Еврейская мысль к Шмуэль А 3:19

Our approach will be different from that of all the classic commentators. Central to the problem is the statement by Jeremiah that G'd reserves the right to reverse even such promises as would have a positive impact on the recipient of that promise. The parable of the piece of pottery destroyed by the potter, teaches that if a product does not measure up to the expectations of its creator, the latter reserves the right to destroy it and fashion another in its place. Man, likewise, is like clay in the hands of the Almighty, and despite the fondest hopes expressed for him, he may be found unworthy before he has reached maturity. Should a group of Jews think that in order for G'd to fulfil His promises to our forefathers, their continued existence and well being is indispensable to G'd, they are in error, and are warned by the prophet that their own personal existence is by no means assured. The fact that these forefathers, although themselves recipients of G'ds promise, were constantly afraid, is evidence that their understanding of these promises had always been that they were conditional, not absolute. While it is true that generally G'ds promises are not subject to change unless there is a change in the moral stature of the recipient, there is on record an instance when the decree to spare the righteous at the time when the Temple was destroyed, was revoked. This was despite the fact that the tzaddikim referred to had not changed. The midat hadin, attribute of justice, had drawn to G'ds attention that the failure of the righteous to protest the wicked conduct of the masses was inexcusable since they could not have known that their protests would be to no avail. (Shabbat 55). It is also true that G'd frequently gives a clearly conditional promise, which is what our sages describe as "the attribute of goodness being in the ascendancy." Psalms 105,45, says of G'd, "He gave them the lands of the nations; that which others had toiled for, Israel would inherit in order to observe His statutes etc." What it all boils down to is that whenever possible, the promise of G'd is not left unfulfilled. Certainly the yardstick by which prophets are measured is the accuracy of the fulfilment of their prophecies. Astrologers of old who had a record of 80-90% accuracy in their weather prognosis, did not claim to be prophets either of G'd or the Baal. It is not to test their stature that the Torah tells us how to test such men. Similarly, anyone who teaches the omission of even a single commandment of the Torah or the addition of a single mitzvah or even the change of the traditional interpretation of that mitzvah, needs no test to tell us that he is an impostor. When Yehu reminded the people of the fall of Achav, the decisive factor was that all the details which had formed part of the prediction had come true. (Kings II 10,17) Joshua was able to tell the people that the whole promise by G'd to Moses had been fulfilled. (Joshua chapter 23) He warns however, that disobedience of G'ds commandments would result in the Jewish nation becoming the target for all the punishments listed in the chapters dealing with such eventualities. In Samuel I 3,19-20, we are told that everything Samuel predicted had come true. In this way the people knew that he was a true prophet. In our liturgy, in the benedictions following the readings from the book of prophets every week following the Torah reading, we recite the fact that G'ds word as issued through the prophets never went unfulfilled. In all cases of the prophet being an observant Jew, exhorting the people only to observe Torah law, no test of his truthfulness is needed. On the other hand, if someone even of the stature of Elijah were to ask us suddenly to disobey a law of the Torah, there is no need for a test either, since the man would have stamped himself as an impostor. Such people need to be executed.

