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August 24, 2001/Elul 5, 5761, Vol. 53, No.46
Portion emphasizes Moses' humility
Torah Study
DR. NEIL GILLMAN
Shoftim/Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
The book of Deuteronomy consists of a series of addresses delivered to the Israelites by Moses before his death. In contrast to the other four books of the Torah where God speaks in abundance, here, the narrative voice throughout is that of Moses. Only rarely does God speak. But in this week's reading, for one brief moment, God does speak.
This portion as a whole, as its name implies - shoftim means "judges" - deals with the responsibilities of public officials. When Moses gets to the role of the prophet, he begins by warning the people not to follow the practices of the other nations who consult with soothsayers, diviners and sorcerers.
Instead, he promises, God will appoint for them a prophet from among the people "like myself" - note that emphasis - and he will speak the words of God.
Moses continues by reminding the people when they pleaded that they did not want to hear the direct words of God at Horeb (Mount Sinai) lest they die. Rather, Moses alone should hear God and then tell Israel what God demands of them.
Moses now quotes God's response to their request. The people's request is legitimate. Then God is quoted as having added, "I will raise up a prophet for them from among their own people, like yourself; I will put My words in his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18)
Why does Moses quote God here? Why the repeated emphasis that the prophets that will emerge in the future will be like Moses? Why, particularly since in the very last verses of Devarim, we are told, "Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses whom the Lord singled out, face to face." (Deuteronomy 34:10) And why does the theme about future prophets appear here, though it is not in the original text?
We have been taught that Moses' distinguishing quality was his humility. He is now painfully aware that his task will remain unfinished. He knows he is to see the promised land from afar, but not enter it.
That is why Moses insists that in the future, God will appoint other prophets that will be "like myself." In his own eyes, he enjoyed no unique relationship with God or with the people.
And Moses wants God to echo his claim, precisely here, precisely now. Moses knows that his work will have to be continued by other prophets, and lest the people doubt that, he quotes God as having added these words, though God did not utter them earlier.
Nonetheless, in the people's eyes, Moses was unique. Note that at the end of the book, it is not Moses who claims to have been unique, but rather an anonymous, editorial voice. Moses, the paradigm of humility, would never have made the claim that no other prophet could ever be like him.
This helps me understand a stunning and apparent throwaway line that appears in this week's discussion of prophecy. After warning the people not to consult soothsayers and sorcerers, Moses adds these words: "You must be wholehearted with the Lord your God." What does this have to do with not consulting soothsayers?
It has nothing to do with soothsayers and everything to do with Moses' self-perception. Wholeheartedness with God - integrity, inner conviction conjoined with outer behavior - is what Moses strived to achieve for himself. That's what made him unique. And that's what he commands us to achieve as well.
Rabbi Neil Gilman is Professor of Jewish Philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
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