Prophetic Actions Without Explicit Divine Sanction/2

Prophetic Actions Without Explicit Divine Sanction

Exegetical Approaches

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All Divinely Commanded

The miracles and deeds performed by a prophet are done via Divine command.  Despite Hashem's instructions not being explicitly mentioned, it can be assumed that they were communicated to Moshe.

Sources:Josephus8 13:2-4About Josephus Antiquities of the Jews, R. Saadia Gaon,  R. Yehuda ibn BalaamBemidbar 16:4About R. Yehuda ibn Balaam, RashbamShemot 11:1Bemidbar 16:4Bemidbar 16:28-29About R. Shemuel b. Meir, TosafotSanhedrin 89bAbout Ba'alei HaTosafot, RadakMelakhim I 17:1Melakhim I 18:21Melakhim I 18:36About R. David Kimchi,¹ Ramban #2, R. Yosef ibn KaspiMelakhim I 17:1About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, RalbagMelakhim I 17:1About R. Levi b. Gershom,²

Prophetic autonomy

"מֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ"

Biblical cases

Why is Hashem's command not explicitly stated?

Prophetic fallibility

Speaking/ Acting in Hashem's name

Moshe versus other prophets

Evaluation of Prophetic ability

Prophet's Own Initiative

A prophet is granted the ability by Hashem to act and perform wonders on his own initiative.

Sources:RambamCommentary on the Mishna, IntroductionAbout R. Moshe b. Maimon, Ramban #1, R. Yosef AlboR. Yosef Albo Sefer HaIkkarim 4:22About R. Yosef Albo, ?R. Avraham b. Shelomo,³ Abarbanel⁴

Prophetic Prayer

When a prophet declares that a miracle that was not Divinely commanded is to happen, he is in effect praying that Hashem will fulfill his words and risks the possibility that Hashem will not accede to his request.

Sources:? R. Yosef KaraYehoshua 10:12Shemuel I 12:17About R. Yosef Kara, Ibn EzraShemot Second Commentary 8:8-9Bemidbar 16:4Sefat Yeter 84About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Radak #1Melakhim I 17:1Melakhim I 18:21Melakhim I 18:36About R. David Kimchi, ?Avvat Nefesh, Abarbanel

Uniqueness of Moshe

¹ Radak also raises the possibility that

² Ralbag brings two possibilities, suggesting that the prophet might always act under Divine orders, but also allowing for the possibility that a prophet might bring a miracle through prayer.

³ According to R. Avraham b. Shelomo the prophet intuits the will of God.

⁴ This is how Abarbanel presents the miracles of prophets in his comments to Melakhim 8.  In his commentary on Devarim, in contrast, he emphasizes how prophets must pray to Hashem to elicit a  miracle.