Divine Message through the Prophet

נמצאו 4 תוצאות חיפוש

1. Navot's Vineyard (Part 4)

   Ahav's Personal Punishment and the Punishment of His Household

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Eliyahu’s divine message to Ahav that informs him of the end of the rule of his house, relates both to the murder of Navot and to the idol worship in his time – both instigated by Izevel. Navot’s murder is viewed as more severe than idol worship and thus serves as the catalyst for this message.

2. Ahav's Final Battle

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   While the 400 prophets in the narrative are not prophets of Ba'al, but speak in the name of God, they are nonetheless false prophets. The method in which God reveals himself to prophets, other than Moshe, does not allow two prophets to prophecy in the same words. At the request of Yehoshafat, the king of Yehuda who enthusiastically embraces unity with the Northern kingdom, a solitary true prophet is brought. He brings a message of Ahav's demise and for this he is punished. Despite his disguise, Ahav is mortally wounded in battle, but remains in the battleground, sacrificing his life, in order to give moral support to his soldiers. 

   Ahav is a wavering personality who lacks a solid backbone and is easily influenced. He can be swayed towards Ba'al and can be shocked to veer closer to God worship. It is this lack of personal resilience and consistency that leaves him so susceptible to wide alterations in his religious orientation. The damage that he inflicted upon both the nation and the unfortunate individuals who met their death as a result of his actions means that he is one of the worst kings in the history of the Northern kingdom.

    

3. Ramban on Yitro: Hearing God's Voice at Har Sinai

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 36 דקות

   We examine Ramban’s comments on verse 9, wherein God tells Moshe that He will come in the “thickness of cloud” so that the people will hear God speaking to Moshe and believe in Moshe forever. What was the purpose of God speaking to Moshe in front of Bnei Yisrael? Why was it insufficient for Moshe to receive all of the Torah without Bnei Yisrael present?  And why was some content experienced this way, and not all? Experiencing a shared prophetic experience adds a meaningful dimension to the acceptance of the Torah and to the appreciation of prophecy.

4. Bilam and the Daughters of Moav

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 38 דקות

   Though "no other prophet like Moshe arose among Bnei Yisrael", a Talmudic saying suggests that a prophet parallel to Moshe arose among the other nations: Bilam ben Be’or, who appears in our parasha.  Could it be that Bilam, whose donkey sees more than he does, really be much of a prophet? Ramban contends that Bilam was not a prophet at all. In this shiur, we explore Ramban's ideas about who Bilam really is and what is truly going on in the story of Bilam.