Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 34:10

אשר ידעו ה׳ פנים אל פנים WHOM THE LORD KNEW FACE TO FACE — this means: that he was familiar with Him and used to speak with Him at any time he desired, just as it is stated that Moses said, (Exodus 32:30), “And now I will ascend to the Lord”; (Numbers 9:8) “Stay and I will hear what God will command regarding you”.

WHOM THE ETERNAL KNEW FACE TO FACE. “[This means] that Moses’ heart was familiar with Him and he spoke with Him whenever he wished, as it is stated, and now I will go up unto the Eternal;³⁰⁷Exodus 32:30. Stay ye, that I may hear what the Eternal will command concerning you.”³⁰⁸Numbers 9:8. This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct, for in that case [if the verse extols Moses’ familiarity with G-d] it should have said, “who knew the Eternal face to face.” Rather, this is similar to the expressions: and I know thee by name;³⁰⁹Exodus 33:17. Yet Thou hast said: I know thee by name.³¹⁰Ibid., Verse 12. The verse thus states that there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel whom G-d so exalted as to communicate with him face to face. Similarly, Eternal, what is man that ‘vateida’eihu’³¹¹Psalms 144:3. means “that You should bestow honor upon him by giving heed to him,” like What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him?³¹²Job 7:17. It is possible that [this is the intent of the verse]: because when two persons see one another face to face, they become acquainted with each other through that meeting, Scripture therefore says whom the Eternal knew face to face [indicating that G-d and Moses were like two people who know one another well; however, Scripture said only that G-d knew Moses, not vice-versa], since out of respect to the Most Exalted it did not want to mention that Moses also knew Him that way. Now, do not be surprised that Scripture speaks in praise of Moses saying, Whom the Eternal knew face to face, and it also states, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses face to face,³¹³Exodus 33:11. and with reference to all Israel it is likewise stated [the very same praise], The Eternal spoke with you face to face!³¹⁴Above, 5:4. For there [in the case of all Israel] he explained out of the midst of the fire,³¹⁴Above, 5:4. meaning to say that they heard His voice out of the midst of the fire only, and they did not actually see His Presence. Similarly he explained, and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire, and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire.³¹⁵Ibid., 4:36.
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse here states that G-d knew Moses face to face [to a degree that it was possible] to cleave to Him whenever the spirit³¹⁶Numbers 11:25. came upon Moses our teacher. It was so at the time of the Giving of the Torah, but the people perceived only the Voice out of the midst of the fire.³¹⁷See Exodus 19:20 (Vol. II, pp. 282-284). Thus Scripture explained that all prophecies of Moses were as on the day that the Torah was given, while the rest of the prophets had the hand of the Eternal upon them.³¹⁸See Ramban to Numbers 12:6. Understand this.

ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה, no other subsequent prophet ever attained the lofty spiritual stature of Moses. This explained the statement by our sages that no prophet is allowed to innovate something in the Torah since Moses had died. (Shabbat 104) This statement also explains the rule that no Rabbinical assembly may invalidate a decree by another such Rabbinical assembly which had preceded it, unless it could be proven to be more competent and consisted of a greater number than the Rabbinical assembly which had originated said decree. (Megillah 20)