Moshe's Epitaph – Signs and Wonders/2

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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

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" – Ralbag asserts that the Mashiach will be on a higher prophetic level than Moshe and do greater wonders, most notably resurrecting the dead.5  He maintains that the verse claims only that for Israel alone there will be none like Moshe.6 The Mashiach, however, who will serve as prophet for both Israel and the nations, will surpass Moshe in his greatness.7
Syntactic Relationship of verses 10 and 11-12
  • Ralbag reads the opening clause "וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה" as a proposition which is then supported by the various types of evidence which follow in each of the remainder of v. 10 as well as vss. 11-12. Thus, Moshe's uniqueness was rooted both in his "face to face" encounter with Hashem as well as in the signs and wonders he performed.
  • 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", with the intervening clause "אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ ה' פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים" being only parenthetical.8 Thus, the verses are saying that it is specifically with regard to the wonders he performed that no other prophet will compare to Moshe.9
"לְכָל" – Shadal points to this word as evidence that the multiplicity of signs is what made Moshe unique.10 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,11 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,12 and Ralbag maintaining that is a wonder intended to persuade the nation to believe in something.13
"הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה... הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל" – Ramban maintains that, in contrast to the earlier terms, these do not refer to the plagues of Egypt.14 Instead, "הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה" refers to the miracle of the splitting of the sea where the verse says, "וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדֹלָה"‎,15 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".16

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.

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.17 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 miracles18 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.19 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.20
Moshe vs. Mashiach – Rambam asserts that the Mashiach will approach but not surpass Moshe's abilities.21 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.22
"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,23 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.

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.24
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).25
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.26
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.27 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.28 Abarbanel asserts that this wonder is the greatest type a human can bring.

Not Unique

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

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,29 not to his miracles.30
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.31 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.32