English translation — שופטים ג

A.

Regarding the command "To him you shall listen"¹

- hear and obey a prophet "who will be in every generation"²

- says the Rambam³

: "Any prophet who will arise after Moses our teacher, we do not believe in him because of the sign alone ..

but because of the commandment that Moses commanded in the Torah and said: If he gives a sign, to him you shall listen."

Although that which "we do not believe in him because of the sign alone" is explained logically simply,

because a "sign" can be made also "by sorcery and witchcraft"⁴,

according to which it must follow,

that if it were conceivable and one would be <b>certain</b>⁵

that it is not by sorcery and witchcraft and consequently - that he is a true prophet,

one would be obligated to obey him also without the command "To him you shall listen",

because the speech of a prophet is "the word of the Lord" -

It is, however,

according to the known regarding the commandments concerning which there was a command also before the Giving of the Torah,

that what we fulfill the commandments now is "We do not

act except by the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, through Moses our teacher,

not that the Holy One, blessed be He, said this to the prophets before him"

- is understandable,

that likewise it is also regarding the commands of the Holy One, blessed be He, through prophets after

the Giving of the Torah,

that <b>in themselves </b>they do not have in them the force of the commandment "which He commanded at Sinai"

(and does not have the force of Torah!)

- rather "the event at Mount Sinai alone is the proof" &lt;b&gt;and as explained&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

that through what "in you they will believe forever" - through that which "I&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;

come to you in the thick cloud&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

so that the people may hear when I speak with you"&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;].

And therefore the Rambam is precise "because of the commandment that Moses commanded &lt;b&gt;in the Torah &lt;/b&gt;..

to him you shall listen" - because being a "commandment ..

&lt;b&gt;in the Torah&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;

it gives it a special force that a command of G-d through the prophet does not have,

up to the essential and fundamental difference

In the law of matters of Torah and matters of prophets¹⁴.

B.

According to this, however — that our following the words of the prophet is from the command of <b>the Torah</b>

(and not from the "sign" by itself.

D.

H.

But a command from a <b>prophet</b>¹³)

— is not understood the continuation of chapter 8

(of the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah)

in the Rambam,

where he elaborates that that which the Jews believed in the prophecy of Moses our teacher is not "because of the signs that he performed"

(for "one who believes on account of signs has doubt in his heart"),

but "in what did they believe in him,

in the standing at Mount Sinai, that our eyes saw and not a stranger, and our ears heard and not another"; and afterwards he concludes the chapter¹⁵

that "therefore, if a prophet arose and performed signs and great wonders and sought to deny the prophecy of Moses our teacher, we do not listen to him..

because the prophecy of Moses our teacher is not on the basis of signs, so that we compare signs to these signs,

but with our eyes we saw it and with our ears we heard it, etc." —

Seemingly: Since we believe and follow a true prophet

(and not another prophet)

is from the force of the &lt;b&gt;commandment of the Torah&lt;/b&gt;

("To him you shall listen"

("You shall not listen to the words of that prophet"))

- and &lt;b&gt;not&lt;/b&gt; from the

(greater)

certainty that his

words are the word of G-d - &lt;b&gt;the matter&lt;/b&gt;

(that it is an entirely different category)

should have stood in Sefer HaYad.

And in general - in Sefer HaYad

(which is a book of &lt;b&gt;Halachot&lt;/b&gt;),

is the place for proofs according to the halacha,

as opposed to a &lt;b&gt;rational&lt;/b&gt; proof why a prophet who sought to deny the prophecy of Moses is a false prophet

("For he comes ..

to deny what you saw with your eyes")

- fits more in his book Moreh HaNevuchim of the Rambam?

At first glance, the Rambam should have stated the law briefly - that what we need to believe and follow a prophet is

(not "because of the sign alone",

but)

"because of the commandment that Moses commanded in the Torah ..

even though we do not know if the sign is true or by sorcery and witchcraft",

and "if the prophet stands and performs great signs and wonders and seeks to deny the prophecy of Moses" - that thereby he denies the truth of the Torah - then even "if the sign and the wonder come, do not listen to the words of that prophet".

3.

