Moshe's Epitaph – Signs and Wonders/2

Moshe's Epitaph – Signs and Wonders

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Commentators struggle to pinpoint the unique aspect of Moshe's miracle-making and to determine what exactly the Torah means when it states that Moshe will never be surpassed by any other prophet.  Their positions are influenced by both their interpretations of other Biblical miracles and their understandings of the relationship between prophetic proficiency and signs and wonders.

On one end of the spectrum, Shadal claims that Moshe's miracles were much more critical to his unique status than his prophetic powers, and that his wonders were extraordinary by virtue of their sheer quantity.  On the opposite end, Seforno maintains that the verses speak only of Moshe's prophetic prowess, and that the miraculous events were merely the settings in which Moshe's powers were revealed.

Other commentators chart middle grounds and emphasize both facets. Rambam asserts that Moshe's uniqueness was reflected through both his prophetic abilities as well as his wondrous feats, the latter being distinguished by the vast audiences upon which he impacted.  Abarbanel proposes a different relationship between the two aspects, suggesting that it was Moshe's unique prophetic capacity and direct hotline to Hashem which enabled him to work wonders without the need for preparatory prayer.

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Quantity and Quality

Moshe's feats surpassed those of all other prophets because they impacted greater numbers of people in more fundamental ways.  This approach subdivides regarding which aspect is emphasized:

Abundance

Moshe's miracles were unparalleled due to their sheer numbers, duration,¹ and area which they affected.²

Sources:Ramban #1Devarim 34:11-12About R. Moshe Nachmanides, RalbagDevarim 34:10-12Devarim 34 Toalot 18-19Yehoshua 10:12-14About R. Levi b. Gershon, ShadalDevarim 34:10,12About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, Hoil MosheDevarim 34:11-12About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

Comparison to Yehoshua

• Although Yehoshua performed miracles such as splitting the Jordan and making the sun stand still which were on par with Moshe, he did not perform nearly as many wonders as his predecessor. In addition, none of Yehoshua's feats lasted longer than a few hours.
• Ralbag adds that Yehoshua did not really make the sun stop (which would indeed have been a greater miracle than those brought by Moshe), but that he only miraculously sped up the battle, thereby creating an illusion that time stood still. This, though, does not seem to conform to the simple sense of the verses.

Comparison to Eliyahu and Elisha – Eliyahu and Elisha's wonders were indeed more numerous³ and of longer duration⁴ when compared to those of Yehoshua, but they still do not rival those of Moshe.

Moshe vs. Mashiach – "וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה" – Most of these commentators could maintain that Moshe's miracles must be greater than any that the Mashiach will bring.⁵  However, Ralbag contends that the Torah's assertion of Moshe's superiority is limited by the modifying word "בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל", and applies only in comparison to prophets who prophesied exclusively to Israel,⁶  but not to the Mashiach who will serve as a prophet for the entire world. Since the Mashiach will be tasked with leading all of the nations, not just Israel, to worship Hashem,⁷ he will  need to surpass Moshe⁸ in the magnitude of his miracles,⁹ by performing even greater wonders such as the resurrection of the dead.¹⁰

Syntactic Relationship of verses 10 and 11-12

• Ralbag reads the opening clause "וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה" as a proposition that Moshe is superior (among prophets who prophesy exclusively to Israel) in all the categories mentioned in the remainder of v. 10 as well as vss. 11-12. Thus, Moshe's superiority  relates to both his "face to face" encounter with Hashem and to the signs and wonders he performed.¹¹
• Shadal and the Hoil Moshe, in contrast, suggest that the phrase "...לְכָל הָאֹתֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים" should be read as the direct continuation of the words "וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה",‎¹² with the intervening clause "אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ ה' פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים" being only a parenthetical description of Moshe but not his uniqueness.¹³ Thus, the verses are saying that it is specifically with regard to the wonders Moshe performed that no other prophet will compare.¹⁴

"לְכָל" – Shadal points to this word as evidence that the multiplicity of signs is what made Moshe unique.¹⁵ Ralbag similarly notes that the phrase, "וּלְכָל אַרְצוֹ" is meant to emphasize the extent of the area affected by the miracles.

"הָאֹתֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים" – According to both Ramban and Ralbag, a "מופת" is a miracle which involves a change in the natural order,¹⁶ and is distinct from an "אות". They differ, though, in their interpretations of an "אות", with Ramban asserting that it is a miracle which a prophet announces in advance,¹⁷ and Ralbag maintaining that is a wonder intended to persuade the nation to believe in something.¹⁸

"הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה... הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" – Ramban maintains that, in contrast to the earlier terms, these do not refer to the plagues of Egypt.¹⁹ Instead, "הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה" refers to the miracle of the splitting of the sea where the verse says, "וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדֹלָה"‎,²⁰ while "הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" refers to the revelation at Sinai whose purpose was to instill fear of Hashem in the nation: "בַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם‎".²¹

Audience

Moshe's wonders were unique because they were viewed by a wider audience. While most prophets performed miracles for individuals or a small portion of the nation, Moshe's were known to all of the Children of Israel as well as the surrounding nations.

Sources:R. Yosef Bekhor ShorDevarim 34:12About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambamHilkhot Teshuvah 9:2Moreh Nevukhim 1:42Moreh Nevukhim 2:35About R. Moshe Maimonides

Comparison to Yehoshua – Rambam asserts that when Yehoshua commands the sun to stand still, the verse states that he did so "לְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" but not "לעיני כל ישראל", and thus only part of the nation witnessed the miracle. Ramban and Abarbanel question this reading, pointing out that such an obvious miracle would have been seen, not just by all of Israel, but by the enemy kings as well.²² Rambam attempts to further belittle the miracle by suggesting that it lasted for merely a few hours.

Comparison to Eliyahu and Elisha – Rambam points to the king of Israel's request that Geichazi tell him of Elisha's miracles²³ as proof that most of them were not known to the nation at large and affected only several individuals. Ramban and Abarbanel question this assumption as well, pointing to the drought brought by Eliyahu which affected the entire nation and was known also to neighboring nations.²⁴ Here, too, Rambam belittles the prophets' miracles suggesting that the boys who they "brought back to life" had never really died, but were merely extremely sick and in need of resuscitation but not of resurrection.²⁵

Moshe vs. Mashiach – Rambam asserts that the Mashiach will approach but not surpass Moshe's abilities.²⁶ This is compatible with Rambam's understanding that the era of Mashiach will be a natural one and that the Mashiach need not perform miracles or revive the dead.

Syntactic Relationship of verses 10 and 11-12 – Rambam reads the introductory phrase "וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה" as a general statement which is then supported by the other clauses in the rest of v. 10 and vss. 11-12. Thus, Moshe surpassed others in both his prophetic abilities and his performance of signs and wonders.

"לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל" – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor and Rambam look to the verse's mentioning that Moshe acted "before the eyes of all of Israel" as evidence that this is what distinguished him from others.²⁷

"הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה... הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" – Neither of these commentators define what specific miracles are referred to by these terms. It is possible that they would suggest that they refer to the miracles of the Exodus,²⁸ like the preceding verse, and the Torah is merely adding that these miracles were viewed by all, friend and enemy alike.

Instantaneous

In contrast to other prophets, Moshe could bring miracles without needing to first pray. Moshe's face to face connection enabled a direct hotline to Hashem and instantaneous implementation.

Sources:Ramban #2Devarim 34:11-12About R. Moshe Nachmanides, AbarbanelDevarim 34About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Comparison to Yehoshua – Yehoshua prays to make the sun stand still and is told by Hashem to split the sea. Nowhere does he appear to act on his own without seeking (or being given) guidance from Hashem.²⁹

Comparison to Eliyahu and Elisha – There are many instances in which these prophets pray before bringing miracles. Both pray before reviving the dead, Eliyahu requests of Hashem to answer him during the contest on Mt. Carmel, and Elisha prays that Hashem blind the Aramean army which surrounded the city. One might question this position, though, from the equal number of cases where no prayer is mentioned (such as Eliyahu declaring the drought, and Elisha curing the water of Yericho and providing for the widow).³⁰

Moshe vs. Mashiach – Abarbanel asserts that the Mashiach will surpass Moshe only with regards to the extent of his redemption of the people, but not in his prophetic status. He does not explicitly compare their relative capabilities as miracle workers.³¹

Does a prophet need to make miracles? Abarbanel asserts that a prophet should not be judged by the miracles he performs since these are brought out of necessity and have nothing to do with the stature of the prophet.³² Abarbanel, nonetheless, attempts to prove how Moshe's wonders were greater than others, but does so by linking them to his prophetic abilities.

Syntactic Relationship of verses 10 and 11-12 – Ramban and Abarbanel suggest that the phrase "אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ ה' פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים" is coming not merely to praise Moshe's prophetic abilities, but also to explain his manner of bringing miracles. Moshe's direct connection with Hashem is what enabled the wonders to be performed instantaneously.

"הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה... הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" – Abarbanel distinguishes between the "signs and wonders" which refer to the miracles wrought in Egypt and "the strong hand and great fear" which allude to the events of the wilderness and specifically Moshe's biggest wonder, inviting the Divine Providence to dwell amongst Israel. Moshe's power ("הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה") convinced Hashem not to send an angel but to accompany the nation Himself, thereby bringing fear of God ("הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל") upon the people.³³ Abarbanel asserts that this wonder is the greatest type a human can bring.

Miracles Not Unique

Moshe's singularity was unconnected to the miracles he performed, and only related to his prophetic powers.

Sources:SefornoShemot 3:2Devarim 34:11-12About R. Ovadyah Seforno

Comparison to Others – According to this position, there is no reason why other prophets could not outperform Moshe in their wonders. Moshe's higher stature was related to his prophetic abilities,³⁴ not to his miracles.³⁵

Syntactic Relationship of verses 10 and 11-12 – According to Seforno, the verses are not listing the various ways in which Moshe was exceptional, but mentioning just one – his achieving a face to face connection with Hashem. Thus, verses 11-12 are merely a parenthetical explanation of how and when this happened, telling the reader that this process began after Moshe was sent to perform signs and wonders in Egypt and culminated at Mt. Sinai.³⁶ Seforno could interpret the "לְ" of "לְכָל הָאֹתֹת" to mean "for the purpose of".

"הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה... הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" – The first of these terms refers to the supernatural miracles in the wilderness, such as the splitting of the sea and the manna, while the second refers to the revelation at Sinai. It was only here that Moshe finally attained the highest level of face to face prophecy.³⁷

¹ For example, the manna and pillars of cloud and fire all endured for a full forty years.

² Ramban, Shadal, and the Hoil Moshe emphasize the vast number of Moshe's miracles. Ramban highlights also their long duration, while Ralbag points to both their enduring quality and the large expanse which they affected.

³ Almost every story involving Elisha relates to some miracle he wrought for the good of an individual or the nation.

⁴ Eliyahu brings drought for three years, but this is quite short of forty years worth of manna.

⁵ Cf. Rambam below.  Ramban, in his commentary to Yeshayahu 52 (פרשת הנה ישכיל עבדי) claims that the Mashiach will be more exalted and knowledgeable than Moshe, but he does not explicitly compare the miracles of the two.

⁶ Ralbag first develops this position in his commentary on Bemidbar 22-25, Toelet 2.  There he discusses the statement of the Sifre Devarim 357 which compares Bilam's prophetic level to that of Moshe.

⁷ Ralbag notes that this is in contrast to Moshe, who was charged with only a more limited mission of persuading just the Israelites to worship Hashem.

⁸ Precedent for Ralbag's position can be found in the statement of Tanchuma Toledot 14 (cf. Yalkut Shimoni Yeshayahu 476): "ונשא ממשה".  See also Ramban's interpretation of Yeshayahu 52:13 cited in the note above.

⁹ It is noteworthy that despite Ralbag's elevation of the Mashiach above Moshe with respect to miracles, he is careful to issue a disclaimer that this has no bearing on Moshe's singularity as the paramount law giver, as that is not the subject matter of our verses. In that regard, no prophet will ever equal Moshe, and thus the Torah will never be modified or replaced even in the Messianic era.

Ralbag is attempting here to ward off any potential extension of his position to allow for a Messiah who not only surpasses Moshe's miracles but also supersedes his Torah. It is possible that other commentators rejected Ralbag's position precisely because of the concern that it opens the door for other religions to claim that their Messiah/prophet was greater than Moshe and thus empowered to replace or update the Torah. See also Moshe's Misstep and Mei Merivah for similar concerns regarding Moshe's lack of perfection.

¹⁰ For Ralbag, the Mashiach will be the one who brings about resurrection of the dead.  Cf. Rambam Melakhim 11:3 who explicitly disputes this position and refers to it as something that "fools say".

¹¹ See the note above that the verses do not discuss how Moshe's unique status as the receiver of the Torah will make him superior to all prophets, even those who prophesy to all the nations.

¹² Hoil Moshe maintains that the "ל" of "לְכָל הָאֹתֹת" is comparable to that in the verse, "וַיִּגְדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מִכֹּל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ לְעֹשֶׁר וּלְחָכְמָה". Moshe surpassed other prophets in his signs and wonders, just as Shelomo surpassed other kings in his wisdom and wealth.

¹³ See also Shadal's Italian translation.

