. It’s God sending him a message.

Speaker 2: Wisdom is more direct than prophecy.

Speaker 1: Okay, no, okay, okay. It doesn’t say that, all those things don’t say that.

The Parable and Its Interpretation

Speaker 2: “Ha-devarim she-modi’in la-navi be-mar’eh ha-nevuah, derech mashal modi’in lo. U-miyad yechakek be-libo pitron ha-mashal be-mar’eh ha-nevuah, ve-yeda mah hu.” – “The things communicated to the prophet in the prophetic vision are communicated by way of parable. And immediately the interpretation of the parable is engraved in his heart during the prophetic vision, and he knows what it is.” The Rambam already said this earlier too, at the beginning of Sefer ha-Madda he also said these words – by way of parable. Immediately when he sees the parable, the interpretation of the parable is also engraved in his heart – what the meaning (nimshal) of the parable is, what he saw in the prophetic vision, and he knows what it is.

> Novel point (chiddush): A prophet who doesn’t know the interpretation of his own prophecy is not a prophet.

Discussion: How Does the Prophet Receive the Interpretation?

Speaker 1: My question is, when I learned this I wanted to understand – does he also receive the interpretation through prophecy, or does the prophecy enable him through his wisdom?

Speaker 2: I think that his wisdom produces the interpretation for him. He sees a vision, and the tremendous wisdom that he has makes him…

Speaker 1: This is all built on your funny idea that there’s a distinction, a real distinction between wisdom and prophecy.

Speaker 2: And that’s a basic distinction.

Speaker 1: What it says here is that he sees the interpretation just like – let’s not say – just like someone sees a diagram that was made to explain something. The diagram explained it to him, but through the diagram he knows it – he doesn’t know it in the diagram, he knows it in his heart.

Speaker 2: So, the prophet’s knowledge included both things at once. It includes both the interpretation and the vision – not that he receives a vision and then goes to figure out the interpretation.

Continuation of Chapter 7, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah – Parable and Meaning in Prophecy, Conditions of Joy and Solitude

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Continuation of Discussion: How Does the Prophet Receive the Interpretation of the Parable?

The Parable and Its Meaning Come Together – The Approach of R’ Yitzchak

R’ Yitzchak: No. And the tremendous wisdom that he has – this is all built on your funny idea that there’s a distinction, a real distinction between wisdom and prophecy. A very basic distinction. What it says here is that he sees the interpretation just like – let’s not say – just like someone sees a diagram that was made to explain something. The diagram explained it to him, but still, the diagram he knows, it’s not in the diagram – he knows it in his heart.

So the knowledge of prophecy (yedi’at ha-nevuah) included both things at once. It includes both the interpretation and the vision. Not that he receives a vision and wakes up in the morning, like a dream – that’s a dream not from a prophet, right? He wakes up in the morning and looks for a dream interpreter. Or the reverse, someone who is just a writer who has an idea, and he looks for which parable he can use to explain it. Both of these things the Rambam does not say about a prophet.

The Concept of “Immediately” (Miyad) in the Context of Parable/Meaning

Chavruta: One needs to know, it says here “miyad”, meaning immediately. Because if “miyad” means immediately, it means that while he’s still sleeping, he already has the engraving (chakikah). Or perhaps one should say it’s not meant literally – when he sleeps he has a vision, he has a parable, and with his tremendous power of wisdom (koach ha-chochmah) he knows exactly what to do with the parable.

R’ Yitzchak: No, I disagree, because then the Rambam says “miyad” – immediately. I know that you understand the distinction in the meaning of “miyad” from earlier.

But it’s all fine, everything fits here according to your approach. So the listeners, the students of the shiur, will be able to understand according to R’ Yitzchak’s approach of learning, and others – one can send in comments. One needs to look at the other formulations of the Rambam, which will make sense shortly. As soon as one sees the language of “miyad” in the Rambam, it’s “miyad” literally.

You’re right, if “miyad” simply means that in the dream he already receives the engraving. But regarding Jacob it says “Va-yikatz Yaakov mi-shenato va-yomer mah nora” – “And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘How awesome!'” Wait a minute, he’s going to bring the examples. Yes, let’s talk in a second when he’s going to give the examples. And we’ll discuss the engraving then.

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The Other Side: The Prophet Uses His Wisdom for the Interpretation

Chavruta: What I think this means is that he sees the vision, and when he wakes up, he uses his power of wisdom to know the meaning (nimshal).

R’ Yitzchak: But R’ Yitzchak said no, that he receives a parable together with a meaning.

Question: Why Doesn’t the Prophet Just Receive the Meaning Alone?

Chavruta: But it’s hard for me to understand, because if he receives the parable together with the meaning, why doesn’t he just receive the meaning alone?

R’ Yitzchak: Because most people don’t understand a parable without a meaning, including the prophet.

Chavruta: He receives the parable in order to be able to transmit it.

R’ Yitzchak: In order to be able to understand it! He understands it through the parable. It’s not that he understands it – they’re not two separate things.

Just as I gave you the example earlier of an illustration, yes? If you understand a little bit of the structure (nusach), I make you a chart, which is like a kind of parable. Now you understand it, yes? The chart will speak to you, the chart will convey to you the flow (mahalach) of the Talmudic discussion (sugya). The chart gave it to you, but the content of the understanding is not the chart – the content of the understanding is the inner comprehension, the actual understanding.

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Examples of Parables in Prophecy – The Rambam’s List

Jacob’s Ladder

R’ Yitzchak: Let’s see a bit further. The prophecy of Jacob was indeed exactly as he says, because Jacob went to sleep, he was in a nighttime dream (chalom ha-laylah).

Question: Jacob’s Prophecy During a Time of Distress

And it’s a bit interesting, because earlier we saw that he needs to be very calm. Jacob had his prophecy while running, while fleeing.

Chavruta: But that was Jacob our forefather who was on such a level (madreigah), he was complete (shalem) even when he was in the midst of troubles.

R’ Yitzchak: No, I said, the Rambam lays down that it needs to be more general – he needs to be strong (gibor) so that no one disturbs him, he needs to be a wise person (chacham). Jacob our forefather was fleeing. Okay, continue.

The Rambam’s Interpretation of Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob our forefather saw the ladder in Parshat Vayetzei, and he sees there angels ascending and descending on it. The Rambam says this is a parable. And what does the Rambam say it’s a parable for? The Rambam says: “Ve-hu ha-mashal le-malchuyot ve-shi’budan” – “And this is the parable for kingdoms and their subjugation” – the angels ascending and descending are a parable for kingdoms that rise and kingdoms that fall.

This is the one Midrash that exists on this, that he saw four angels going up, and – sorry – that each kingdom goes up and down, ascending and descending, and this showed him that the Jews go up and don’t come down. This is like the end of the dreams of Daniel, where one sees that the kings fell, but the Jews remain eternally strong.

Question: The Ladder as a Parable for Angels or Kingdoms?

Chavruta: I’ve seen some who ask that in other places the Rambam says the ladder is a parable for angels. And there are those who say that angels and kingdoms also have a connection, because certain kingdoms symbolize certain angels, or angels are like – there is a ministering angel (malach ha-memuneh) over a certain kingdom.

