38. Accepting a Prophet
Yesodei HaTorah 8:1
It wasn’t the fact that Moses performed wonders that caused the Jews to believe in him. If a person’s belief is based on wonders, he is not fully invested because it is possible to perform wonders through other means. All the wonders that Moses performed in the wilderness were not designed to serve as proofs of his prophecy. Rather, each served a particular purpose. For example, it was necessary to stop the pursuing Egyptian army, so he split the sea and drowned them in it. The Jews needed food in the wilderness, so he provided the manna. The Jews were thirsty, so he got water from a rock. Korach's faction rebelled, so the earth swallowed them. The same is true with the other wonders he wrought.
Rather than the wonders he performed, the source of our belief in Moses is the revelation at Sinai. There, each person saw and heard for himself and they did not need to rely upon another’s testimony. Moses entered the thick clouds, the Voice spoke to him, and everyone heard it say, “Moses, go tell them the following:....” Accordingly, Deuteronomy 5:4 says, “Face to face, God spoke to you” and Deuteronomy 5:3 says “God did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with us, who are all alive here today.”
How do we know that the revelation at Sinai is the only proof of Moses’ prophecy that shows no deficiency? Exodus 19:9 says, “Behold, I will appear to you in a thick cloud so that the people will hear Me speaking to you and believe in you forever.” It would seem that before this event, the faith they had in Moses was not of a kind that would last forever; it was of a kind that would allow room for doubt.
Yesodei HaTorah 8:2
Since the people to whom Moses was sent saw God appoint him, it was unnecessary for him to perform wonders to prove his credentials. Moses and the people were like two witnesses who observed the same event together; each one can verify that the other is telling the truth, and neither has to prove it to the other. Similarly, all of Israel were witnesses to God appointing Moses His prophet at Sinai, so he didn’t need to bring them any further proof. God told Moses to expect this when He first spoke to him at the burning bush, as per Exodus 3:18, “They will listen to your voice.”
Moses knew that a person who accepts a prophet because of signs and wonders always has his doubts. Therefore, he asked to be excused, saying: “They will not believe me” (Exodus 4:1). God therefore informed him that these wonders were only meant to last until they left Egypt. After the Exodus, they would stand at Sinai and all doubts that the people might have would be removed. This is the meaning of Exodus 3:12, “This will be your sign that I am the One Who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.”
Therefore, we do not accept any prophet who arises after Moses just because of any wonders he might perform, as if to say that the wonder warrants our observance. Rather, we believe him because it is a mitzvah in the Torah to listen to him if he performs a wonder. Just as we are commanded to render a decisions in court cases based on the testimony of two witnesses even though we do not know whether they are telling the truth or lying, we are likewise commanded to listen to such a prophet even though we do not know whether the wonder is true or a trick.