‫פרשת ראה‬
We have expectations when learning Torah that everything will be told to us
in the most appropriate way. If we did not have such expectations, all of our
interpretations of Torah would be for naught since they all are based on
understanding why things aren't what they should have been. If there is no
"should have been" then, of course, we have no right to interpret that which
may not be a deviation from the expected.
It is for that reason that the introduction to the laws of Novi-Prophets that we
read this week is most surprising. Of course, the existence of prophets is
well known to us. We are not surprised to see the word. We are familiar
with the fact that a "Novi" is a spokesman, in most cases for Hashem. But
the real meaning is that of any type of spokesman, as we see from that which
Hashem told Moshe Rabbenu, "v'A'ha'ron o'chi'cho yi'h'yeh n'vi'e'cho" (Sh'mos
Perek 7/Posuk 3).
Aharon, your brother [Moshe] will be your novispokesman. Beyond the source of the word as "niv", we understand the role
of the Novi from the context. In an earlier Posuk we were told that Aharon
was to be the "feh", mouth of Moshe (Perek 4/Posuk 16). Thus, novi is a
synonym for spokesman.
We also have met Eldad and Meidad who prophesied.
mis'nab'im ba'ma'cha'neh" (B'midbar Perek 11/Posuk 27).
"Eldad u'Meidad
As Rambam writes, "Mi'y'so'dei ha'das lei'da' she'Ho'Keil m'na'bei es b'nei
o'dom…" (Hilchos Y'sodei HaTorah Perek 7/Halacha 1). It is a foundational
principle of [Divine] religion to know that G-d gives the power of prophecy to
people. As we know, this idea is an Ikar, a fundamental principle of belief,
that the Rambam cites in his Perush HaMishnah to the final Perek of
Masseches Sanhedrin.
Nonetheless, only in our Parsha do we first learn that there are laws
governing the prophet, his actions and our relationship to him. If when you
are reading this you do not remember what the Parsha teaches us, let us
imagine what we expect to learn in our first exposure to Hilchos N'vu'a.
We certainly expect to know how one becomes a Novi and how we are to
relate to him. We want to know how we are to see this prophet in the
perspective of Torah Law. We want to know if he is authority and we are
bound to follow what he tells us. If those are our expectations, we will be
disappointed.
At the outset of its presentation of the Laws of Prophecy to us, the Torah
warns us off before it even tells us to attend to what the Prophet has to say.
That is, only next week, in Parshas Shoftim, will we read "ei'lov tish'mo'un"
(D'vorim Perek 18/Posuk 15). Listen to [do] what the prophet [tells you].
This week, prior to the establishment of his authority we are told to beware of
the prophet.
If the prophet tells you to worship idolatry (Perek 13/Posuk 3), "Lo sish'ma' el
div'rei ha'no'vi ha'hu" (Posuk 4). Do not listen to that prophet. Only in
Shoftim we will learn to listen. When we don’t even know how to relate to
him, we are told "don't listen" to the prophet. Why would we have thought to
attend to him in the first place?
It is true that, perforce, the Torah teaches us how the Novi receives his
prophetic stature in the first place. "Ki yo'kum b'kir'b'cho no'vi or cho'leim
cha'lom v'no'san ei'le'cho os o mofes. U'vo ho'os…" (P'sukim 2-3). When a
prophet arises in your midst and he gives a sign or a wonder and that sign
comes true. The sign establishes him as a prophet. The sign gives him a
reason for credibility. So, why doesn't it say so? Why is the order opposite
of what is expected? First, we should learn that the sign that is fulfilled
confers authority and only then should we be told when that authority is
exceeded!
Perhaps we can understand the answer to this question by remembering
another fundamental principle of faith. In addition to believing that Hashem
sends prophets to people, we also believe that Moshe Rabbenu was the
greatest of the prophets in a most substantial and qualitative way.
As the
Rambam writes so clearly in the seventh and eighth chapters of Hilchos
Y'sodei HaTorah, Moshe's relationship to Hashem made the authority of his
words distinctively different from those of every other prophet. As Meshech
Chochmo points out so clearly in his introduction to Sefer Sh'mos, Moshe
Rabbenu cannot become a false prophet.
Every other prophet, the greatest of Tzaddikim of all generations, had the
free will in which to take their gifts, power and prestige and misuse them. By
appointing Moshe Rabbenu has His "personal agent", as it were, He Yisborach
promised that Moshe would not err, would not deviate and would not deceive.
With this understanding it is simpler to understand the way 'Am Yisroel looked
at the prophet.
Every prophet that would arise would be viewed as a
spiritual descendant of Moshe Rabbenu. Since the characteristic of Moshe
Rabbenu was that he was totally and completely reliable, it would be easy to
apply that view to prophets in the next generations. Since, following Mattan
Torah (ibid. Chapter 8/Halacha 1) we were to do everything that Moshe said
and were never to challenge his authority, one might err to think that it would
follow that that same command applies to other prophets. That is why the
opening legal statement regarding the prophet has to tell us that he is
limited.