The Living Creatures (Chayot) of Ezekiel

R’ Yitzchak: “Ve-chen ha-chayot she-ra’ah Yechezkel” – “And similarly the living creatures that Ezekiel saw” – the well-known prophecy of the Chariot (nevuat ha-merkavah) of Ezekiel. I think the Rambam already mentioned this as well earlier…

Chavruta: The Rambam already told us what the meaning of the living creatures is, right? He said they are parables.

R’ Yitzchak: No, he already said in chapter 2 or 1 that the living creatures are the first angels.

Chavruta: Ah, he saw the angels?

R’ Yitzchak: The first angel is called “chayot.” The living creatures of Ezekiel, for which Ezekiel also received the meaning.

The Boiling Pot and the Almond Branch – Jeremiah

And Jeremiah the prophet saw a boiling pot (sir nafuach), a hot pot, and he saw an almond branch (makel shaked), and immediately afterward it says that God told Jeremiah – there is the one who delivers the prophecy (ha-menabei), the one who says the prophecy to Jeremiah – tells him: “Makel shaked ki shoked ani” – “An almond branch, for I am watching” – something where God tells him it alludes to exile and such things.

The Flying Scroll and the Ephah

And the scroll that Ezekiel saw (megillah she-ra’ah Yechezkel) – Ezekiel the prophet, besides the living creatures, saw a flying scroll (megillah afah). And the ephah that Zechariah saw (eifah she-ra’ah Zechariah) – Zechariah saw a certain vessel that was the measure of an ephah, which women carry into the sky.

Summary of the Examples

All these things – the prophets saw a certain vision, a certain parable, and to this they either, as R’ Yitzchak learns, received the meaning immediately, or they derived the meaning from the parable.

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Three Categories of How Prophets Convey Their Prophecy (Halacha 7)

The Rambam’s Distinction

R’ Yitzchak: Now – “Ve-chen she’ar ha-nevi’im, yesh mehem omrim ha-mashal u-fitrono kemo eleh” – “And similarly the rest of the prophets, some of them state the parable and its interpretation like these” – it says that when they speak to Jews, when prophets speak to Jews, as in the books of Prophets (Nevi’im) and Writings (Ketuvim), there are times when the prophet tells us what he saw, and afterward they tell the interpretation. Just as “these” refers to the boiling pot and the almond branch, where the parable and the meaning are clearly stated. You see clearly that this is how it works.

“Ve-yesh mehem omrim ha-pitron bilvad” – “And some of them state only the interpretation” – sometimes there are prophets who don’t tell us about the parable, they just tell us certain words of moral instruction, “Thus says God,” what’s going to happen, and they don’t tell us that he saw this with a different parable – they tell us only the interpretation, which is the practical relevance.

“Ve-yesh mehem omrim ha-mashal bilvad belo pitron, ve-zeh rov divrei Yechezkel u-Zechariah” – “And some of them state only the parable without the interpretation, and this is most of the words of Ezekiel and Zechariah” – where they tell us only the parable and don’t tell us the meaning.

Discussion: Jacob’s Ladder – Which Category?

Chavruta: But he hasn’t yet mentioned Jacob’s ladder, he only said…

R’ Yitzchak: He doesn’t say that. But it also doesn’t say that Jacob states the reason – it only says that the Torah tells us the story.

Chavruta: True.

R’ Yitzchak: Ah, perhaps he means prophets… Others were prophets in the sense that they were emissaries to speak to Jews, and Jacob is not understood as speaking to Jews.

Chavruta: Okay.

The Principle: “And All of Them Prophesy by Way of Parable and Riddle”

R’ Yitzchak: The Rambam says: “Ve-chulam be-mashal u-derech chidah hem mitnab’im” – “And all of them prophesy by way of parable and riddle” – the meaning is also that in the verse one doesn’t always see that it’s a parable and riddle with the interpretation, but what they saw was a parable in the manner of a riddle.

Chavruta: True. And conversely – even the prophet where only the parable is recorded, you shouldn’t think that the prophet didn’t know the meaning. He just didn’t write it down, he didn’t consider it necessary to write it down.

Discussion: What Does “By Way of Parable and Riddle” Mean – What Does the Prophet See, and What Does He Add?

R’ Yitzchak: I’m saying that what they see is the parable and riddle, and the interpretation is what they add.

Chavruta: But… it’s still open. I’m saying that his language somewhat implies this.

R’ Yitzchak: There’s no contradiction, because I’m also telling you that what he sees, through a riddle the prophet sees, but for him something is missing. There’s no contradiction.

And I think, the way I learn it, one can understand a bit why it’s necessary to be a tremendous sage (chacham), and afterward one can receive prophecy, because it could be that even an ordinary person could have seen the parable, but an ordinary person could never have added to it an interpretation, an interpretation of the meaning.

An Interesting Irony in the Dispute

Chavruta: You know there’s a very funny thing about your interpretation? Because you’ve been disagreeing with me the whole time, where I tend more toward explaining that prophecy is a perfection of the person who attains something, and you say that no, God sends it. Then when it comes to the parable you’re on my side. You say the prophet only sees a parable, God only sends a picture, and the prophet figures out the meaning, and for that he needs to be wise. It turns out that the essential content of prophecy according to your interpretation – you’re entirely on my side, that the prophet through his wisdom is what determines it.

R’ Yitzchak: No, I wouldn’t say it’s the essential part. It could be that the vision (chazon) is the essential part, because he receives a piece of information, a piece of message, that another human being cannot receive. And because he is such a great sage, he also finds the words for how to convey this to the people, and it could be that it’s for bringing it out in practice.

Chavruta: Okay, okay. The audience should consider whether this is the approach of R’ Yosef Albo or perhaps one shouldn’t make it into a systematic approach. Or one should ask if anyone knows of a prophet, of a son of a prophet, a person with divine inspiration (ruach ha-kodesh).

R’ Yitzchak: Ah, the Rambam we won’t go console.

Chavruta: We’ll continue saying the Rambam.

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Halacha 8: “All the Prophets Cannot Prophesy Whenever They Wish” – The Conditions of Joy and Solitude

The Rambam’s Principle

R’ Yitzchak: The Rambam continues – another interesting principle. Yes.

“Kol ha-nevi’im ein mitnab’im be-chol et she-yirtzu” – “All the prophets cannot prophesy whenever they wish” – even those who are already at the level of prophecy, they cannot prophesy whenever they want. Rather, what then? They need to prepare themselves.

– “Mechavnim da’atam” – they focus, they direct their mind focused on the matter.

– “Ve-yoshvim semechim ve-tovei lev” – they sit, simply when one needs to be able to fall asleep, yes? And not collapse. They don’t need to collapse into a trance (nirdemah). They sit, but they must be joyful and good-hearted.

– “U-mitbodedim” – they must not be bothered by other people, and they need to be joyful and good-hearted.

Joy as a Condition for Prophecy

Chavruta: That’s a wondrous thing.

R’ Yitzchak: What’s wondrous to you about it?

