[Avodah] Rambam Prophesy

[Zev Sero]

On 27/5/21 7:35 pm, Alexander Seinfeld via Avodah wrote:
> The problem with this Rambam is that not only does God talk to Avimelech
> in the dream, they conduct an entire conversation. The Rambam ignores this
> detail and files it under ³causes certain things to rise in man¹s mind in
> a dream² - well if those certain things are messages from God, and all the
> more so if the person is able to reply and get further messages from God,
> it seems like a bit of semantic gymnastics to say, that¹s not prophecy,
> but visiting righteous people in a dream is prophecy. Why not just say
> that Avimelech¹s dream is a horaah shaah prophecy?

Because he defines nevuah as a connection with Hashem, not as simply 
receiving a message from Hashem.  Anyone can receive a message; Hashem 
doesn't need Western Union to send them.  But that's not nevuah.

"When the Spirit rests on him, his soul is mixed up with the level of 
the angels known as 'Ishim', and he turns into another person, and he 
understands with his mind that he is not as he was, but has been raised 
above the level of other wise men, as it is said in Shaul's case, 'you 
will prophesy and will become another person'."

That doesn't happen when you receive a message.  A message is just 
information.  Lavan and Avimelech remained the same as they were before, 
they just knew something they hadn't known before.

-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a healthy summer
zev at sero.name