[A more profound look will note that by saying that this Novi is validated as
such by providing "os o mofes" that are fulfilled, we can understand why his
authority is less than that of Moshe Rabbenu. If a Novi of G-d is His
spokesman, then the only one hundred percent proof that he is His
spokesman is by observing G-d speaking with him. At Har Sinai, 'Am Yisroel
saw Hashem speak with Moshe. Moshe was not validated by merely a sign
or a miracle that could be disputed; his validation was beyond question (ibid.
Perek 7/Halacha 6). One who is validated by an act that doesn't inherently
prove he is speaking in G-d's Name (a sign of turning water into blood or
predicting an event in the future that is realized) is not given the same
authority as one whom G-d chooses to validate incontrovertibly.
Therefore, the Torah wrote "os o mofes" not only for the Halachic instruction
that accompanies those words but as part of the explanation for the limitation
on this prophet who becomes a false bearer of the Word of Hashem.]
The psychological impact of a Prophet bears some thought on our part. A
believing individual, believing in G-d and knowing that he appoints prophets,
sees an individual who is evidently worthy of such a role (ibid. Halacha 1).
Not only do we have an innate respect for him due to his piety and wisdom,
he now shows unique power by performing "os o mofes" that are apparent.
Wouldn't we flock to him? Wouldn't we want to observe every one of his
activities? Wouldn't we want to do all that he told us in the spirit of "naaseh
v'nishma'"?
We thus see that with the establishment of the status of Prophet, Hashem
introduced a very dangerous and potential pitfall. As most commentators
say, the performance of the signs and miracles are most probably a result of
Hashem appointing him as a prophet. Then he turns away from Hashem. It
is so complicated as the Rambam notes that as well. "…v'yesh lo d'vorim
b'go" (ibid. Halacha 7). And Hashem has His covert reasons [for doing so].
As he continues,
"U'vi'd'vo'rim ko'ei'leh v'cha'yo'tze bo'hen ne'e'mar
'Ha'nis'to'ros LaShem E'…lo'keinu ("D'vorim Perek 29/Posuk 28)…." About
such matters it is written, "The concealed matters are for Hashem".
With this understanding, our enthusiasm regarding prophecy wanes rapidly.
It sounds so exciting to think that there are prophets that Hashem sends, yet,
we see that even though He Yisborach sends them, they retain their free will.
They can choose to renege on their personal covenant with G-d and take
advantage of a loyal and dedicated B'nei Yisroel. We remember Chanayah
Ben 'Azur (Yirmiyahu Perek 28/Posuk 1) who turned into a false prophet.
[We must remember to distinguish between 1). "false prophets" of Ba'al who
were never prophets and between 2). those who were true prophets and
became evil.] In such a situation it would be simple to ask of Hashem to
remove those complications from us.
Rav Moshe Feinstein ZT"L tempers the ability of a prophet to cause so much
havoc. He explains (Shu"t Igros Moshe Chelek Orach Chaim (3), Teshuva
78) that there are two levels of authority in the regular-level Novi. The first
is conferred upon the Prophet when the sign he makes occurs.
That
authority requires the person to do what the Novi says to do as long as the
doer does not violate any Mitzvos. Only after he is established as a Novi like
Eliyahu on Har Carmel, would we listen to the prophet if he orders us to
violate a Mitzva as a Ho'ra'as Sh'oh", a temporary mandate.
Thus, even
when B'nei Yisroel enjoyed a plethora of prophets, the possibilities that they
would rebel against Hashem were limited. [See Rashi in next week's Parshas
Shoftim (Perek 18/Posuk 22) in which this idea is implicit.]
In spite of Rav Moshe's explanation, we can better appreciate what Chazal
meant when they taught, "chochom 'o'dif mi'novi" (Masseches Bova Basra
12). A wise man is preferable to a prophet. The reason is simple. A
prophet is believed.
That is, whether or not we understand him, his
authority compels us to do what he says. If he is a prophet other than
Moshe Rabbenu, we always have room to doubt him (Yesodei HaTorah Perek
8/Halacha 1). We have to follow him despite our doubt, but the doubt exists.
A wise man is not compelling in the same way. He must make sure that
those who listen to him really understand what he says and are really
convinced.
He relies on his [G-d given] wisdom to be persuasive, not on
outside metaphysical standing.
Sometimes we enter into an imaginary time. We want to sense what it was
like to have a prophet who presented Hashem's message for all times and all
stations. We feel we are missing something that we don't have prophets,
and of course, we are.
What we must know is that the absence of Novi does not seal our fate. We
know that "chochom odif mi'no'vi" and if do not yet identify a prophet among
us, we can still seek to encourage ourselves and each other to increase our
wisdom and understand rather than wait for a revelation.
We are not left empty-handed. The tools at our disposal are magnificent and
plentiful. If we develop them with dedication then we can do our part to
bring Moshiach to us bimheirah b'yomeinu.
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov
Rabbi Pollock