Chavruta: That one must be in a state of joy (simchah). Joy is a condition here.

R’ Yitzchak: “For prophecy does not rest upon a person from a state of sadness nor from a state of laziness, but rather from a state of joy” — very good. Prophecy cannot come upon a person when he is in sadness, because sadness drags him down, and not from laziness, but rather from joy.

The Verse About the Sons of the Prophets

Therefore, it says in the verse: “the sons of the prophets (bnei ha-nevi’im)” — the sons of the prophets means the students of the prophets — “before them” — the Rambam is going to explain what he means by “before them” — “before them were a harp, a drum, a flute, and a lyre, and they were prophesying.” They sing, they are in joy, they sing, they play music. “And this is what is meant by ‘and they were prophesying.'”

Discussion: Who Is Playing the Music?

Chavrusa: It doesn’t say that they sing — it says that in front of them someone sings.

R’ Yitzchak: Who?

Chavrusa: The sons of the prophets are the ones who sing?

R’ Yitzchak: No. In front of the sons of the prophets stand people with musical instruments.

Discussion: Hisbodedus Among People

Chavrusa: It says that if they aren’t truly secluded (misboded)…

R’ Yitzchak: It’s possible to be secluded in one’s mind (misboded b’da’atam). There is a concept from the Kotzker that one can achieve hisbodedus among people. Hisbodedus doesn’t mean that he must be alone in a forest. It means that he is not engaged with people — he is in his own world. It means that he made a group of prophets. A group of prophets is still good.

Chavrusa: He connects with companions who align their minds.

R’ Yitzchak: Ah, no, it’s what… I think he means it literally, but it refers to the locale. The locale is not in the middle of the city. They went into the forest forever, and there together with three friends. Hisbodedus doesn’t mean being without any friends.

Chavrusa: Why does that occur to you?

R’ Yitzchak: Hisbodedus is with friends.

Remark: The Rambam Doesn’t Bring the Verse About Elisha

Chavrusa: The Rambam doesn’t bring the verse that the Gemara brings: “And it was, when the musician played, that the hand of Hashem came upon him” — which the Gemara brings in Rosh Hashanah. It’s a different verse from Shmuel that the Rambam brings the whole time.

The Meaning of “And They Were Prophesying” — Preparation for Prophecy, Not Actual Prophecy

R’ Yitzchak: “And this is what is meant by ‘and they were prophesying,’ meaning they were walking on the path of prophecy until they would prophesy” — until they receive the prophecy. They were “prophesying” — they were engaged, they were rejoicing, they were sweetening, they were “prophesying” means — “prophesying” means they were preparing for prophecy, they were readying themselves for prophecy.

“Just as you would say ‘so-and-so is becoming great (misgadel)'” — a person is misgadel, it doesn’t yet mean that he is great, but he is going towards greatness, he is arriving at greatness. It comes out that “prophesying” means — they are preparing themselves, they are becoming…

The Prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu – Continuation of Chapter 7, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah

The Concept of “Prophesying” – The Sons of the Prophets and Their Status

The Meaning of “Prophesying” – A Process, Not a Result

Speaker 1: They are “prophesying” means they are engaged, they are directing their minds, they are doing all the preparations for prophecy, they are readying themselves for prophecy. Just as you would say “so-and-so is becoming great (misgadel)” — a person is misgadel, it doesn’t yet mean that he is now great, but he is going towards greatness, he is arriving at greatness. It could be that he’s saying — “prophesying” means they are preparing themselves, they are becoming ready for prophecy.

I’m thinking of a trick — since I have an answer, let me finish it, and you don’t need to say it twice, because I’m afraid people get confused. If two friends are learning together, and each one needs to say it, each one should say it.

Speaker 2: No, yes, misgadel, just like…

Discussion: The Hispa’el Verb Form – Three Meanings

Speaker 1: It’s interesting, the root — what is this called in grammar (dikduk)?

Speaker 2: Hispa’el?

Speaker 1: Yes, hispa’el can mean he makes himself, he is a faker. It can mean he does something to himself. And it can mean he is in the process of becoming. Three things.

Not like how people sometimes say about fakers — they call them “mischasdim” — they’re not chassidim, they’re mischasdim. I think that ultimately, if you see that they actually are chassidim, then you know that they were preparing for chassidus or for greatness or… yes.

Halacha 9: The Sons of the Prophets — Perhaps It Will Rest and Perhaps It Won’t

Speaker 1: But he continues further: “Those who seek to prophesy” — and this is the verse you brought from Shmuel — “they are called the sons of the prophets.” He began with “the sons of the prophets, before them, and they were prophesying.” He says the same thing — “the sons of the prophets” means those who are trying, who are engaged in the wisdom and the level of prophecy.

“And even though they direct their minds” — the Rambam says very clearly, they are called “sons of the prophets,” not yet “prophets,” because perhaps they have arrived and perhaps not. “Even though they direct their minds, perhaps the Divine Presence (Shechinah) will rest upon them and perhaps it will not rest.”

Discussion: The Term “Shechinah” Versus “Ruach HaKodesh” and “Prophecy”

Speaker 1: Here he uses the term “Shechinah” for the first time, and earlier he said “ruach hakodesh (holy spirit)” or “prophecy.” There still needs to come something called Shechinah, some level, some revelation of the Divine Presence.

Right. “And perhaps the Shechinah will rest upon them and perhaps it will not rest.” And the Rambam, it could be that he does make distinctions, but generally — for example in the Laws of Injury and Damages — one sometimes finds the term “ruach hakodesh,” sometimes “Shechinah,” and simply, perhaps according to Kabbalah or according to whatever I know, there is a different meaning for all these words, but simply they all mean the same thing. The Shechinah also means ruach hakodesh, and the ruach hakodesh is also Shechinah, and so on.

Discussion: The Term “Ishim” and “You Shall Be Transformed Into a Different Man”

Speaker 1: Okay. The Rambam — it’s interesting, because the Rambam told us here that sometimes he calls it prophecy and here he calls it Shechinah, but earlier he also said that he speaks to ishim, he speaks to the angels.

Speaker 2: True. But there’s no such expression as “the ishim shall rest upon them.” That doesn’t exist.

Speaker 1: Ah, “and you shall be transformed into a different man (v’nehpachta l’ish acher)” — perhaps that is the expression. He calls them ishim, “that prophecy shall rest upon them.” He says “and you shall be transformed into a different man” — it could be like you become a different ish. Here “ish” — from ish to ishim, from a man to an angel. Both are called “ish” — a person is called ish, and an angel is called ish. You become a different ish.

Just as it says in the Torah “and a man appeared (vayera ish)” — there is a commentator who says he saw a person and he saw an angel. The Korban Todah — “ish v’ish (a man and a man)” can mean Mordechai and it can mean Haman. You have to know which ish. Oh my.

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The Prophecy of Moshe — The Distinction From All Other Prophets

Halacha 10: All the Prophets Except Moshe Rabbeinu

Speaker 1: Okay. Now, until here is about all the prophets. Now the Rambam is going to talk to us about the prophecy of Moshe. The Rambam says: “All the things we have said are the way of prophecy for all the prophets, the earlier ones and the later ones” — those who were once and all the other prophets.

