[Avodah] Prophet - mashgiach or godol hador?

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Micha Berger wrote:
>
> BTW, in the shiur from R' Eli Heidad from YHE
> <http://vbm-torah.org/archive/rambam/06rambam.htm> he asks the question "Did
> the Rambam think he acheived prophecy?" He lists indications originally given
> by Heschel that the answer is "yes". Such as a letter from a talmid asking for
> instruction as to how to reach nevu'ah himself. A comment on the introduction
> to the Moreh cheleq I, where he speaks of nevu'ah in the first person, "But
> sometimes truth flashes out to us so that we think that it is day, and then
> matter and habit in their various forms conceal it so that we find ourselves
> again in an obscure night." Etc... See the shiur, the question is a section
> header.
>
>   
The conjecture of Heschel is rather far fetched - especially since the 
Rambam relates in Letter to Yemen that he has a family tradition that 
prophecy will be restored in 1210-1216. That implies that up until that 
point there is no prophecy. Rambam died in 1204. On the other hand - 
aside for this mention of family tradition - the Rambam nowhere states 
prophecy ceased. It is also interesting that the family history the 
Rambam mentions is actually a Yerushalmi.(Shabbos 6:9).

Daniel Eidensohn