פירוש על דברים 13:2

ונתן אליך אות [IF THERE ARISE AMONG YOU A PROPHET …] AND GIVETH THEE A SIGN that will show itself in the heavens, just as it is stated in the case of Gideon who spoke to the angel, (Judges 6:17) “[If now I found grace in your sight], then show me a sign (אות)”, and then it further states, (Judges 6:39) “[let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece;] let it be dry only upon the fleece [and upon all the ground let there be dew]”.

IF THERE ARISE IN THE MIDST OF THEE A PROPHET, OR A DREAMER OF DREAMS. Scripture calls him “a prophet” on the basis of his own claim, for it is he who claims, “G-d spoke with me while I was awake and I am His prophet sent to you [to command] that you [worship idols,” as mentioned in Verse 3]. But it is possible that Scripture alludes to that which is true [that the person does indeed possess certain prophetic powers], for there is a prophetic potential in the souls of some people by which they know of things to come without the person knowing whence it comes to him, but he will isolate himself and [then] a spirit will arrive within him saying, “Thus it will happen to that person in the future in a particular matter.” The philosophers call [that power of prophecy] kahin.¹⁰⁷This is borrowed from the Arabic, kahanah, a term referring to the power residing in man to be able to foretell the future. It is so explained by Shmuel ibn Tibbon in his list of “Foreign words.” They do not know its cause, but the matter is substantiated in the sight of witnesses. Perhaps the soul in its keenness cleaves to the pure intellect¹⁰⁸See Guide of the Perplexed II, 4 (p. 32 Friedlander’s translation). and concentrates on it. Such a person is called “prophet,” because he predicts events, and, therefore, the sign or wonder¹⁰⁹In Verse 2 before us. whereof he spoke comes to pass.

כי יקום בקרבך נביא, "When a prophet arises in your midst, etc." The word נביא implies that even if this person has an established reputation as a true prophet, if he asks you to violate any of G'd's commandments even temporarily and it involves idolatry he is guilty of death. [He may ask you to temporarily violate a different one of the commandments such as Elijah at Mount Carmel who rebuilt a private altar upon which it was forbidden to offer sacrifices after the Temple in Jerusalem had been built. Ed.]

כי יקום בקרבך נביא או חולם חלום, “If there will arise among you someone proclaiming himself as a prophet or as someone receiving messages from heaven in a dream, etc.” [There is a bracket by the publisher in my edition that calls attention to a gematriya our author (did not completely) publish in his commentary known as Baal Haturim in which the letters of the word נביא , prophet, (63) are shown to have the same numerical value as the word ובנה, “and her son.” The author did publish the other half of this, i.e. that the word בקרבך is equivalent in numerical value (324) of the words זו האשה (324) “this is the woman,” i.e. the woman experiencing the immaculate conception, who gave birth to the founder of Christianity who was halachically a Jew. Clearly, the author, living as he did in Christian Spain in the 14th century where the Inquisition held sway, did not want to expose himself to the accusation by the Inquisition that he had labeled that man as a false prophet. Chumash editions printed in predominantly Christian countries either omit the author’s comment on this verse altogether or present it in an entirely unintelligible form i.e. that the numerical value of the word בקרבך=the numerical value of the word זו. Ed.] To the question why the Torah (Moses) refers to such an impostor as נביא, prophet, the answer is simple, i.e. the Torah calls him by the title this man claims to possess. He claims that G’d appeared to him while he was fully awake and appointed him as His messenger. Nachmanides writes that it is possible that the Torah does not refer to an impostor at all, as some people possess souls that have been endowed with some gift of prophecy. Such people have some knowledge of future events although they themselves do not know the origin of such knowledge. They are in the habit of going into temporary seclusion and during that period and while in such seclusion, a spirit reveals to them parts of future events and the when and where of such events. When his listeners find out that the predictions by such people came true, they refer to him as a “prophet.” While we can only speculate on the source of such “prophets’” knowledge, Nachmanides suggests that possibly the soul of such a person, during its nightly sojourn in heavenly regions, established some kinship with disembodied heavenly beings who divulged such knowledge to his soul. Ibn Ezra writes that it is possible that the person described by Moses is someone who had “stolen” his prophetic announcement from a true prophet whom he had overheard as speaking of a vision he had. The “so-called” prophet discussed by Moses uses his knowledge of the true prophecy to establish his credibility concerning additional predictions that he had invented himself. [Compare Jeremiah 23,30 on this subject. Ed.]