I think there is a Gemara — there is a concept of the earlier prophets and the later prophets. The later prophets are called Chaggai, Zechariah, Malachi, right? I don’t know what he means here. Could be. The earlier prophets.

“Except for Moshe Rabbeinu” — Moshe who is our teacher (rabbeinu), who is the teacher of all of us Jews, “the teacher of all the prophets” — and the teacher of all the prophets. You know why? Because he is higher in level than us and than all the prophets. No, this is Torah — our teacher who is “the teacher of the prophets.” Or one can say: our teacher among the Jews, and the teacher of the prophets.

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Halacha 11: First Distinction — Dream/Vision Versus Awake and Standing

Speaker 1: Okay. And what is the distinction? Moshe Rabbeinu is a different category. “And what is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe and all the other prophets?” What indeed is the distinction?

The Rambam says, he stated all the four things he said earlier. You’ll see, I made numbers here. He’s going to go through everything he said earlier and show that Moshe is different from all the prophets. Or even five.

“All the prophets” — all the prophets — see their prophecy “in a dream or in a vision (mareh),” as he said, in a dream or during the day but through a vision, through something similar to a dream. “But Moshe Rabbeinu prophesied while he was awake and standing” — he is up, he is alert and standing.

Speaker 2: And it says explicitly that he falls down and he…

Speaker 1: On that topic later. He says it later, he says it later, extra.

Discussion: The Source — “When Moshe Came to the Tent of Meeting… and He Heard the Voice”

Speaker 1: Moshe Rabbeinu comes into the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed) and he is still standing there. This is implied from the verse “and he heard the voice.”

Speaker 2: Interesting — it’s not an explicit proof. The verse should have been… What does it say, what verse does he bring? “In a vision I make Myself known to him,” “Not so My servant Moshe, in all My house he is trusted.”

Speaker 1: The Rambam brings it further. He brings more, he brings it clearly on everything.

Okay. I don’t see clearly in this verse where one sees that it’s not through a dream. It could be a step down from the dream.

Speaker 2: No, I understand — the source is “and he heard the voice.” It doesn’t say “and he saw the vision” or “and he heard the voice” — that is apparently the proof.

Speaker 1: But also “when Moshe came to the Tent of Meeting” — this implies, the sound of the verse is that he comes in now and he stands at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Not “when he came” meaning after he was there for a few hours. Upon entering, he immediately heard the voice.

But that’s another thing — that he doesn’t need preparation. That could be the preparation. There’s no preparation mentioned. Apparently that is the main proof. The “and he heard the voice” is more the main proof. Yes.

Note: “There Is No Sitting in the Temple Courtyard” and Moshe’s Standing

Speaker 1: And I think another thing — I think in the Tent of Meeting one may not, “there is no sitting in the Temple courtyard (azarah) except for the kings of the House of David,” or certainly inside. Moshe Rabbeinu may not sit in the azarah, but in the Tent of Meeting he stands.

I remember something that the Rambam in other places is very occupied with the topic of the voice, that Moshe actually heard a voice or such expressions. It could be that from this he derived it.

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Halacha 12: Second Distinction — Through an Angel Versus Directly From Hakadosh Baruch Hu

Speaker 2: Okay, second thing, all the prophets, yes, I’ll let you say it.

Speaker 1: Very well. “All the prophets — through an angel.”

Speaker 2: Ah, that wasn’t stated until now. It was stated that an angel entered his soul, it was stated here that he sees a vision, that he sees something that is an angel.

Chiddush: The Rambam Connects Angel With Parable and Riddle

Speaker 1: Because here, when it comes to the prophecy of Moshe, the Rambam goes on and says: “All the prophets — through an angel, therefore they see what they see in parable and riddle.” Did you catch that? The Rambam connected two things: since it is through an angel, therefore they are informed through parable and riddles. That wasn’t stated earlier. With the first thing, here he spelled it out.

But “Moshe Rabbeinu — not through an angel,” as it says… I think that in another place the Rambam says which angel is being discussed — the Active Intellect (sekhel hapo’el), the highest angel, the highest of the angels.

Speaker 2: I said here an angel, another question, the tenth angel.

Speaker 1: “And all the prophets — through an angel, therefore they see what they see in parable and riddle” — something wondrous, see how the two things are connected: an angel can only speak through the way of parable and riddle.

The Verses: “Mouth to Mouth,” “Face to Face,” “And the Image of Hashem He Beholds”

Speaker 1: But “Moshe Rabbeinu — not through an angel,” Moshe Rabbeinu does not see through an angel, “as it says, ‘Mouth to mouth I speak with him'” — Hashem says I speak from mouth to mouth, so to speak, from Hashem’s mouth to Moshe’s. The point of this verse is directness — to exclude that I send you a messenger or a letter or something like that, or a vision which is itself an angel. I think the secret is that the vision is an angel.

“And it says, ‘And Hashem spoke to Moshe face to face'” — as you say, the Rambam says in the first chapter, I believe, that the vision is an angel — they see an angel. They don’t see Hashem, they see an angel.

Speaker 2: I haven’t seen it stated that way anywhere — one can learn it that way.

Speaker 1: And this is another verse that apparently says the same thing — “face to face” is the same idea as “mouth to mouth,” it’s just different words, face or mouth, but the meaning is the same — that it is directly.

Discussion: “And the Image of Hashem He Beholds” — There Is No Parable

Speaker 1: “And it says, ‘And the image of Hashem he beholds (u’temunas Hashem yabit)'” — he can see the image of Hashem. “Meaning that there is no parable” — so the Rambam interprets, very interesting, because the verse is a problematic verse. The verse implies that there is an image, and the Rambam already said “you did not see any image” etc. So the Rambam interprets, what is the meaning of “and the image of Hashem he beholds”? “Meaning that there is no parable, rather he sees the matter in its clarity, without riddle and without parable.”

Discussion: What Does “Sees the Matter in Its Clarity” Mean?

Speaker 1: Although we saw in the first chapter that even Moshe Rabbeinu could not see Hashem in His full clarity, but it does say that he knew who Hashem is, distinct from the angels. He knew Hashem differently. “And you shall see My back” — he knew, he was able to recognize that this is Hashem.

Perhaps the “matter” here doesn’t mean Hashem — perhaps the “matter” means the subject of his prophecy he saw clearly, and that is what “the image of Hashem” means, because usually an angel sees only the image of Hashem. Moshe — the point called the image of the Name, which is the prophecy — he saw it clearly, without any… what is called a clear lens (aspaklaria ha-me’irah).

Discussion: Aspaklaria Ha-me’irah — “In a Vision and Not in Riddles”

Speaker 1: In Chazal it says: “This is what the Torah testifies about him: ‘In a vision and not in riddles'” — you hear what the Torah illuminates, that he sees a vision and not riddles.

Interesting — “vision (mareh)” means he sees the thing itself. The meaning? “But in a vision” — vision means he sees the matter in its clarity, he sees it. So that means there is also a vision. Earlier he said that all prophets are in a vision or in a dream, and suddenly here with Moshe there is also a vision, but the vision is not a riddle.

