[Avodah] Why Lie When Truth Can Also Achieve Peace

[Zev Sero]

On 2/01/2013 9:55 AM, Arie Folger wrote:
> Therefore, whatever is beyond the purview or power of a navi is definitely
> beyond ba'alei ruach hakodesh.

How does that follow?  They're two different things, why should they
work the same way?  We know from the Rambam that nevuah is direct
communication from Hashem.  Ruach hakodesh doesn't seem to be that.
We constantly see references to people "seeing with ruach hakodesh",
implying that it's not a line of communication but a sort of enhanced
vision, a power to see things that most of us don't.  And we all know
that the nature of vision is to see whatever is in front of one (unless
of course Hashem doesn't want one to see something, e.g. the people of
Sedom, or the soldiers searching Rachav's roof); it stands to reason,
if ruach hakodesh is analogous to vision, that it should work the same
way.

Remember what we're discussing here: a tzadik, who is known to have ruach
hakodesh, knows some piece of information, and we're discussing how he
could have known it.  The OP wanted to deduce from the fact that he knew
it that someone must have told him.  I'm saying that's not necessary.
The facts we have are sufficient to explain how he knew it, so there's no
need to posit a confession scene that isn't recorded anywhere.  Thank you
William of Ockham.

-- 
Zev Sero
zev at sero.name