And should you ask, why the Holy One, may He be blessed, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The word כי (for) is always a reason being given for what was written above. Yet here, how is it giving a reason? Therefore Rashi explains: “And if you should ask, etc.” And now the word, “for,” fits well as giving a reason.

VV. 2 — 6. ׳כי יקום וגו. Sanhedrin 90 a differiert die Auffassung, ob in diesen Sätzen nur speziell von einem Verführungsversuch zur ע׳׳ז oder überhaupt auch zur Übertretung anderer Bestimmungen des Gesetzes die Rede ist. Die Halacha ist nicht ganz sicher (siehe Lechem Mische zu Rambam, Hilchot Jessode Hatora 9, 1). Der Wortlaut des V. 5 spräche entschieden für die letzte Ansicht. Offenbar wird in diesem Verse die Erfüllung aller מצות und der treueste und pünktlichste Gehorsam in allgemeinstem Umfange dem Verführungsversuche solcher falschen Propheten gegenüber sicher gestellt. Entschieden ist (daselbst), dass עוקר הגוף דע׳׳ו, der Versuch der gänzlichen Aufhebung des ע׳׳ז-Verbots oder auch nur der zeitweiligen קיום מקצת וביטול מקצת, sowie עוקר הגוף דשאר מצות, der Versuch einer gänzlichen Aufhebung irgend eines anderen Gesetzes, der Todesstrafe verfallen macht. Die Auffassung von ר׳ חסדא und אביי einerseits und ר׳ המנונא und רבא andererseits gehen nur darin auseinander, dass nach ersteren עוקר הגוף דשאר מצות nicht hier besprochen wäre, sondern unter die Kap. 18, 15 — 22 über die Prophetenautorität gegebenen Bestimmungen falle und dessen Versuch der dort gegebenen חנק-Todesstrafe unterliege, nach letzteren aber in den Bestimmungen unseres Kapitels mit enthalten wäre und demnach der halachagültigen Lehre der חכמים gemäss, ebenso wie עוקר הגוף דע׳׳ז mit סקילה verpönt ist.

כי יקום בקרבך נביא, “if a prophet arises in your midst;” this subject is introduced here as the subject of idolatry will follow thereafter.

או מופת OR A WONDER showing itself on the earth. — Nevertheless you shall not hearken unto him (although the sign or the wonder come to pass; cf. v. 3). But if you ask, why then does God give him the power to perform a sign? Scripture replies, (v. 4) “for the Lord your God trieth you, [to know whether you really love the Lord your God]” (Sifrei Devarim 84:1; cf. Sanhedrin 90a).

