Jewish philosophy -- Early works to 1800; Judaism -- Works to 1900; Philosophy, Medieval -- Early works to 1800
I have already described the four points in which the prophecy of Moses
our Teacher was distinguished from that of other prophets, in books
accessible to every one, in the Commentary on the Mishnah (Sanhedrin x.
1) and in Mishneh-torah (S. Maddʻa I. vii. 6); I have also adduced
evidence for my explanation, and shown the correctness thereof. I need
not repeat the subject here, nor is it included in the theme of this
work. For I must tell you that whatever I say here of prophecy refers
exclusively to the form of the prophecy of all prophets before and
after Moses. But as to the prophecy of Moses I will not discuss it in
this work with one single word, whether directly or indirectly,
because, in my opinion, the term prophet is applied to Moses and other
men homonymously. A similar distinction, I think, must be made between
the miracles wrought by Moses and those wrought by other prophets, for
his signs are not of the same class as the miracles of other prophets.
That his prophecy was distinguished from that of all his predecessors
is proved by the passage, “And I appeared to Abraham, etc., but by my
name, the Lord, I was not known unto them” (Exod. vi. 3). We thus learn
that his prophetic perception was different from that of the
Patriarchs, and excelled it; a fortiori it must have excelled that of
other prophets before Moses. As to the distinction of Moses’ prophecy
from that of succeeding prophets, it is stated as a fact, “And there
arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew
face to face” (Deut. xxxiv. 10). It is thus clear that his prophetic
perception was above that of later prophets in Israel, who are “a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” and “in whose midst is the
Lord”; much more is it above that of prophets among other nations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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