¹⁴ Shadal and the Hoil Moshe, thus, opt to deemphasize the uniqueness of Moshe's prophetic capabilities, despite the fact that these seem to be what Bemidbar 12:6-8 highlights as Moshe's singularity.  For other places where Shadal downplays the role of the intellect, displaying his anti-Maimonidean philosophy, see About Shadal.

¹⁵ The word repeats five times in just two verses, suggesting that Moshe's uniqueness relates to the abundance and scope of his actions.

¹⁶ This could include the turning of the staff into a snake and many of the other plagues in Egypt.

¹⁷ Thus, Moshe's announcing that frogs or ערוב were to arrive constituted an אות. Ramban explains the etymology of the word "אות" as follows: "על כל הדבר שיקדים הנביא לאמר כן יבוא ויאתה לעתיד".

¹⁸ Thus, Moshe's transformation of the waters of the Nile into blood was a sign for the nation to believe in Moshe.

¹⁹ Since those were already mentioned in the previous verse, these terms must be distinct and refer to other miracles.

²⁰ See Shemot 14:31. Ralbag offers a broader interpretation, including not only the splitting of the Sea but also the miracle of the manna.

²¹ See Shemot 20:18. Ralbag explains similarly that the phrase refers to any feat performed to lead the nation to fear God, but he does not mention Matan Torah explicitly. Ramban's choice to highlight Matan Torah together with miracles of the Exodus is logical given that he views both as the twin fundamental events in the formation of the nation and the people's belief in Hashem (see Ramban Shemot 13:16 and Devarim 4:9-10). One might even suggest that it is the singular historical impact of these wonders which places Moshe's legacy in a different league than that of all other prophets.

²² Yehoshua's splitting of the Jordan, too, was apparently witnessed by the entire nation, and word of it spread to all the Emorite and Canaanite Kings. See Yehoshua 5:1.

²³ See Melakhim II 8:4.

²⁴ See Ovadiah's words in Melakhim I 18:10 which suggest that Eliyahu's actions were known to surrounding peoples as well. Ramban and Abarbanel further question Rambam from the contest on Mt. Carmel which, they claim, was witnessed by both masses of Israelites and Baal worshipers. Rambam, in contrast, maintains that there were just a handful of people present. Though the verses set the number of Baal prophets at 450, they do not give an exact count of the Israelites, so it is not clear whose reading is correct. Eliyahu, though, does tell Achav to "gather all of Israel", and the chapter several times mentions "all of the nation" acting or speaking. Nonetheless, the word "all" might simply refer to all those who were present.

²⁵ Rambam asserts that just as the word "חי" can mean both alive and cured, so too the word "מת" can mean not only dead but also extremely sick.

²⁶ See also Rambam's discussion in Iggeret Teiman (Sheilat ed., pp.155-156).

²⁷ Rambam also highlights the fact that the verses speak of two separate audiences – both the enemy Paroh and the nation themselves. The fact that both friend and foe alike were spectators to Moshe's miracles is another factor which made Moshe unique.

²⁸ This option is supported by the fact that all other verses in the Torah which speak of Hashem's "יָד חֲזָקָה" or "מוֹרָא גָּדוֹל" (or both) refer to the events of the Exodus.  See Shemot 6:1, 13:9, 32:11, Devarim 4:34, 5:15, 6:21, 7:8,19, 9:26, 26:8.  The verses of Devarim 4:34 and 26:8, in particular, constitute strong evidence, as they contain all of the terms found in our verses.

²⁹ Abarbanel points out that although Moshe also prays before splitting the Sea, there Hashem asks him for what he is praying and directs him to instead simply act.

³⁰ Although Abarbanel might claim that these too were preceded by prayer, there is no evidence for that in the text.

³¹ It is unclear if Abarbanel assumes that redemption will come via natural or supernatural means.

³² A prophet living in a time of greater need will perform more wonders, while one living in a time of lesser need will bring about less.  However, this has nothing to do with the stature of the prophet.

³³ Abarbanel also brings an alternative possibility that the "strong hand" refers to the revelation at Sinai, when all of the people were able to prophesy, "כי הנבואה תקרא יד ‏ה'‏".

³⁴ Moshe's level of prophecy is, in fact, what Bemidbar 12:6-8 highlights as making him unique.

³⁵ This position could explain, like Abarbanel above, that a prophet performs miracles only when needed by the nation and thus, these says nothing about his overall capabilities.

³⁶ Seforno points to the encounter by the burning bush where Moshe feared to look at Hashem as evidence that at this point he had not yet attained the status of face to face contact.

³⁷ See Seforno's comments to Shemot 3:2 as well. According to Seforno, Moshe's achieving of this status was a process which began with his being sent to perform wonders in Egypt and climaxed at Mt. Sinai.