ונתן אליך אות ומופת, “and he furnishes you with a sign or a miracle.” Nachmanides defines the meaning of the word אות as a visible sign that what the prophet predicted may indeed come to pass. [If the impostor predicted an event which in his words would occur in, say, three years’ time, he would need something to enable him to enroll his followers before the three years were up. Ed.] He would predict that the “sign” was something that would occur in short order and when it did, it would establish his credibility. The root of the word אות here is analogous to Deut.33, 2 ואתה" מרבבות קודש,“ “having arrived, materialized, with myriads of holy angels.” The word מופת refers to something supernatural that this impostor performs in the presence of all his listeners, immediately, again, in order to establish his credibility as having contact with the supernatural. In both instances the objective of such a “prophet” is not to compete with accredited prophets, but to mislead his listeners into believing that he had had a revelation asking him to make the people “update” their religious beliefs by introducing worship to additional deities. [This editor used to have difficulties with believing that the Jewish people could be naive enough to “fall” for such heretical claims by impostors, until I had learned the passage on Rav Ashi’s nocturnal encounter with the apparition of King Menashe, son of the illustrious King Chizkiyah, and his wife, daughter of the famous prophet Isaiah, and the commentary on that aggadah by Rabbi Yitzchak Arama in his Akeydat Yitzchok. Compare Sanhedrin 102, and this editor’s translation of Akeydat Yitzchok, pages 374-378. Ed.] When Moses demonstrated that by throwing his staff on the ground it turned into a snake, and when he took hold of its tail it reverted to becoming a harmless staff, the people were encouraged to believe him when he predicted that G’d had charged him with orchestrating their release from bondage which, of course, would take a little longer to accomplish. According to the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, what Moses speaks about is an impostor who does not even claim to speak in the name of Hashem, but who claims to have been appointed as a prophet for an alien deity, and this is what is meant by ואשר ידבר בשם אלוהים אחרים, “that he speaks in the name of other gods.” He will die, ומת, (compare Deut. 18,20) because this is the penalty for anyone prophesying in the name of other gods whether truthfully or not. That person is guilty of idolatry that carries the death penalty. However, our sages (Sanhedrin 90) explain our verse as speaking of a “prophet” who claims to speak In the name of Hashem,” claiming to have been authorized by Hashem to deliver his message that it is now in order to practice some aspect of idolatry, and that the deity in question is a junior partner of Hashem having assisted in the creation of the universe. The impostor may also try to convince you that Hashem is truly a greater G’d than anyone preceding him. This, while sounding harmless to the average Jew, is a basic form of idolatry, because it posits that there was anything of substance before Hashem created the universe. He claims to have been authorized to ask you to acknowledge these earlier gods in some way, even if ever so briefly. All such propositions are equally idolatrous, and the proponent qualifies for the death penalty. The Torah here commands explicitly that even if such a “prophet” claims to preach in the name of Hashem and his lifestyle is no different from that of any other pious Jew, these are not any considerations in his favour; he tried to lead you astray, hence he must be executed. The impostor in question dresses up his message by acknowledging the Exodus from Egypt, by acknowledging the revelation at Mount Sinai, etc., as he knows full well that it is useless to even question such historic events which are firmly anchored in the people’s collective psyche. [This is why the founders of the Christian religion built on the truth of the “old” testament, but by updating G’d’s attributes tried to introduce a new version of Hashem. Ed.] There never has been another Hashem, there never will be, and His essence or attributes are not subject to change. He revealed Himself at Sinai, in order to leave us in no doubt about all this.

ונתן אליך אות או מופת, "and he will demonstrate to you a sign or a wonder, etc." Why did the Torah not first mention what it is the prophet said and which he wishes to lend credence to by performing a miracle? Furthermore, what does the Torah mean when writing: ובא האות…לאמור, and the sign comes about….saying?" Does the sign then say something? Is it not the prophet who says something, i.e. to serve an alien deity, and that is why he incurs the death penalty?