Further: in the following chapter we find that the Rambam connects the matter of the Torah in general with the prophecy¹⁶

Moses¹⁷

Regarding one who says "that Hashem sent him to add a commandment or to subtract a commandment or to explain a commandment from the commandments an explanation that we did not hear from Moses, or who says that those commandments that Israel were commanded are not forever and for all generations but were commandments for a time,"

says the Rambam¹⁸

that he is a "false prophet, for he comes to deny <b>the prophecy</b> of Moses"

regarding one who says "that Hashem commanded him to serve idolatry only today or only at this hour,"

that he is "coming to deny <b>the prophecy</b> of Moses"].

It is not understood: since he comes to contradict

(not only the prophecy of Moses,

but)

a command in the Torah

and “the revealed things belong to us etc. until the world etc.”²¹]

- then the Rambam should have said “since he comes to contradict the Torah”²²,

what is a special and new category,

and a much harsher one than “to contradict the prophecy of Moses”

that the commands through the prophets

(including,

of course,

also the prophecy of Moses)

do not have the special force of the commandments of the Torah at Sinai]?

4.

At first glance one could explain,

that therefore the Rambam says here "to deny the prophecy of Moses"

(and not "to deny the Torah"),

because specifically through this comes the proof that "behold this is a false prophet"

(and consequently - he has all the laws of a false prophet)

And as the Rambam explains in the previous chapter

(as above),

that since "the prophecy of Moses our teacher is not based on signs ...

but with our eyes we saw it",

it turns out,

that by his denying the prophecy of Moses he denies "what you saw with your eyes".

4.

5.

If the Rambam had spoken only about the <b>severity of the prohibition</b> of false prophecy "that Hashem sent him to add a commandment etc.",

he would then have said "to deny the Torah"; however, since with "comes to deny" he intends to give a reason — "since" — why he is a <b>false prophet</b> and its laws,

therefore the Rambam says "to deny <b>the prophecy</b> of Moses".

But the answer is a great difficulty.

For since it is already known that one who denies the prophecy of Moses denies a thing that "we saw" and "we heard",

denies the Torah — as explained in the <b>previous</b> chapter — it is therefore logical

To say that this is the reason for the severity of the laws and statutes of the false prophet

And based on this—should he have said "to contradict the Torah"?

5.

The difficulty is even greater: we find in the same chapter that the Rambam indeed uses the expression "to deny <b>the Torah</b>" — "if he uproots a matter from matters that we learned from tradition or says about a law from the laws of the Torah that Hashem commanded him that the law is thus ..

behold this is a false prophet ..

for he comes to deny <b>the Torah</b> that said²³

"It is not in heaven"²⁴

— the <b>change</b> is not understandable: regarding "to add a commandment or to subtract a commandment ..

commandments that were for a time"

he says "to deny <b>the prophecy</b> of Moses",

and regarding "uprooting a matter etc. or saying etc. that Hashem told him that the law is thus" he says "to deny <b>the Torah</b>"²⁵?

Further: when someone says "that Hashem sent him to explain regarding a commandment from the commandments an explanation

that we did not hear it from Moses

(about what the Rambam says "to deny &lt;b&gt;his prophecy &lt;/b&gt;of Moses")

- he thereby denies,

apparently,

that which the &lt;b&gt;Torah &lt;/b&gt;says "it is not in heaven"

(from which we learn²⁶

that "a prophet is not permitted to innovate a thing")

- the same verse which the one who says "G‑d commanded him that the law is thus etc." denies

(about which the Rambam says "to deny the Torah")

Since both deny the same verse²⁷

- why should we distinguish between them and say,

that the one who says "G‑d sent him etc. to explain etc." is "coming to deny &lt;b&gt;the prophecy of Moses&lt;/b&gt;",

and the one who says "G‑d commanded him that the law is thus etc." is "coming to deny &lt;b&gt;the Torah&lt;/b&gt;"?

6.

The reason why at the conclusion of the chapter,

at what it says "that Hashem commanded him that he should serve idolatry etc.",

the Rambam says the expression "to deny the prophecy of Moses" - one could seemingly explain,

with an introduction that it stands in the books on the verse²⁸

"And he spoke to them" - "not to seat the translator".

And accordingly it emerges that the law of one who transgresses the words of a prophet is liable to death by heaven specifically when he hears it from the prophet

himself,

and not when he hears it from the translator²⁹.

