From Destruction to Prophecy: Wisdom Shifts After Churban

Full Summary

This shiur examines the Talmudic teaching that 'from the day the Temple was destroyed, prophecy was taken from prophets and given to fools and children.' Rabbi Zweig analyzes the complex story of Mar bar Ravashi in Bava Basra 12b, who heard a fool predict his appointment as Rosh Yeshiva, leading to his usurpation of Rav Achami Difti's position. The Gemara (גמרא) presents this as an example of how prophecy now operates through unconventional channels. The shiur addresses several difficulties raised by the Maharsha: Why would prophecy be given to fools rather than ordinary people? What is the meaning of 'l'yumi chasam' (sealed for good days)? How does this reconcile with the principle that whoever is pushed away by circumstance will eventually succeed? Rabbi Zweig distinguishes between two types of prophecy: future events, which require wisdom (as 'a wise person sees what is coming'), and present occurrences in distant places, which requires a different kind of sensitivity. The explanation centers on the concept of connection to place and time. When the Temple existed, God's presence provided direct access to transcendent knowledge. After the destruction, this connection was severed. Sages maintain some connection to the future through wisdom, but knowledge of present distant events requires total immersion in physicality. Fools and simple beings (animals, children) are completely connected to their immediate physical reality and therefore can sense spiritual reverberations across space. The phrase 'l'yumi chasam' means 'sealed for good days' - indicating someone whose events become locked into time itself, creating eternal moments rather than temporary sequences. This explains how the fool could sense Mar bar Ravashi's appointment: it wasn't future prophecy but present reality that was spiritually 'frozen' in time. The shiur concludes by explaining why this principle of eventual success didn't apply to Rav Achami Difti - when dealing with someone whose nature locks events into eternal time, the displacement becomes permanent rather than temporary.