AND HE GIVE THEE ‘OTH’ (A SIGN) OR ‘MOFEITH’ (WONDER). A Sign [denotes a natural phenomenon serving as] a symbol of something similar that will take place afterwards, this being associated with the expression, every man with his own standard, ‘b’othoth’ (according to the ensigns).¹¹⁰Numbers 2:2. See Ramban there that on each of the ensigns there was some symbol representing the character of the tribe. For when a prophet comes and says “The following [natural] matter is to represent something which is to take place” that is termed an oth (a sign), similar to what is stated, Therefore, the Eternal Himself shall give you an ‘oth’ (a sign)¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. that G-d is with us, [the omen being] the name of the son of the prophet’s wife, [“Immanuel,” meaning “G-d is with us”]¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. The word oth is thus derived from at hah [“coming,” since the oth represents something about to come]. A mofeith (a wonder), on the other hand, applies to something novel which the prophet does before us, making some change in the natural order of the world, similar to what is stated, to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land;¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. And I will show ‘moft him’ (wonders) in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire.¹¹³Joel 3:3. The word mofeith is thus a shortened form of mufleith (marvelous)¹¹⁴See Job 37:16: ‘mifl’oth’ (the wondrous works) of Him Who is perfect in knowledge. Ramban’s point is that the word mofeith is derived from mufleith with the letters lamed and aleph missing. — just like the expression ‘sheirith’ (the rest of) Israel¹¹⁵I Chronicles 12:38. In this instance the word sheirith drops the letter aleph which is found in she’eirith. [which is a shortened form of she’eirith]. The [Sacred] Language adopted the term to signify anything which is supernatural, just as it is stated, Thus Ezekiel shall be unto you ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder),¹¹⁶Ezekiel 24:24. and it is stated there, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; so shall thou be ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder) unto them,¹¹⁷Ibid., Verse 27. seeing that his actions were wondrous in the eyes of the beholders. The word mofeith [a derivative from pele — wonder] is thus similar in sense to the following expression, and she is come down ‘p’la’im’ (wonderfully).¹¹⁸Lamentations 1:9. So also: the signs ‘v’thimhaya’ (and wonders);¹¹⁹Daniel 3:32. how great are His signs, ‘v’thimhohie’ (and His wonders) how mighty they are!;¹²⁰Ibid., Verse 33. the signs ‘v’hamoft him’ (and the wonders),¹²¹Further, 29:2; 34:11. for the terms pele and teimah refer to the same topic. Now, in the departure from Egypt there were signs, these being the matters which Moses told them from the beginning, such as, by tomorrow shall this ‘sign’ be,¹²²Exodus 8:19. and there were wonders which were done spontaneously without previously informing Pharaoh about them [such as the splitting of the Red Sea]. So also, what is ‘the sign’ that I shall go up to the House of the Eternal?¹²³Isaiah 38:22. [King Hezekiah asked of the prophet Isaiah] that he should give him foreknowledge [by means of a sign that he would recover from his illness]. And in connection with that very sign it states that [the king of Babylon sent his princes to Hezekiah] to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. in order to learn how this novel matter had occurred among them.¹²⁴Ramban is evidently referring to all the various events described in II Chronicles 32:24-31 that occurred in the days of the Hezekiah — the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians, etc. Thus the point is clearly established that an oth (a sign) is given before the event, while a mofeith (a wonder) is a supernatural event not announced beforehand. Hence Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will yet go up to the Sanctuary, while the king of Babylon seeks to inquire of the wonder which happened. Similarly, the rod which was turned to a serpent¹²⁵Exodus 7:15. He referred to as a sign¹²⁶Ibid., 4:17. when He informed the children of Israel thereby [of the purpose of Moses’ mission], and He called it a wonder¹²⁷Ibid., Verse 21. The Israelites did not require a miracle to prove the existence of G-d; to them the miracle was an oth, demonstrating that redemption was at hand. Pharaoh, on the other hand, did not believe in the G-d of Israel; to him, the miracle was a mofeith, a wondrous act entirely apart from any significance for the future (Malbim). when He performed it before Pharaoh as an unannounced miracle. Likewise, Just as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot for three years as ‘a sign’ and ‘a wonder’ upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia, so shall etc.,¹²⁸Isaiah 20:3-4. [implying that the same act can be simultaneously an oth and a mofeith], because in this act of the prophet, there was a sign foretelling what was to come, and a wonder in the practice of the prophet in walking that way.
If so, the meaning of the expression [before us], and he give thee a sign or a wonder is that he will say, “I am the prophet sent to you that you worship a particular idol, and this shall be ‘the sign’ for you: tomorrow there shall come the locust, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm.” Or he shall show them “a wonder:” he will cast down a rod before them and it will become a serpent. Now, in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:¹²⁹Sifre, Naso 23. “A sign is [identical to] a wonder and a wonder is [identical to] a sign except that the Torah refers [to them] in two terms.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was [not to state that the terms are identical in meaning but that] there is no difference between the two or distinction in their legal status, and [therefore] it would have been sufficient to mention one. But the Torah wanted to elaborate on the matter saying in effect “whatever sign he gives you, from whatever signs [exist] on earth.”
Now, this man who calls himself “prophet” and commands [you] to worship idols is by way of the simple meaning of Scripture a prophet of an idol who says “The idol [Baal] Peor sent me to you declaring that he is god and he commanded that you worship him in a certain way.” It is he of whom Scripture further says, and he that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die,¹³⁰Deuteronomy 18:20. for all who prophesy in the name of other gods, do so in order that people worship them, because they are [that prophet’s] deities, and Scripture mentions him there, among the [general] false prophets. But what emerges from the words of our Rabbis¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. is that the prophet mentioned here prophesies in the name of G-d, saying “The Glorious Name¹³²Further, 28:58. sent me that you worship [Baal] Peor because he was His partner in creation,” or that he [Baal-peor] is greater than all the gods before Him and He desires that they worship him. And the Rabbis of blessed memory have mentioned¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. that even if he were to say that they should worship a certain idol but for one moment alone, for example, if he says, “Worship [Baal] Peor just this day alone and you will succeed in a certain project for such is the will before the Glorious Name” — that prophet is guilty of a capital offense. This, too, lies within the plain meaning of Scripture.
Thus Scripture commanded that we hearken not at all to him who prophesies in the name of G-d to worship the idols, nor take note of the signs and wonders that he will make. And it mentions the reason¹³³Verse 6 here: who brought you out of the land of Egypt. because we know from the exodus from Egypt which was an actual event — not a vision or a mirage — that the earth is the Eternal’s¹³⁴Psalms 24:1. and He is the Creator, the One Who wills all, and the Omnipotent, and there is no god beside Him, and we further know from the Revelation on Mount Sinai that face to face¹³⁵Above, 5:5. He commanded us to walk in this way, not to worship anything at all beside Him, and that He has not given His glory to another [deity].¹³⁶See Isaiah 42:8. This is the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.¹³⁷Verse 6. Thus the prophet hath spoken perversion against the Eternal¹³⁷Verse 6. Who never commanded him so, or he spoke perversion against His Glory, for it is not proper to worship another god.

