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What made Moshe's prophecy fundamentally different from all other prophets? The Ramchal explains that regular prophets received divine visions through dreams and allegories, like looking through cloudy lenses. Moshe remained fully conscious during 'mouth to mouth' communication with crystal clarity and could access all divine secrets voluntarily rather than receiving only what God chose to reveal.
This shiur analyzes Chapter 5 of Derech Hashem (ה׳), focusing on the fundamental differences between Moshe Rabbeinu's prophecy and that of all other prophets. The Ramchal begins by establishing that prophecy itself is a divine creation - not a natural ability to perceive God's essence, which remains completely unknowable and invisible. Rather, God creates specific channels through which prophets can experience divinity. Regular prophets receive their visions through dreams or while in unconscious states, losing their normal mental and physical faculties during prophetic experiences. They perceive divine glory as if looking through dull, refractive lenses - seeing truth indirectly through allegories and metaphors. Despite this indirect transmission, prophets always know with certainty that their experience comes from the true God and understand the essential concepts being communicated.
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Derech Hashem 3:5
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