Considering Moses, Maimonides, and the course of history

Bookworm has the week off, so we’re reprinting one of his archived columns. Want more Bookworm? Follow this link for a guide to Alan Jay Gerber’s Jewish Star columns: bit.ly/1c1yMQW

One of Maimonides’ lasting legacies was his attempt to systemize the specifics of Jewish belief. Consisting of 13 statements, he gave our faith a form wherein we are able to point to specific basic beliefs that go to the core of our faith. The seventh one focuses upon the belief in the role of Moses in our tradition.

Maimonides states the following in his commentary to the tenth chapter of Mishnah Sanhedrin, as cited by Dr. Menachem Kellner in, “Torah in the Observatory” [Academic Studies Press, 2010]:

“The seventh foundation is the prophecy of Moses, our Teacher; to wit, it should be known that: Moses was the father of all prophets of those who came before him and those who came after him; all were beneath him in rank and that he was chosen by G-d from among the entire species of humanity and that he comprehended more of G-d than any man who ever existed or ever will exist ever comprehended or will comprehend, and that he reached a state of exaltedness beyond humanity, so that he perceived the level of sovereignty and became included in the level of the angels.”

Further description enhances Moses’ role as G-d’s prophet, lawgiver and divinely ap- pointed leader of the Jewish people.

Dr. Kellner states further that, “The prophecy of Moses is different in kind from that of all other prophets; G-d communicated with Moses directly, through no intermediary, in a way which was unique and will never be repeated.”

This belief system was analyzed further by Dr. Kellner in a work with the challenging title, “Must A Jew Believe Anything?” [Second edition, Littman Library, 2008].

In this volume we are presented with a comprehensive review of Moses’ role as the premier religious, as well as political, leader of our people for all time. In a detailed foot-note, Dr. Kellner states: “Maimonides here makes a number of unprecedented claims about Moses:

a. He is the father of all the prophets, including the Patriarchs who preceded him;

b. No other prophet ever achieved his rank, nor will any prophet do so;