Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chukkat/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chukat

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Prophetic Leadership: Obedience or Initiative?

Which prophet is at a higher level: one who is blindly obedient to Hashem in all that he does, or one who takes the initiative to act on his own without seeking Divine approval beforehand?

• In trying to uncover Moshe and Aharon's sin at Mei Merivah, R"Y Albo points to their running to the Tent of Meeting to consult with Hashem rather than immediately quelling the nation's murmurings by invoking a miracle on their own. He claims that this caused a lack of faith in one of the central tenets of Torah, a prophet's power to act above nature. 
• What in the text supports this suggestion? Do you agree that going to the tent of Meeting was problematic?  When is consultation the appropriate response to crisis?  When is it preferable to take matters into your own hands? 
• Can a prophet really bring a miracle on his or her own?  What examples from Tanakh might suggest that they can? Are all prophets equal in this regard? 
• For elaboration see  Moshe's Misstep and Mei Merivah and the opinion of Abarbanel in Moshe's Epitaph – Signs and Wonders.