Speaker 2: Because in other places the Rambam says that the others see it through barriers (mechitzos), and Moshe Rabbeinu sees it without barriers. Or only one more barrier, as I remember the language in Chapter 7 of the Foundations of the Torah.

Speaker 1: “Vision” means without barriers?

Speaker 2: No, aspaklaria ha-me’irah the Rambam interprets that aspaklaria is a mirror, so it’s always a barrier, only Moshe had a clear barrier.

Speaker 1: A clear one — so, perhaps that is the word. A clarification — he sees the image in its clarity, he doesn’t see the thing itself, he still sees a mirror, but he sees it clearly.

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Halacha 13: Third Distinction — Fearful and Terrified Versus “As a Man Speaks to His Friend”

Speaker 1: What else is the distinction between Moshe and the prophets? “All the prophets are fearful and terrified and overwhelmed” — those expressions of fear, they become shaken and frightened from fear.

Speaker 2: Perhaps one should say shaken and shattered and awestruck.

Speaker 1: Yes, but as it says, “Moshe Rabbeinu was not so,” as the verse says that Moshe Rabbeinu speaks to Hashem “as a man speaks to his friend” — just as a person speaks to his friend.

Interpretation: “As a Man Speaks to His Friend” — Calmness and Understanding

Speaker 1: The Rambam further interprets, what is the meaning of this analogy? What is the definition of a person speaking to his friend? That he is calm with his friend. “Moshe Rabbeinu was not frightened to hear the words of his friend” — “there was strength in the mind of Moshe Rabbeinu to understand the words of prophecy while he stands in his place, complete” — one can remain standing calmly and is capable of understanding the words of prophecy.

Chiddush: The Key Word “To Understand”

Speaker 1: It’s interesting that it further says “to understand” — you hear? I grasp such a Rambam — “in his mind to understand.”

Speaker 2: No, but he never says “to hear.” Did you notice?

Speaker 1: How wondrous. The whole time it’s “to understand,” everything is “to understand.” It doesn’t say “to see” — the whole time with the words of prophecy one must “understand.”

Speaker 2: No, yes.

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Halacha 14: Fourth Distinction — They Cannot Prophesy Whenever They Want Versus Whenever He Wishes

Speaker 1: What else is the distinction? “All the prophets cannot prophesy whenever they want” — as we said earlier, they can prepare themselves, but sometimes they merit it, sometimes not.

“Moshe Rabbeinu was not so, rather whenever he wished” — when he wants — “ruach hakodesh clothes him” — a holy spirit clothes him, a new expression, he becomes clothed — “and prophecy rests upon him” — earlier it was “the Shechinah rests upon him” — “and he does not need to direct his mind”…

Chapter 7, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah (Continued) – Distinctions Between Moshe Rabbeinu and Other Prophets; The Mission of the Prophets; Sign and Wonder

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The Fourth Distinction: Moshe Rabbeinu Prophesies Whenever He Wishes

The Rambam’s Words — Halacha 14

Interesting. So, what else is the distinction?

“All the prophets cannot prophesy whenever they want” — as was said earlier, they can prepare themselves, sometimes they merit it, sometimes not.

“Moshe Rabbeinu was not so, rather whenever he wishes, ruach hakodesh clothes him” — clothes him with a holy spirit. A new concept — he becomes clothed. “And prophecy rests upon him” — a new expression, earlier it was “the Shechinah rests upon him,” yes.

“And he does not need to direct his mind and prepare himself for it, for he is already directed and prepared and standing like the ministering angels” – he doesn’t need to do anything extra. When he said “he turns his mind and prepares himself for it,” that’s only when he wants to; the Almighty speaks to him. “For he is already directed and prepared and standing” – he doesn’t need to prepare extra, because he is prepared the entire time.

Chiddush: Moshe Rabbeinu is already entirely prepared

Right, this is a bit – it’s not simple that he doesn’t need preparation. Moshe Rabbeinu is already entirely prepared, no further preparation is lacking, because he is eternally prepared and ready, “like the ministering angels.” “Therefore he prophesies at all times” – because of this, Moshe Rabbeinu can prophesy at all times.

Proof from the daughters of Tzelofchad – “Stand and I will hear what Hashem commands for you”

“As it says” – the Rambam brings a verse. What is the proof? After the daughters of Tzelofchad ask Moshe Rabbeinu a question, he tells them “Stand and I will hear what Hashem commands for you.” And I believe, there Rashi brings the Chazal that this is the great power of a flesh-and-blood person, that he knows when the Almighty is going to answer him.

Right, the precise point is: if he had been a prophet like Elisha, like it says regarding Shmuel, Shaul – he would have had to say “Let’s try, I’m going to seclude myself, maybe it will work out.” He says “No, stand right here, two minutes, I’ll be right back.”

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Halacha 15 – “Return to your tents, but you stand here with Me”

The source for Moshe’s eternal prophecy

The Rambam says: “And with this God promised him” – the Almighty assured him of this, that he could merit this level of prophecy.

“As it says” – after the giving of the Torah, the Almighty says to Moshe Rabbeinu: “Go tell them, ‘Return to your tents,’ but you stand here with Me.”

The Rambam says here a wondrous thing – the Rambam will explain it later. We say in Berachos that at the standing at Mount Sinai, all the Jews had some degree of the level of prophecy. Now the prophecy of all the other Jews ended, so “return to your tents” – all the Jews should go back to where they came from, the prophecy has ended. But “and you stand here with Me” – you remain with Me, meaning, the prophecy remains here.

“To their tents” – bodily needs

“From here you learn” – you derive from here – “that all the prophets, when the prophecy departs, return to their tents.” What does “their tents” mean? “Which refers to all their bodily needs.”

It doesn’t mean literally “to their tents” – he interprets it somewhat allegorically. It doesn’t mean specifically only to their tents, because the Gemara derives “go dwell in your tents” etc., it means generally bodily needs. A dwelling refers to all bodily needs. They all return to their bodily needs. Therefore – one already understands on their own – for this reason they are not separated from their wives, because they go back to their bodily needs, and for bodily needs one needs to have a wife.

Moshe Rabbeinu – separation from wife and physicality

But “Moshe Rabbeinu never returned to his original tent” – Moshe Rabbeinu never went back to his tent, he was eternally like the ministering angels. “Therefore he separated from his wife forever and from everything similar to it” – he was separated from any kind of physical matter, and from everything similar to it.

“And his mind was bound to the Rock of the worlds” – meaning of “Tzur”

“And his mind was bound to the Rock of the worlds (Tzur Ha’olamim)” – his mind was eternally bound, connected – as the language stated earlier – to the Rock of the worlds, to the Creator who is the power. Tzur Ha’olamim – like the One who brings forth, who brings everything into existence. Yes, Tzur means the strength of all worlds.

The Rambam has a chapter in the Moreh that explains the word “Tzur.” He says that Tzur means source. Tzur means the rock from which the stones come – not what everything stands upon, but from where it comes. He says that “Tzur Ha’olamim” means that the Almighty is the source, the first cause of everything.

