<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<title></title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
I recently realized that the Rambam's concept of a prophet seems to be
that of mashgiach. He is concerned with human perfection - both
individual and national - but not halacha nor with leadership. He is
not an authority or posek. For example Moreh Nevuchim (2:36).
Furthermore he doesn't even seem to require that the prophet be a Torah
scholar Finally the prophet as prophet is prophibited to be involved in
halacha.<br>
<br>
In contrast there are a number of sources which view the prophet as the
ultimate leader - the godol hador. The following indicate that true
leadership involves some aspect o prophecy<br>
<br>
<p class="quote">
</p>
<p class="quote"><b><span style="">Ramban(Devarim
17:11): Left and Right. </span></b><span style=""><span style=""></span>...t
he Torah was given to us in writing and it is
known that people don’t think identically in all matters. Therefore it
would be
natural for disputes over what the Torah means to continually multiply
and it
would end up that there would be many Torahs instead of one. That is
why this
verse tells you that one must obey the Sanhedrin which convenes in
G‑d’s
presence in the Temple – in everything they say concerning the
understanding of
the Torah. There is no difference in the requrement to obey whether
this Torah
understanding is part of the Tradition which goes back what G‑d told
Moshe or
what their understanding of the meaning or intent of a Torah verse.<span
style=""> </span>This requirement to accept their Torah
understanding is because the Torah was in fact given to us according to
their
understanding. Therefore they must be obeyed even if their view
contrasts with
your understanding as left contrasts with right and surely if you agree
with
their understanding. That is because G‑d’s spirit is on those who serve
in His
Temple and He does not desert His pious ones. G‑d always protects them
from
error and mistake. The Sifri (Shoftim 154) says that you must obey them
even if
appears that they have reversed right with left and left with right. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="quote"><b><span style="">Chinuch (#516): </span></b><span
style="">We are commanded to listen to all
the prophets in all that they command us to do. They are to be obeyed
even if
they tell us to temporarily do something against one of the mitzvos of
the
Torah or even many of them - except for idol worship. Since he is a
true
prophet all his intentions are for the good and whatever he does it is
to
strenghten the religion and the belief in G‑d. This is clearly stated
in the
Torah (Devarim 18:15) and is explained in the Sifre (175). The basis of
this
mitzva is that the ultimate level that a man can achieve is that of a
prophecy.
Furthermore for a human being in this world, prophecy is the highest
level of
knowledge of the truth possible. It is knowledge that is not open to
dispute
since it comes from the fountain of truth itself. Few people achieve
the level
of development that is required to reach prophecy. The ladder needed to
reach
it is immense with its feet on the earth and its top in the heavens.
Who is the
man with the proper fear of G‑d who has the merit to ascend G‑d's
mountain and
stand in His holy place? Only one of hundreds of thousands of men
achieves this
level and only in a generation that is deserving of it. Therefore the
Torah
commanded us that one who in fact achieves this ultimate level of human
achievement and he is known to us as having the spiritual qualities and
conduct
of a true prophet – he is to be obeyed in all that he commands. That is
because
he is the one who knows the way of truth and therefore he will guide us
in it.
We should not be so arrogant as to defy his words and to disagree with
him
because any dispute with him on any matter is a total error and can
only be
because of the lack of knowledge of the truth.</span></p>
<p class="quote"><br>
Kuzari (<b><span style="">3:40-41): T</span></b><span style="">he
prohibition (Devarim 4:2) of not
adding or subtracting from the Torah only applies to the masses. It
means that
the masses should not innovate commandments on their own and attribute
these<span style=""> </span>contrived commandments to the Torah as
the
Karaites do. In other words they were<span style="">
</span>commanded by the Torah not to add or subtract from the Torah on
their
own – but rather that they should accept new commandments from the
prophets
that came after Moshe<span style=""> </span>as well as the
priests and the judges. The intent of the Torah is to prevent the
addition to
the commandments given by Moshe in the Torah or that which has been
legitimately commanded by the prophets or to add on to that which we
have been
told by the priests and the judges of the Sanhedrin. The reason for
obeying the
additions of these authorities is that they have received Divine
assistance in
their judgments – which is not true for the masses. Additionally since
these
authorities are very large in number it is not likely that they would
agree
amongst themselves to something which is against the Torah. Furthermore
it is
very unlikely that they would err because of their great wisdom<span
style=""> </span>which they have acquired – partly because of
inherited tradition, partly because of their natural superior
intelligence and
partly because of their personal effort.<span style="">
</span>It is known through tradition that the Sanhedrin was required to
have
mastered all the branches of wisdom. In addition the Sanhedrin existed
at the
period where prophecy - or bas kol which took its<span style=""> </span>place
- had just ended. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="quote">Is it reasonable to conclude that only the Rambam
views the prophet or one with ruach hakodesh as mashgiach while others
view him as the godol hador with Daas Torah i.e., - the infallible rosh
yeshiva, posek, leader etc?<br>
</p>
<p class="quote"><br>
Daniel Eidensohn<br>
<span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br>
</body>
</html>