And the Rogatchover adds to this³⁰,

that even when he hears it from the prophet himself — the obligation is specifically when he hears it from the prophet at the time he is prophesying; but not when he hears it from the prophet later,

after he has prophesied,

it is as if he had heard it from the translator.

Based on this, one could say that if someone <b>in the generation of Moses</b> also transgressed a commandment that he heard from Moses³¹

— there is in this a distinction whether he transgresses the commandment of idolatry or also other commandments: For the commandment of idolatry — since "I am the Lord your God" and "You shall have no other gods" they heard from Moses at the time he was prophesying³²

— it has

(also)

the law of one who transgresses the words of the prophet³³

; but not so regarding other commandments,

since they heard them from Moses after he had heard them from the Holy One, blessed be He³²,

there is not by

They

(also in the generation of Moses)

The obligation of one who transgresses the words of the prophet.

And with this one could explain the change in the language of the Rambam mentioned above,

that therefore he says by idolatry "to deny his prophecy of Moses" to hint that in this command of Moses regarding idolatry there is an additional special aspect

(in addition to that which it is a command of the Torah,

like all commands),

namely,

that this is a category of a command of the prophet at the time he is prophesying,

and when someone transgresses

(in the generation of Moses)

such a prophecy, he is liable to death by Heaven — and since that &lt;b&gt;the &lt;/b&gt;law is only by idolatry as mentioned above,

therefore the Rambam says it only regarding that which he says "that HaShem commanded him that one should worship idolatry"&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;

; but regarding "uprooting a matter from matters etc." he says "to deny the Torah".

7.

But besides this,

what based on this remains difficult: why in the beginning of the chapter

(where he speaks <b>not</b> about idolatry)

the Rambam says "to deny the prophecy of Moses",

is also the entire explanation

a great difficulty³⁵.

Because³⁶

A)

Since the aforementioned law is only in the generation of Moses - then what happened happened³⁷.

b)

The obligation of death by the hands of Heaven comes upon an idol worshipper

(in the generation of the wilderness)

is according to the above not connected with the matter of the false prophet,

but with the matter of idolatry: when someone

(from the generation of the wilderness)

serves idolatry - even when he does not say thereby "that God commanded him" - he is liable to death by the hands of Heaven.

So if the Rambam would have wanted to hint at the aforementioned law,

he would have needed to do it in the laws of idolatry³⁸

- and not in the law of the false prophet about which the Rambam speaks here

8.

Will one understand all this with the introduction of the explanation — briefly at least — of that which was mentioned earlier

(section 1)

regarding the definition of halachah

(and in Pardes of the Torah in general)

and the superiority of the commandments of the Torah

(at Mount Sinai)

<b>*</b>³⁸

on the commands through the prophets:

On the word "Anochi" — the first

Word of the Ten Commandments,

the entirety of the entire Torah - says the Gemara³⁹,

that "Anochi" is an acronym "Ana nafshi ketavit yehavit",

that the Almighty, as it were, wrote Himself and gave Himself into the Torah.

And in the Midrash - that through the Torah "Me you are taking"⁴⁰.

And from this it is understood,

that the commandments of the Torah,

are not only a "means" to receive reward,

or to attain the level and elevation of "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"⁴¹,

"to refine the creatures"⁴²

etc. but

(also and primarily)

that in them themselves lies the intent and purpose.

("Ana Nafshi")

that He is, heaven forbid, a "means" to something else - so it is not possible to say regarding the mitzvos of the Torah&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;,

that in them there is the "Ana Nafshi"].

And this is also the reason that the mitzvos in the Torah are "forever and for all eternities"&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;,

and it is not possible in them

No change, deficiency or addition - because since Torah and mitzvos contain within themselves the "Ana Nafshi" of the Most High,

therefore it is not applicable to them any change⁴⁵

- just as it is not applicable any change in the Most High⁴⁶

Himself.

to attain a virtue etc. as above,

it would be possible to say,

that a change

(ascent or descent)

in those who fulfill the mitzvos should cause a change also in the mitzvos;

Since however that the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the commandments of the Torah is an &lt;b&gt;intrinsic&lt;/b&gt; will,

so He wills from His own essence - it is therefore not applicable that in this there should be a change, heaven forbid]&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;.