“And the glory never departed from him” – what does “hod” mean?

“And the glory (hod) never departed from him” – here he says it like “my glory was turned upon me,” which is not clear. But the “hod” means something else – he means hod, the radiance of prophecy. “And the skin of his face shone” – that is the verse. But does it say “hod” there? No, there it says “the skin of his face” is what it says there. The hod means the Divine inspiration (ruach hakodesh) or the Divine Presence (Shechinah) or the prophecy – it never departed from him. Because of this, “the skin of his face shone” when he came down from the mountain.

Chiddush: Moshe’s face always shone

Let’s make a quick summary. He always shone, because it’s possible that another prophet shines while he has prophecy, but that is so rare. Normally a prophet – prophecy is a certain radiance that comes upon him, but Moshe Rabbeinu always shone. With the radiance of his face – meaning, a normal prophet when he speaks to the Almighty, perhaps you can’t look at him because his face shines, but when he goes home it’s “and he returned to his camp.” Moshe Rabbeinu – they couldn’t speak to him, because he was always in the state of a prophet or in the state of being prepared for prophecy.

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Summary: Four differences between Moshe and other prophets

In total there are four differences between Moshe and other prophets:

1. Dream – other prophets in a dream, Moshe while awake and standing

2. Parable or angel – others through a parable or angel, Moshe face to face

3. Terrified – others become terrified, Moshe does not

4. At all times – others cannot prophesy whenever they want, Moshe can

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Digression: Moshe Rabbeinu doesn’t say “Thus says Hashem” – and a comparison to the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah

I believe I remember well – perhaps from R’ Chaim Brisker or others – that Moshe Rabbeinu when he states his commandments, he doesn’t always say “Thus says Hashem.” Because we know that since Moshe Rabbeinu always has the prophecy with him, when he speaks plainly, he speaks the truth, he speaks the word of God. When Moshe Rabbeinu wants to say something and it’s not from the Almighty, he has to say “So says Moshe.”

Comparison to the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah

But I think, it’s interesting, because the Rambam – when the Rambam speaks in Mishneh Torah, he says “the Torah speaks.” Who is speaking here? The Torah speaks. And when the Rambam is not speaking the Torah, he says “it appears to me (yireh li).”

I mean, another sefer – the whole time the author speaks, because he’s not on such a level. Just the opposite, they say the whole time “it appears to me.” Moshe had – “Moshe took like our teacher” – other seforim say “I say,” “it appears to me.” The Rambam, when he speaks plainly, it is in the manner of Moshe, that this is the word of the Torah. Therefore when he wants to say something, he says “yireh li” – I want to say now, you should know, now I’m not speaking the Torah, now I’m speaking.

Looking for a source

Okay, but we don’t see that this is such a thing – I don’t see such a statement from R’ Chaim. One still needs to hear it, because if he is always meriting prophecy, then the plain meaning is that he always speaks the word of God. Well, I understand, when he wants to say something, he has to say “yireh li.”

This idea – one needs to find it. In practice he does say, Moshe normally is the word of God, and Moshe, God forbid, says. But it says – one needs to find if there is a clear source, perhaps in the parsha of Shemini. One needs to find, there is such a statement, it was brought somewhere, I just don’t remember where we see that Moshe Rabbeinu speaks and he doesn’t say in the name of God, but it’s assumed that it is in the name of God. Perhaps there is something like that, I don’t remember.

I remember it says for example about Yehoshua – it says in the Gemara that Yehoshua expounds, someone said to the other, you remember the story? And he doesn’t say the whole time “Moshe Rabbeinu,” he says “And these are the laws.” They say, Chazal have a derivation from where we know that this is from Sinai. They say, what is… this is a difficult piece.

What is the meaning of that one with Rashi? Only what the point was.

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Halacha 16 – The mission of the prophets: Prophecy for oneself and prophecy as a mission

Two types of prophecy

Okay, now we’re going to learn a new halacha. Until now the – I believe this is still about certain aspects of prophecy. But there is also such a thing that the Almighty sends a prophet, that He wants to speak to the people. And we haven’t yet seen too much about this, let’s say today. It’s coming regarding this.

Here two types – a prophet was needed. Perhaps not the dear prophet is only for himself alone. There are times when the prophet has a prophecy only for himself – the Almighty speaks to him things that are relevant for him.

Prophecy for oneself – “to broaden his heart and increase his knowledge in great matters”

The Rambam says: “The prophet – it is possible that his prophecy is for himself alone, to broaden his heart and increase his knowledge” – he should know things that are not yet known about great matters.

“Great matters” simply means – it says “a great matter” – the workings of the Divine Chariot (maasei merkavah). Of the great matters, this is one of the maasei merkavah. It previously listed all those things that connect one’s soul with the halacha.

It doesn’t say that sometimes the Almighty tells him a halacha of law, because regarding halacha they cannot tell him even for himself – this was stated since the next chapter. Regarding the maasei merkavah one can receive through prophetic vision upon the prophet, as we see there.

Chiddush: There were many more prophecies than what we see

It’s a wondrous thing – from here we see an explanation that there were always very many more prophecies than what we see, because the prophets – the things they write, the prophecy they receive – they don’t relay the prophecy.

Why do you keep saying that there were? What? Why do you keep saying that there were – it says to me “the secrets of knowledge to know, ask from the house of people, in the way of…” First and last he had asked there, yes? First means today’s youth. Yes?

Discussion: Prophecy in exile

Okay. No, I mean the Rambam says here in one place that today we don’t have – because we are in exile – we don’t have the joy that is necessary to be able to receive prophecy.

Perhaps that is only for the mission? Perhaps the public doesn’t have joy, so they don’t believe in prophets. It doesn’t say that the public needs prophets’ joy to understand how.

It seems – I have the fact that there are prophets, and the public doesn’t believe them. So one must say that this is the explanation. Indeed not, because one… so his joy. So the Rambam says.

But perhaps – it is “he will be sent to a people from the peoples of the earth.”

Prophecy as a mission – the prophet is sent to a people

It can also be that the Almighty sends to a certain people, or as we see: “or to all the people of a city or a kingdom” – to a certain people or kingdom. As we see, Yonah was sent to Nineveh, and also Eliyahu to Midian, whatever.

Chiddush: The Rambam’s universal formulation

But it’s very interesting that here the Rambam – the Rambam from the outset lays it down in a universal way. He doesn’t say – you’re thinking the whole time about Yonah because you’re looking, all prophets are for the Jews, where do you find a prophet for a non-Jew? It doesn’t say that. The Rambam says that sometimes the Almighty sends a prophet for some people. It happens that sometimes he tells the Jews too.

“To instruct” vs. “to prevent” – two functions

“To instruct them what to do, or to prevent them from the evil deeds in their hands” – the Almighty sometimes sends a prophet to a certain people.

As we already said earlier, many times the prophet is only for himself. Many times the prophet is a messenger – the Almighty tells him the prophecy, and the prophecy is sent to a certain people or a certain city. There is no such thing as a prophet for the entire world.