Jedenfalls ist nicht nur der Abfall zur Abgötterei, sondern auch nur die Abrogierung eines einzigen Gebotes oder Verbotes auf dem Boden dieses göttlichen Gesetzes selbst gegen die Autorität eines Propheten sicher gestellt, mag dieser nun sich ad hoc durch אות ומופת als von Gott mit solchem Auftrag gesandt legitimieren oder, wie ר׳ עקיבא (daselbst) das Problem unseres Textes erläutert, חס ושלום שהקב׳׳ה מעמיד חמה לעוברי רצונו אלא כגון (Jirmija Kap. 38). bis dahin als ein wahrer Prophet ,חנניה בן עזור שתחלתו נביא אמת ולבסוף נביא שקר legitimiert und bewährt gewesen, und nun diese seine anerkannte Stellung im Dienste der Lüge missbrauchen wolle. Durch die unmittelbare Selbsterfahrung der göttlichen Gesetzesoffenbarung am Sinai steht die Sendung Mosche und das durch ihn überbrachte Gesetz in der Nation hoch hinaus über alle künftige Prophetie. Nur innerhalb des dem göttlichen Gesetze Gemäßen und für Aufrechthaltung desselben, hat das Wort eines künftigen, durch אות ומופת legitimierten Propheten Geltung. Gegen das göttliche Gesetz ist ein jedes Wort und selbst des hervorragendsten Mannes hinfällig und zeiht ihn selber der Lüge (siehe רמב׳׳ם הל׳ יסודי תורה — daselbst — und zu Kap. 18, 15 f.). Nur קיום מקצת וביטול מקצת דשאר מצות, nur ein zeitliches, momentanes Zuwiderhandeln gegen eine Vorschrift des göttlichen Gesetzes im Interesse des Gesetzes, הוראת שעה, ist mit Ausnahme der ע׳׳ז-Gesetze, durch einen bereits als נביא אמת bewährten Propheten gesetzlich möglich, wie אליהו בהר הכרמל zur Überzeugung des Volkes von der Richtigkeit der Baalspropheten im Gegensatz zu dem (Kap. 12, 13) gegebenen שחוטי חוץ-Verbote ein Opfer auf dem Karmel darbrachte (Sanhedrin 89 b u. 90 a; — siehe zu Kap. 18, 15). — נביא או חולם חלום (vergl. Bamidbar 12, 6).

It appears that our verse addresses the following situation. The prophet claims that G'd has instructed him to legitimise himself by means of a sign or a certain kind of miracle. The idea is that the prophet tells the people that if, as a result of his attempts to create a miracle and this miracle would materialise in a certain predetermined manner, then this would be proof that G'd had asked the people to worship a certain deity. If, on the other hand, said miracle would materialise in a different form, this would be proof that G'd wanted said deity to be burned and destroyed. ובא האות והמופת, and now the miracle has indeed materialised in the form which would indicate that the people ought to worship the deity which the prophet spoke about (although he had been careful to leave the decision to the people themselves), the Torah says: "do not hearken to him!" In other words, such a so-called prophet is guilty of the death penalty even though he himself had not insisted that the people engage in idolatry but had left the decision up to them and to their interpretation of the miracle's meaning. Although the people themselves had freely decided to engage in worship of such a deity, the "prophet" is still guilty of the death penalty.