Clarity of Prophecy

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1. Yirmiyahu and the False Prophets

   Rabbi David Sabato

   Clashes between true and false prophets take place in many places in the Bible. But for no other prophet does this type of confrontation play such a central role in his world as it does for Yirmiyahu.

   Yirmiyahu highlights four distinctions between the true prophet and the false prophet.

   Personality of the Prophet:

   One cannot separate the prophet's personality from his prophecy. Prophecy is not a profession external to the prophet's person; rather, it must fill his entire world. Hence, a prophet who sins in his personal life cannot be a true prophet in his public life.

   Purpose of the Prophecy:

   The role of the true prophet, from the days of Avraham, is to speak out against the faults of society and try to fix them, thus trying to prevent the moral deterioration so that it not be destroyed like Sedom. The false prophets, on the other hand, work in the opposite manner: They turn Jerusalem into Sedom by way of their false prophecies of reassurance, thus betraying their role as prophets.

   Wording of the Prophecy:

   The authenticity of a prophecy is reflected in the unique style of the prophet who delivers it. He receives the word of God and then formulates it in his own words and his own personal style. The uniform style of the false testifies to its inauthenticity and the absence of inner connection to the prophet himself.

   Experience and Clarity of the Prophecy:

   The realm of dreams is by its very nature a place where the boundary between reality and imagination becomes blurred; a person is liable to think that he received a prophecy from above, when in fact he merely had a dream and imagined fantasies in his mind. The experience of prophecy, on the other hand, is unequivocal; a prophet who experiences the intensity of prophecy – "like a burning fire shut up in my bones" cannot be mistaken about it. The inner distinction between imagination and prophecy is sharp and clear, and anyone can distinguish between the two in himself.

2. Bilam and the Daughters of Moav

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 38 minutes

   Though "no other prophet like Moshe arose among Bnei Yisrael", a Talmudic saying suggests that a prophet parallel to Moshe arose among the other nations: Bilam ben Be’or, who appears in our parasha.  Could it be that Bilam, whose donkey sees more than he does, really be much of a prophet? Ramban contends that Bilam was not a prophet at all. In this shiur, we explore Ramban's ideas about who Bilam really is and what is truly going on in the story of Bilam.

3. Concentration, Thanksgiving, Shock: Why Did Avraham Fall on His Face?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

4. Vaera - Miracles and Prophecy

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell

   תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | | 18 minutes

   What is a miracle? What is a prophecy? Both come up very strongly in this parasha. We look at some big ideas relating to these topics, and consider what elements of a nevua are crucial to our ability to accept and believe it. What are the purposes of miracles and prophecies? Accuracy, preciseness and relevancy are key.

5. Zekharya: Spiritual Visionary

   Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

   Haggai and Zekharya, while radically different – Haggai is straightforward and political, Zekharya quasi-mystical and spiritual – can in fact be seen as two sides of the same coin. Similar to Haggai, Zekharya’s message says that while things may appear grim at present, in the long run they will turn around dramatically. However, while Haggai calls for the Jews to roll up their sleeves and begin the work. Zekharya cries for repentance, suggesting that the rebuilding of Jerusalem will materialize regardless. Throughout Zekharya, the Jews’ role is to strive in matters of spirituality, and God will take care of the rest.

   Jerusalem will be so expansive that it will not be able to contain its population with walls. The expansive nature of the city is, of course, in sharp contrast to the meager numbers that plagued the community of returnees.

   God commands the Jews of Babylonia that the exile has ended, and they must now return to the holy city of Jerusalem. Eventually, the other nations will join the Jews in worshipping God in Jerusalem. 

6. Implications of the Akeida Part 10: Mei HaShiloach and the Obscured Vision

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 30 minutes

   In this shiur, we will discuss comments by the Mei HaShiloach on the Akeida – different from anything we have seen thus far. What was the big test of the Akeida? In the face of radical uncertainty, the challenge for Avraham was to eliminate personal bias or consideration from affecting his decision.

   According to the Mei HaShiloach, Avraham was unsure whether it was really God’s command to sacrifice his son – he had an unclear prophetic vision. He spent three days neutralizing his feelings to arrive at an objective stance. He had to completely negate his feelings for his son to determine what God was commanding.

   At times it can be difficult to know what to do – when mercy will lead to cruelty, and when harshness will lead to goodness. When in doubt, it is better to be wrong, but merciful – because that is the essence of the Divine.