And it’s very interesting – even the prophecy is, sometimes he says it is “to instruct them” – they should know what they have to do. It could be that a prophet comes only for that purpose, that they should know. Just as the Rambam holds that there are commandments of knowledge, like Yesodei HaTorah. It could be that this includes all things of what to do or what not to do.

Interesting – he doesn’t say “to inform them what not to do,” rather he says “to prevent them” – to stop them from doing what they are already doing. Assuming that there is, seemingly, a knowledge of beliefs that one may not do. Perhaps this knowledge has to do with what we will learn later about which commandments a prophet may institute, I don’t know.

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Sign and wonder – the prophet receives a sign for the people

Halacha 16 (continued)

The Rambam says: “And when they send him, they give him a sign and wonder, so that the people will know that God truly sent him.”

They give him – just as Moshe Rabbeinu asks and says before the Almighty, perhaps they won’t listen to him, and the Almighty gives him a sign and wonder. He gives him the power to perform wonders, or He makes with him a sign and wonder – a sign, a proof – “so that the people will know that God truly sent him” – so that the people should know that the Almighty indeed sent him. Very good.

Chiddush: The wonder is not for the prophet – only for the people

So we see clearly that the wonder is not for the prophet himself. The prophet himself somehow knows on his own that he is a prophet. He wants to speak to another person, and the other person cannot know. When there is such a prophet, the Almighty gives him a wonder. He has it very well – just as it stated earlier that the prophet knows that he is a prophet, the Almighty gives him a wonder so that the people should know it.

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Halacha 17 – “Not everyone who performs a sign and wonder do we believe that he is a prophet”

The Rambam says a very important halacha, a very important halacha: “Not everyone who performs a sign and wonder do we believe that he is a prophet.” It doesn’t mean that because I just told you that—

Signs and wonders and the law of believing a prophet – Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah Chapter 7

The role of signs and wonders in confirming a prophet’s mission

That means, after he prepares himself and he is at an elevated level of prophecy, and he receives prophecy, we still don’t know whether his prophecy is a mission for everyone, or it’s only a prophecy for himself. Here is where the sign and wonder comes in. If he performs a sign and wonder, we receive the mitzvah to believe him that the Almighty sent him to us — it is a mitzvah to listen to him — to hear, to obey, and to do. To listen. As it says, “You shall listen to him (eilav tishma’un).”

“Tishma’un” means “tekablun” — to obey, not merely to hear

The “tishma’un” — I believe it means… the Rambam says in the Targum, the Targum has been explained many times, “tishma’un” — “tekablun,” yes? It doesn’t mean to hear, it’s not a matter of hearing, it’s a matter of believing or obeying.

In practice, but don’t mean both — to obey? Yes, the simple meaning is yes. I’m just not saying it out loud for your rebbi in cheder who said it means to hear. The simple meaning is nothing more than the meaning of obeying.

A law of conduct or a law of clarification?

Very good, “to listen to him” means an obligation to obey. Very good. We will need to see — it could be that we will see later — that it could be that this is a din hanhagah (law of conduct), not a din birur (law of clarification). One must obey the prophet, or one must believe as well. But it’s not simple that I must know. Know I cannot. The prophet himself knows, and it’s only as if I know. And I have testimony from the signs and wonders, but I don’t know for certain — I only know that the Torah says.

Fit for prophecy — a precondition before the wonder

But this is a very important condition that the Rambam adds: that a person can perform all the wonders in the world — as long as we don’t see that he is fit for prophecy (raui l’nevuah), it doesn’t help!

This is the reason why we don’t believe most people who say they are prophets. This is the Rambam himself, as he brings from the Gemara in other places.

Historical application — Iggeres Teiman

Yes, but this is also in other places he has this. I believe that the other thing is a bit difficult because you’re asking with him. First he had a year that he didn’t… your friend comes, and you remember that the friend was not a great tzaddik. He says it explicitly, and I believe I remember that I mean Rabbi Yaakov’s spark, or others, who spoke — when certain people claimed that they were prophets, they used this Rambam. He is very clear to say that even if he performs a wonder, he didn’t conduct himself entirely in the way of prophets.

The main thing — that one who contradicts the Torah of Moshe is a false prophet — is much more than just that.

The Rambam in Iggeres Teiman — believing is only applicable to a possible matter

But let us understand this incidentally. Soon they had him when entirely, but the piece when the Rambam laid this down, as he lays it down in the letter — which letter is he talking about? The Iggeres Teiman (Letter to Yemen).

He lays down that the meaning of the laws of believing — believing can only be called believing, or a mitzvah, regarding a matter that is possible. A matter that is possible — it could be that there is a prophet, it could be that there isn’t. The sign and wonder comes and decides.

A thing that is impossible — someone comes and tells you that a stone is… that now day is night, I mean that it’s something that is impossible — and it says that a mitzvah to believe doesn’t apply.

The same thing: someone who is immoral or not religious who is a prophet — it is plainly impossible. The Rambam says so much as to say that a stone is a prophet — the mitzvah doesn’t even begin.

After it is possible — as he says, even what is possible, sometimes he is a prophet and sometimes not — then the sign and wonder (os u’mofes) comes into play.

And after it is possible — maybe he is indeed a prophet, maybe not; maybe he is a prophet but it only pertains to him, and he doesn’t receive the mission and the results for others — the one who performs the wonder says that since he is worthy of prophecy, he indeed merited it, and that he was indeed sent.

The Rambam’s Question — A Wonder Without Prophecy

A Person Can Perform a Wonder and Not Be a Prophet

Now he says an important thing. He says as follows: perhaps, you should know, perhaps it is — sheyesh oseh mofes — that a person can indeed perform signs and wonders and still not be a prophet.

But wait, he performed a wonder? Ah, yesh la’devarim b’go — there is something behind it, there is some secret in how a person can perform signs and wonders even though he is not a prophet. Apparently he means to say it’s a trick, he performed sorcery, whatever he did.

Af al pi khen, metzuvim anu lishmo’a lo — Nevertheless, we are commanded to listen to him.

Two Sides — A Wonder Without Prophecy, and Prophecy Without a Wonder

Ah, he says again, there are two things:

– One can perform signs and wonders and not be a prophet.

– And conversely — there can be a person who is a wise man and he did not perform a wonder.

Af al pi she’ein metzuvim anu lishmo’a lo — we are not commanded to listen to him — this refers to the signs and wonders.

The Rambam’s Answer — The Parable of Two Kosher Witnesses

Let me read it to you, I mean he says it very well.

The Question

Ho’il v’adam gadol v’chakham v’ra’ui l’nevuah… He asks a question: I just told you a halakha — someone comes whom we know is a wise man etc., he performs a wonder, it’s a mitzvah to believe him. So one asks a question: so you mean to say that only a prophet can perform a wonder, and it’s a conclusive proof?

The Answer — Chazakah Plus Mitzvah

The Rambam says: No, it’s not a conclusive proof. I concede to you, or I tell you myself, I concede to you that one can perform a wonder without prophecy.

But if so, why should I believe this person?

