Daily Rambam (1) Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah – Chapter 8: Why We Believe in Moses and Why Miracles Are Not Proof (Sunday, 5th Adar)

Chapter 8: Why We Believe in Moses and Why Miracles Are Not Proof

Halachah 1 — Why We Believe in Moses and Why Miracles Are Not Proof

1. The Jewish people did not believe in Moses because of the miracles he performed.
   Belief based on miracles is unstable, because wonders can be produced through magic or sorcery.
2. All of Moses’ miracles in the desert were done only for practical needs:
   • Splitting the sea — to drown the Egyptians.
   • Manna — to provide food.
   • Water from the rock — to quench thirst.
   • The earth swallowing Korach’s rebels — to stop a mutiny.
   • All other miracles served similar purposes, not as proof of prophecy.
3. The basis of our belief in Moses’ prophecy is the revelation at Mount Sinai, where:
   • Our own eyes saw, not the eyes of strangers.
   • Our own ears heard G-d’s voice addressing Moses.
   • The entire nation witnessed G-d speaking to Moses directly.
4. G-d Himself said that this revelation would be the eternal proof of Moses’ legitimacy:
   “So that the people will hear Me speaking with you, and they will believe in you forever.”
5. Before Sinai, their faith in Moses allowed for doubts; after Sinai, there was no room for suspicion.

Halachah 2 — Sinai as Public Testimony and Why Later Prophets Are Believed

1. Those to whom Moses was sent personally witnessed his prophetic appointment, like two people jointly witnessing an event.
   Since they saw it together, no further proof was necessary.
2. All Israel witnessed G-d appoint Moses at Sinai; therefore, Moses never again had to perform a miracle to validate himself.
3. At the burning bush, G-d first gave Moses miracles to perform in Egypt and promised, “They will listen to your voice.”
4. Moses knew that belief based on miracles alone is accompanied by doubt, so he resisted the mission, saying, “They will not believe me.”
   G-d explained that miracles were temporary, only until Sinai.
5. The true, permanent sign was:
   “When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain.”
   Meaning: the Sinai revelation would remove every doubt.
6. Therefore, we do not obey any future prophet because of miracles alone.
   We obey him only because Moses commanded that a prophet who performs signs and meets the criteria must be listened to.
7. Just as we rely on the testimony of two witnesses even without knowing their hearts, so too we rely on a prophet’s signs only because Moses instructed us to do so, not because miracles inherently prove truth.

Halachah 3 — A Prophet Cannot Contradict Moses

1. If a prophet performs signs and wonders but attempts to challenge Moses’ prophecy or contradict the Torah, we must not listen to him.
   His wonders are assumed to be magic or deception.
2. Moses’ prophecy is not based on miracles — it is based on our own direct experience at Sinai.
   Therefore, no subsequent sign can contradict something we ourselves witnessed.
3. This is like witnesses trying to contradict what a person has seen with his own eyes; he knows with certainty they are false.
4. Hence the Torah says:
   Even if a wonder comes true, do not listen to a prophet who contradicts Moses.
5. We accept prophetic miracles only because Moses instructed us to.
   And Moses’ prophecy rests not on signs but on public revelation.
6. Therefore, no miracle performed afterward can overturn the prophecy of Moses, which was validated by the entire nation seeing and hearing the truth directly.