Our approach will be different from that of all the classic commentators. Central to the problem is the statement by Jeremiah that G'd reserves the right to reverse even such promises as would have a positive impact on the recipient of that promise. The parable of the piece of pottery destroyed by the potter, teaches that if a product does not measure up to the expectations of its creator, the latter reserves the right to destroy it and fashion another in its place. Man, likewise, is like clay in the hands of the Almighty, and despite the fondest hopes expressed for him, he may be found unworthy before he has reached maturity. Should a group of Jews think that in order for G'd to fulfil His promises to our forefathers, their continued existence and well being is indispensable to G'd, they are in error, and are warned by the prophet that their own personal existence is by no means assured. The fact that these forefathers, although themselves recipients of G'ds promise, were constantly afraid, is evidence that their understanding of these promises had always been that they were conditional, not absolute. While it is true that generally G'ds promises are not subject to change unless there is a change in the moral stature of the recipient, there is on record an instance when the decree to spare the righteous at the time when the Temple was destroyed, was revoked. This was despite the fact that the tzaddikim referred to had not changed. The midat hadin, attribute of justice, had drawn to G'ds attention that the failure of the righteous to protest the wicked conduct of the masses was inexcusable since they could not have known that their protests would be to no avail. (Shabbat 55). It is also true that G'd frequently gives a clearly conditional promise, which is what our sages describe as "the attribute of goodness being in the ascendancy." Psalms 105,45, says of G'd, "He gave them the lands of the nations; that which others had toiled for, Israel would inherit in order to observe His statutes etc." What it all boils down to is that whenever possible, the promise of G'd is not left unfulfilled. Certainly the yardstick by which prophets are measured is the accuracy of the fulfilment of their prophecies. Astrologers of old who had a record of 80-90% accuracy in their weather prognosis, did not claim to be prophets either of G'd or the Baal. It is not to test their stature that the Torah tells us how to test such men. Similarly, anyone who teaches the omission of even a single commandment of the Torah or the addition of a single mitzvah or even the change of the traditional interpretation of that mitzvah, needs no test to tell us that he is an impostor. When Yehu reminded the people of the fall of Achav, the decisive factor was that all the details which had formed part of the prediction had come true. (Kings II 10,17) Joshua was able to tell the people that the whole promise by G'd to Moses had been fulfilled. (Joshua chapter 23) He warns however, that disobedience of G'ds commandments would result in the Jewish nation becoming the target for all the punishments listed in the chapters dealing with such eventualities. In Samuel I 3,19-20, we are told that everything Samuel predicted had come true. In this way the people knew that he was a true prophet. In our liturgy, in the benedictions following the readings from the book of prophets every week following the Torah reading, we recite the fact that G'ds word as issued through the prophets never went unfulfilled. In all cases of the prophet being an observant Jew, exhorting the people only to observe Torah law, no test of his truthfulness is needed. On the other hand, if someone even of the stature of Elijah were to ask us suddenly to disobey a law of the Torah, there is no need for a test either, since the man would have stamped himself as an impostor. Such people need to be executed.

(1) The first degree of prophecy consists in the divine assistance which is given to a person, and induces and encourages him to do something good and grand, e.g., to deliver a congregation of good men from the hands of evildoers; to save one noble person, or to bring happiness to a large number of people; he finds in himself the cause that moves and urges him to this deed. This degree of divine influence is called “the spirit of the Lord”; and of the person who is under that influence we say that the spirit of the Lord came upon him, clothed him, or rested upon him, or the Lord was with him, and the like. All the judges of Israel possessed this degree, for the following general statement is made concerning them:—“The Lord raised up judges for them; and the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them” (Judges 2:18). Also all the noble chiefs of Israel belonged to this class. The same is distinctly stated concerning some of the judges and the kings:—“The spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah” (ibid. 11:29); of Samson it is said, “The spirit of the Lord came upon him” (ibid. 14:19); “And the spirit of the Lord came upon Saul when he heard those words” (1 Sam. 11:6). When Amasa was moved by the holy spirit to assist David, “A spirit clothed Amasa, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David,” etc.(1 Chron. 12:18). This faculty was always possessed by Moses from the time he had attained the age of manhood: it moved him to slay the Egyptian, and to prevent evil from the two men that quarrelled; it was so strong that, after he had fled from Egypt out of fear, and arrived in Midian, a trembling stranger, he could not restrain himself from interfering when he saw wrong being done; he could not bear it. Comp. “And Moses rose and saved them” (Exod. 2:17). David likewise was filled with this spirit, when he was anointed with the oil of anointing. Comp. “And the spirit of God came upon David from that day and upward” (1 Sam. 16:13). He thus conquered the lion and the bear and the Philistine, and accomplished similar tasks, by this very spirit. This faculty did not cause any of the above-named persons to speak on a certain subject, for it only aims at encouraging the person who possesses it to action; it does not encourage him to do everything, but only to help either a distinguished man or a whole congregation when oppressed, or to do something that leads to that end. Just as not an who have a true dream are prophets, so it cannot be said of every one who is assisted in a certain undertaking, as in the acquisition of property, or of some other personal advantage, that the spirit of the Lord came upon him, or that the Lord was with him, or that he performed his actions by the holy spirit. We only apply such phrases to those who have accomplished something very good and grand, or something that leads to that end; e.g., the success of Joseph in the house of the Egyptian, which was the first cause leading evidently to great events that occurred subsequently.