The Rambam says: Ho’il v’adam gadol hu v’chakham v’ra’ui l’nevuah — he already has prior evidence. Of course, if it’s impossible, the question doesn’t even begin. But the halakha is — b’miyud’enu shehu kakh — he already has a chazakah (presumption), he is a wise person, he is not a liar. Simply put, he has a chazakah.

Shekakh nitztavinu — this is the mitzvah.

The Parable of Witnesses

K’mo shenitztavinu lakhtokh es hadin al pi shnei edim kesheirim — just as we are commanded to decide the law based on two kosher witnesses — even though… and he is metzuveh lehatot acharei osan ha’mofsim, v’af al pi she’ein somkhin al zeh smikha vada’is, aval ho’il v’tzivanu leha’amin bo, ma’aminim bo al kol panim kashrut.

Discussion: The Parable of Witnesses — Chazakah and Din

Okay, so this is exactly the same question. Why doesn’t a single witness have a chezkas kashrus (presumption of fitness)? Because the din says that it’s literally a din — you can’t understand the logic of it.

But the point the Rambam makes here is: when someone asks a question — “do you know for certain that he’s a prophet?” — the Rambam says: “I don’t know.”

He says: “When two witnesses come before you in beis din, according to the law we rule — does that mean you know for certain? You don’t know for certain. There are false witnesses in the world. So what then? This means chazakah.”

The Torah — this is the din. The din is not a din of gezeiras hakasuv (scriptural decree), the meaning isn’t that it’s magic. It’s a logical din, but the point is — the din says that one must conduct oneself this way.

If there are two witnesses and it’s a kosher person — of course, he says, witnesses who are not established in their kashrus are not believed. Why not? It says in the Torah that one should believe two witnesses. It already says, there are other things.

Why Specifically a Sign and Wonder — Why Isn’t Chezkas Kashrus Alone Sufficient?

If not for the Torah telling us about performing a wonder, we would have simply had to believe a righteous person, because he wouldn’t have said it on his own. I don’t know.

But the Torah told us something about performing a wonder — that only then do we believe him that he is an emissary to transmit.

Speaker 2: But I would say the opposite — that the chazakah comes after there is the din, just like with witnesses. The Torah says to believe witnesses, and then comes and says “v’hu k’shehayu lahem chezkas kashrus”. That means, witnesses who don’t have a chezkas kashrus we indeed don’t believe.

Speaker 1: It’s like the one who sees what will be born, like the one who sees what will be born.

Discussion: Source for Chezkas Kashrus by Witnesses

I’m thinking now — the Rambam adds, yes, where is there a source in the Gemara for why we don’t believe a wicked person? Yes, for a wicked person there is a source that a wicked person is disqualified from testimony, yes — “al tashes yadkha im rasha” (do not join hands with a wicked person). But the matter is a sevara (logical reasoning): why do we believe another person? Maybe he’s wicked? The answer is — he has a chazakah.

But I don’t believe that the chazakah alone… just as a single witness has a chezkas kashrus — why don’t we believe him? Because he doesn’t have the status of testimony.

Speaker 2: You’re right, but one still needs to understand here — why specifically a sign and wonder?

Speaker 1: Therefore the answer is apparently the earlier reason — that the order is that one must add a wonder, as it says here: “k’shemeshalchin oso nosnin lo os u’mofes” (when they send him, they give him a sign and wonder). This is the order, it says in the Torah, this is the tradition (mesorah).

Novel Insight: The Rambam Doesn’t Bring Chezkas Kashrus Alone as Sufficient

It seems to me that this is an interesting point of the Rambam. He doesn’t bring a sign and wonder — he doesn’t say that it’s a mitzvah to believe him, that one can believe him based on chezkas kashrus at the very least. Why not?

Like my friend says that he had a prophecy. I know him — such a wise person, not a delusional person.

Speaker 2: Which one? I believe him. But which mitzvos is he obligating?

Speaker 1: If he says against the Torah, perhaps it doesn’t help, and the like. Even temporarily, even in a manner where one…

“The Hidden Things Belong to Hashem Our God, and the Revealed Things Are for Us and Our Children” — Conclusion of the Laws of Prophets

The Rambam’s Conclusion

The Rambam says: “Devarim ha’eilu v’kayotzei bahem — hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu, v’haniglos lanu u’l’vaneinu” (These matters and similar ones — the hidden things belong to Hashem our God, and the revealed things are for us and our children).

Speaker 2: Perhaps there is also another thing here — that indeed, a tremendous thing, the Rambam has… look, the Rambam asks here with a problem: he says there are prophets, immediately come the next bluffs, and questioning how it holds up with all the laws of prophets and the believing. The Rambam says: “Hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu” (The hidden things belong to Hashem our God).

Novel Insight: A Conclusion on All of Hilchos Nevi’im

Perhaps the last piece of the Rambam is not just a conclusion on the last halakha, but it’s a conclusion on all of Hilchos Navi (the Laws of Prophets). Just as he ends with “deep matters” — it appears that these things are hidden matters, they are holy things. Just as he also ends all of Hilchos Nevi’im with this — that the concept of prophecy is a matter of “hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu” (the hidden things belong to Hashem our God).

“According to What Is Revealed” — We Go by What We See

I’ll go even further, I’ll go even further. But the simple meaning I mean — he means this: that the main thing, that the “revealed things” he means to say — we go al pi hanigleh (according to what is revealed).

Although, certainly the simple meaning is that this is the Torah, as Rashi says there on “hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu” — that I don’t punish for hidden things, I am indeed clarifying for you. I can’t know you. The beis din says: I must act according to what I see. It’s simple.

The Meaning of “The Hidden Things” — We Are Not in Charge of Another’s Heart

He means to say: he performs a sign and wonder — a person can see what he can see. That’s how he goes. He says: but what if everyone is a bluffer? “Hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu” (The hidden things belong to Hashem our God). We are not in charge of what lies in another person’s heart. We must go with the halakha — “al pi hanigleh lanu u’l’vaneinu” (according to what is revealed to us and our children).

The halakha says that if he has the qualifications of a prophet, and he brings a sign and wonder, we must believe him that he is a prophet.

Speaker 2: Exactly.

Speaker 1: But maybe he’s a liar? True — because a person is limited in how much he can verify.

The Same Applies to Witnesses — We Go According to What Is Revealed

And the same applies, what the Rambam means to say — the same applies, even with witnesses: if you know they are deceivers, you’ll find a way. When a person hears something from two kosher witnesses, he can think to himself a thousand times that they are false witnesses.

I say: I don’t do it because it’s true, rather I do it because the Torah said that I should do it. And we act according to what is revealed.

“And Hashem Sees the Heart”

Perhaps there is also another thing here — that indeed, a tremendous thing. The Rambam has — look, the Rambam asks here with a problem: he says there are prophets, immediately come the next bluffs, and questioning how it holds up with all the laws of prophets and the believing. The Rambam says: “Hanistaros la’Hashem Elokeinu” (The hidden things belong to Hashem our God).

And it is said: “Ki ha’adam yireh la’einayim, va’Hashem yireh la’leivav” (For man sees with the eyes, but Hashem sees into the heart). That’s how he goes.

Okay.