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What made Moshe' prophecy fundamentally different from all other prophets? The Rambam (רמב"ם)'s seventh principle hinges on Moshe receiving God's exact words ('zeh hadavar') rather than accurate messages expressed in human language ('ko amar Hashem (ה׳)'). Moshe achieved this through perfect anav - complete objectivity that allowed divine communication without subjective interpretation.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of Maimonides' seventh principle of faith, which declares Moshe as the greatest of all prophets. Rabbi Zweig begins by reading extensively from Maimonides' commentary on the Mishna, explaining that Moshe achieved the highest possible human level, perceiving the Divine to a degree surpassing every human being that ever existed. He literally elevated himself from mere human to angel-like status, able to speak to God without needing an angel as mediator. The shiur addresses several fundamental questions: Why is this principle so essential to Jewish faith? What made Moshe uniquely capable of this level of prophecy? What is the significance of the prophecy itself? Rabbi Zweig explores a puzzling Talmudic statement that 'Moshe wrote his book and the book of Bilam,' questioning why Bilam specifically is mentioned rather than Avrohom, Yaakov, or Yosef who feature prominently in the Torah (תורה).
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Why did Sadducees reject oral law interpretations that seemed to contradict written Torah? The shiur reveals that their dispute with Pharisees stemmed from viewing humans as God's employees rather than servants—making it illogical for God to grant interpretive authority that could override the written contract. Pharisees understood that since we belong entirely to God with no separate interests, He can trust us to discover His true will even through seemingly contradictory interpretations.
