The concluding verses of the Torah are an epitaph to his life. The Torah lauds him as the greatest prophet of all time, the one who encountered God face to face, so to speak. He is considered the father of prophecy. Elsewhere, the Torah is more specific.
Because of the frequency and unpredictability of his prophetic encounters, Moshe had stopped having connubial relations with his wife. Miriam remarked to Aharon, “Does God speak only to Moshe? He speaks to us as well.” In other words, why does he consider himself so holy that he must become celibate? We are also prophets, and we are not celibate.
Although this was an affront to Moshe, the Torah tells us that he did not take offense, because he was more humble than any other person on the earth. But God did not let this pass. He summoned the three of them to the Tent of Meeting, and He said to Miriam and Aharon, “Heed My words. If there should be prophets among you, I will make Myself known to them in a vision. I will speak to them in a dream. But it is not so with My servant Moshe. He is trusted in My entire house. I speak to him mouth to mouth in a clear vision without riddles. He gazes at the image of God. Why aren’t you afraid to speak against My servant Moshe?”
Here we see the clear differentiation between the prophecies of Moshe and the prophecies of other prophets. Moshe received his prophecies with perfect clarity while fully awake. This is called aspaklaria meira, through a clear lens. Other prophets received their prophecies in the form of symbols and riddles conveyed through visions and dreams. This is called aspaklaria she’einah meira, through a translucent lens.
Moshe was able to achieve the highest form of prophecy, something no one else before or after could achieve. His prophecies were Shechinah medaberes mitoch grono, the Divine Presence speaking through his throat. The words he spoke were the exact words God said to him. Other prophets interpreted the symbols and riddles in their visions and formulated the prophecies in their own words. Nonetheless, says the Rambam, there was no room for error. Once the prophet deciphered the puzzle, there could be no question about the solution. If there was even the slightest doubt about the correctness of the interpretation, says the Rambam, how could Abraham have been ready to sacrifice his son based on his prophecy?
In order for Moshe to fulfill his mission, it was critical that God put the exact words into his mouth. He would receive the Torah from God and deliver it to the people. Every word, every letter had incalculable significance. Every word, every letter would be studied intensely for thousands of years. They had to be God’s exact words, not text formulated by a human being to convey a message from God . . .
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