וְאֵ֥שׁ יָצְאָ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וַתֹּ֗אכַל אֵ֣ת הַחֲמִשִּׁ֤ים וּמָאתַ֙יִם֙ אִ֔ישׁ מַקְרִיבֵ֖י הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃ (פ)
Akeidat Yitzchak
The view of some that the term prophet used to be applied to whoever happened to be the person of outstanding caliber in his generation, and that the definition is therefore not subject to objective criteria, is incorrect. Those who believe that prophecy is merely confirmation by G-d of wisdom acquired previously are also mistaken. The idea that a blind man-- through frequent usage-- may know his surroundings well, and regaining his eyesight will merely find confirmation of the truth of what he had surmised, is also not correct. If the onset of prophecy would not bestow additional information on the prophet, it would not be worth having. Whoever thinks along those lines belongs to the people who wish to limit the freedom of the Creator to change preordained events. Such people are therefore not of our faith! Anyone one who thinks in these terms cannot believe any part of the Torah which involves the supernatural or the miraculous. Solomon, in Proverbs 30,7-8, asks to be spared such fallacious logic as is expressed in the four generations of the verses following (10-14).