And likewise is the superiority of Torah over prophecy: the commands through the prophets

or "Do not go"&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

and the like]

- were said for the sake of a benefit that will &lt;b&gt;result from it&lt;/b&gt;,

and therefore these are commands&lt;sup&gt;49&lt;/sup&gt;

for the time being&lt;sup&gt;50&lt;/sup&gt;.

Even such commands that come "to command about the words of the Torah and to warn the people that they not transgress them"

- is their intention and purpose

(not them themselves,

but)

"to command about <b>the words of the Torah </b>etc."⁵¹

But the words of the Torah are not so,

is

(mainly<b>*</b>⁵¹

they themselves are His will

HaKadosh Baruch Hu,

His essential will⁵².

And this is also the reason that "a prophet is not permitted to innovate a thing"

(in the Torah)

- because the word of God of the Torah is higher than the word of God in prophecy⁵³.

9.

Even though the strength of Torah is greater than the strength of prophecy,

and specifically Torah "stands forever and for all eternities" — but from this very fact there is an advantage regarding created beings — in prophecy over Torah:

Because Torah is the essential will of the Holy One, blessed be He,

it is incomparably higher than the category of created beings,

so that they can grasp and comprehend

His very essence of the Torah⁵⁴

; but not so prophecy,

whose subject is a revelation of G‑dliness to <b>created beings</b>,

revealed His secret⁵⁵,

not <b>their</b> definition⁵⁶

etc.)

- is this in a manner that the revelation effects among Jews below a strength of faith in G‑dliness.

Based on this is understood the length of the explanation in the Rambam

(chapter 8)

regarding the manner of faith of Jews in the prophecy of Moses

(and the Torah of Moses)

- because this is

(not merely a narrative in the Torah,

but)

a <b>halacha</b>,

and in this halacha there are two matters:

(a)

The faith that a Jew must believe in the prophecy of Moses must be with the strength of certainty - a complete faith "that has no flaw."

(b)

In order that the faith should be in such a manner,

it must be

(not "because of the signs",

but)

from the aspect that "our eyes saw etc. and our ears heard",

that specifically then there can be a complete faith that has no flaw in it.

And similarly it is regarding what the Rambam explains why one must &lt;b&gt;not &lt;/b&gt;believe and not obey a prophet who is "coming to deny the prophecy of Moses" even when he shows "great signs and wonders" - because "the prophecy of Moses our teacher is not based on signs so that we compare this sign to that sign, but rather with our eyes we saw it and with our ears

we heard it..

This comes..

to deny what you saw with your eyes etc." - so this is not merely a &lt;b&gt;reason and proof &lt;/b&gt; why "we do not listen to him",

but a &lt;b&gt;halacha&lt;/b&gt;,

and also in this halacha there are two matters:

(a)

The strength of certainty in the faith must be to such an extent,

that even "signs and great wonders" will not cast doubt on the faith.

(b)

In order that the faith should not be weakened by the "signs and wonders",

it is through that which a Jew explains to himself,

that this contradicts "the prophecy of Moses &lt;b&gt;which we saw and which we heard&lt;/b&gt;" — and also "signs and wonders" are not capable of casting doubt on a thing which "you saw with your eyes".

d.

e.

That the perfection,

the absolute strength,

of "we do not listen to him" is because of that which it is "coming to contradict the prophecy of Moses which we saw and which we heard".

Yud.

An example and practical halachic difference in actual practice of the force of "in our eyes we saw": A witness cannot become a judge - because since "he saw with his eyes" - the force negates the possibility of "and they shall save"⁵⁸

But not when it was "with his ears he heard" from a hundred valid witnesses who heard or saw.

11.

And one can say,

that the inner reason why the Most High authenticated the prophecy of Moses

(in a manner of "our eyes saw etc.")

specifically at "<b>the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai</b>"

(as the Rambam elaborates on this),

is because the purpose of the prophecy of Moses is to effect that among Jews there should be <b>heard</b> not only the truth of Havayah

Elokim⁵⁹,

of Elokus in general,

but also the truth of <b>Torah</b>,

which is

(in its own essence)

above the category of created beings.

Through this that "our eyes saw etc. and our ears heard" &lt;b&gt;the prophecy &lt;/b&gt;of Moshe,

one had the complete faith "that there is no flaw in Him" also in the truth of &lt;b&gt;Torah &lt;/b&gt;

(which is above prophecy).

it is therefore,

because his prophecy is in the highest level and degree of prophecy - and in both extremes: on the one hand from the aspect of the revelation of prophecy,

that the revelation of G-dliness is in the most elevated manner

("in a vision and not in riddles")

; and on the other hand,

that he is "standing on his station whole"&lt;sup&gt;61&lt;/sup&gt;,

that this was revealed to him as he is below completely whole.

