Prophetic Actions Without Explicit Divine Sanction/2

Prophetic Actions Without Explicit Divine Sanction

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

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, YerushalmiTaanit 2:8Megillah 1:11About the Yerushalmi,  Vayikra Rabbah22:9About Vayikra Rabbah, 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 18:21Melakhim I 18:36Melakhim II 4:16About R. David Kimchi #2,¹ RambanShemot 10:2Shemot 11:1Shemot 14:15Shemot 16:4Shemot 32:27Vayikra 9:2Vayikra 10:3Bemidbar 16:5Bemidbar 17:6About R. Moshe b. Nachman #2, R. Yosef ibn KaspiMelakhim I 17:1About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi,²

Prophetic autonomy – According to this approach, prophets do not have the power to change nature on their own, and any miracle that a prophet performs is done only at Hashem's command.³ It is possible to go even further and suggest that prophets do not even have the autonomy to act or to make any significant decisions except with Divine guidance.⁴

Biblical cases – This position attempts to explain away all cases where a prophet seems to be acting on his own:

• Incense test – Many of these sources⁵ understand Moshe's falling on his face after Korach's initial complaint as a sign of prophetic communication.  At this juncture,  Hashem told him how to proceed during the rebellion and directed him to propose the incense test.  Rashbam claims that Moshe's later words "בְּזֹאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי י"י שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כׇּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה" refers specifically to his hope that the nation will recognize that the test was devised by Hashem, and not himself.⁶
• Earth opening – Ramban maintains that in Hashem's words, "הֵעָלוּ מִסָּבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם" He hinted that the earth was to swallow the leaders, so here, too, Moshe was not declaring a miracle on his own.⁷
• Moshe and the petition of the 2/12 tribes – These sources would likely view the tribes' words "אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר י"י אֶל עֲבָדֶיךָ כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה" as proof that Moshe did not independently decide that they could settle the eastern bank.
• Yehoshua and the sun – These sources would likely explain that Yehoshua was not decreeing that the sun stand still, but rather praying to Hashem for aid, hoping that He would acquiesce to make a miracle.  Thus, the verse states, "אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לַי"י " emphasizing that Yehosua's word were addressed to Hashem, and were not a public declaration.
• Shemuel bringing rain – This approach would likely explain that, despite the text's silence, Shemuel had been told beforehand to bring rain as a sign for the people. However, it is difficult to understand why he then needed to pray that the rain come.  The position could answer that Shemuel wanted to ensure that the people recognized that the rain was indeed coming from Hashem and not coincidental.
• Natan and the Beit HaMikdash
• Eliyahu's Miracles
• Eliyahu's declaration of drought and the Altar on Mt. Carmel – Several sources⁸ point to Eliyahu's statement on Mt. Carmel that  "הַיּוֹם יִוָּדַע כִּי... אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ [וּבִדְבָרְךָ] (ובדבריך) עָשִׂיתִי אֵת כׇּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה" as proof that Eliyahu's actions were all done at Hashem's behest.⁹  It is ambiguous, though, if the words "כׇּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה" refer just to the events on Mt. Carmel, or also to the initial declaration of drought. These sources would likely say that even if it refers only to the former, one can learn from here to the rest of Eliyahu's miracles, that they too were done by the word of God.  
• Eliyahu and the pitcher of flour – The text itself states that this miracle occurred by the word of Hashem: "כִּדְבַר י"י אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד אֵלִיָּהוּ".
• Eliyahu reviving the boy – These sources could explain that in this case, Eliyahu was really simply praying to Hashem that the boy revive and did not know advance, nor necessarily expect, that Hashem would accede to his request.
• Eliyahu and officers of fifty – These sources might suggest that just as the text attests to the fact that an angel told Eliyahu not to kill the third officer and his men, Hashem had previously told him (despite the silence in the text) that He would release fire on the others.
• Elisha's miracles¹⁰ – Only by two of Elisha's miracles (the sweetening of waters, and giving of bread) does the text explicitly allude to Hashem's having directed that the miracle would occur. (In case,  Elisha prefaces the bringing of the miracle with the statement, "כֹּה אָמַר י"י ".)  This approach would suggest that the other miracles happened in the same manner.

Why is Hashem's command not explicitly stated?

"מֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ"

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,¹¹ ?Abarbanel¹²

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 NefeshAvvat Nefesh, Commentary on Ibn Ezra Bemidbar 20:8, RalbagShemuel I 12:6Shemuel I 12, Toelet 23Melakhim I 17:1Melakhim I 18:32-36Melakhim I Toalot 18:36About R. Levi b. Gershom, Akeidat YitzchakBemidbar 78Bemidbar 80About R. Yitzchak Arama, AbarbanelShemot 8:8Shemot 10:29, 11:1, 4Shemot 16:9Shemot 16Shemot 16:23Shemot 32:27Vayikra 9:5-6Vayikra 10:3Bemidbar 16:3Devarim 34:11Melakhim I 17:1Melakhim I 18:36Melakhim II 2:22Melakhim II 8:6About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Uniqueness of Moshe

¹ Radak also raises the possibility that prophets act on their own, trusting that Hashem will fulfill their words, and appears to prefer that position.

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 It should be noted that each of the sources above refer only to individual cases, and do not discuss the issue in general terms, so it is difficult to know for certain if they would necessarily take this approach regarding all miracles.

⁴ However, such a position would have to explain how Natan could have then told David that he could build the Mikdash, against Hashem's wishes.  They might repsond that Natan was not acting in the role of prophet when he responded to David, but only as a royal advisor.

⁵ See R. Saadia, Ibn Balaam, Rashbam and Ramban.

⁶ Most other commentators explain, in contrast, that Moshe is speaking of the choosing of Aharon as priest.

⁷ He further suggests that even the people recognized this

⁸ See Yerushalmi Ta'anit, Yerushalmi Megillah, Vayikra Rabbah and Radak.

⁹ See Radak who questions, as above, that if so, it is not clear why Eliyahu then needs to pray that Hashem answer him.  Radak answers that Eliyahu wanted to ensure that the people did not think that the fire was some magical trick.

¹⁰ See

¹¹ According to R. Avraham b. Shelomo the prophet intuits the will of God.

¹² 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.