Myśl Żydowska do Psalmów 84:12

And this is the crucial reason, in my view, for the progressive diminution in prophecy and wisdom generation after generation, as is universally acknowledged and as is testified to by our sages of blessed memory, viz. (Eruvin 53a): "The minds of the early sages were as broad as entrance halls…", (Sabbath 112b): "If the early sages were angels, we are men…" (Eruvin 53a): "Our minds absorb as much as a finger in hard wax." The reason for this, as I see it, is that from the time of Moses our teacher until the present all of the prophets and sages have been in a progressive cause and effect relationship. And just as with conventional cause and effect, the further the distance from the original cause, the weaker the effect, so with the sages and the prophets. For Moses our teacher, may peace be upon him, was the first effect of the First Cause of wisdom and prophecy, as Scripture testifies (Numbers 12:8): "Mouth to mouth I speak to him…" Because of this, he received these two effluences [wisdom and prophecy] in their greatest perfection. Joshua received these effluences through the agency of Moses, as it is written (Ibid 27:18): "And you shall place your hand upon him," and (Ibid 23): "And he placed his hands upon him." Similarly, the prophets that followed received the effluences through the agency of Joshua, as our sages of blessed memory have stated (Avoth 1): "Moses received the Torah from Sinai…" This is the intent of (Deuteronomy 34:10): "There shall not arise again a prophet such as Moses." For the Blessed One "does not withhold good from those who walk in perfection" (Psalms 84:12). The idea is, rather, that this is a necessary consequence, just as it is a necessary consequence that the last level of the angels not be of the same degree of perfection as the first. For all who follow Moses receive the effluences through him and through the agency, progressively, of those who came after him, so that when the student is joined with the master, the effluence is intensified for the student by virtue of the emanation, reaching the master. It is for this reason that our sages of blessed memory exhorted us to study with one greater than we, saying (Kethuvoth 111a): "One who learns by himself cannot be compared to one who learns from a teacher." And this is the intent of Rebbi's statement (Eruvin 13b): "The reason I am greater than my colleagues is that I saw R. Meir from the back. And if I had looked upon his face, I would have been that much greater, for it is written (Isaiah 30:20): 'And let your eyes see your teacher.'" For, in accordance with the intensity of the effluence reaching the master, and reflected in his face, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 8:1): "A man's wisdom will brighten his face" — so is the relative intensity of the effluence that reaches the student.

May the Lord shine His countenance upon you and give you grace. The shining of God's countenance is the appearance of the supernal holiness that stands above all the boundaries of creation and the systems of actions, characteristics, and thoughts found in all the worlds. The light of the Torah gives off this supernal enlightenment, which no created power can take without the singular kindness of the supernal grace of God's light. The Lord bestows grace and glory; He does not withhold His bounty from those who live without blame (Psalms 84:12). Hence the grace is connected to the shining of God's countenance upon the one who is blessed with the blessing of His light. May the Lord shine His countenance upon you and give you grace.