And therefore his prophecy is a "vessel" to bring down Torah

(which is above created beings)

into the category of created beings and to instill in them the strength of faith and certainty in Torah].

And with this it is also explained what is in the subsequent chapter,

where the Rambam speaks about someone who says "that God sent him to add a commandment etc."

i.

(i.e.,

e.

that is,

he denies the truth of the Torah),

the Rambam writes the wording "this is a false prophet, for he comes to deny <b>the prophecy of Moses</b>":

This is not merely a <b>proof</b> that he is a false prophet,

but with this the

Rambam innovates a &lt;b&gt;halacha&lt;/b&gt; - although the prophecy of Moses is lower than the Torah&lt;sup&gt;62&lt;/sup&gt;,

since however the prophecy of Moses authenticates the faith in the Torah that "it has no change etc." and that "no prophet is permitted to innovate a thing",

therefore,

must also the force of the negation of denial

(not to listen to the "sign and wonder")

come specifically from the side of &lt;b&gt;the prophecy of Moses&lt;/b&gt;.

12.

According to the above comes a special explanation in the order and the division of the chapters in Laws of the Foundations of the Torah concerning prophecy:

In chapter 7, the Rambam speaks about the matter of prophecy in general,

and also how the prophecy of Moses has within it the quality the greatest of prophecy

(as he elaborates on the details in this)

Afterwards,

in continuation of this greatness of the superiority in the prophecy of Moses,

he continues in this chapter that follows,

that from this there is yet a higher level in the prophecy of Moses,

that "in what did they believe in him,

<b>at the standing at Mount Sinai</b>",

that <b>the prophecy </b>is in a manner of "we saw and we heard";

And in continuation to this,

that the prophecy of Moses is connected with "the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai",

he says in the following chapter,

that from this aspect the prophecy of Moses also verifies the belief in the truth of the Torah &lt;b&gt;which is above &lt;/b&gt;prophecy,

that the Torah is "standing forever and for all eternities" and "a prophet is not permitted to innovate anything" - and consequently,

if a prophet comes and says "that G-d sent him to add a commandment etc.",

he is "denying the prophecy of Moses".

13.

But the wording "to deny the prophecy of Moses" the Rambam writes only regarding a prophet who says "that G-d sent him to add a commandment etc."

; however, in the case when "he uproots a matter from matters that we learned from the oral tradition or says etc. that G-d commanded him that the law is thus etc." he says

(not "to deny the prophecy of Moses",

but)

"to deny &lt;b&gt;the Torah&lt;/b&gt;" -

The explanation of this:

When⁶³

a prophet says "that Hashem <b>sent him to add</b> a commandment or <b>to subtract</b> etc. or to interpret a commandment from the commandments an interpretation <b>that we did not hear from Moses</b>"

- then the intention of his speech is to deny the foundation of "the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai"⁶⁴

- that the Most High chose Moses our teacher and through <b>him</b> gave the Jewish people <b>the entire</b> Torah "forever and for all eternities";

And since "the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai" was verified among Jews through that which "our eyes saw etc. and our ears heard" the prophecy of Moses - it turns out,

that he thereby "denies the prophecy of Moses"⁶⁵.

But not so one who "uproots a matter etc. or who says etc. that God commanded him that the law is thus etc."

He does not deny thereby the foundations of the entire Torah - he only speaks about a particular law in the Torah,

that according to his prophecy the "law is thus"

- he even comes to verify the law of the Torah]

- but in practice such a manner of ruling halachos

is the opposite of a commandment in the Torah,

from the Torah's commandment "It is not in heaven";

And therefore the Rambam does not say here "to deny the prophecy of Moses",

but "to deny the Torah",

because that one denies only a &lt;b&gt;law&lt;/b&gt; of the Torah - but not the Giving of the Torah at Sinai

(and not the foundations of the entire Torah)

which was verified through the prophecy of Moses that we saw and heard.

(From talks of the intermediate days of the festival and Shabbat Parshat Nasso 5734)