PRECEPTS RELATING TO THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THE LAW.

CHAPTER VIII.

WITH regard to Moses our Rabbi, the Israelites did not believe him in consequence of the signs which he performed, (for he who believes in consequence of signs, must still have some suspicion in his mind' whether it might not have been possible that the sign should have been performed by enchantment or witchcraft); but, [on the contrary], all the signs which Moses performed in the wilderness were performed by him, as a [mere] matter of necessity, and not with the purpose of giving proof of [the truth of] his prophecy. When it was necessary to drown the Egyptians-he divided the sea, and plunged them into it. When we had need of food-he brought us down Manna. When they were thirsty-he divided the rock for their sake. When Korah

1 literally in his heart.

2 And consequently, had the Israelites believed Moses in consequence of the signs which he performed, their belief could never have been firm, and unshaken by suspicion.

and his company denied him-the earth swallowed them up. And so it was with all the other

signs.

II.

Wherefore then did they believe him? [It was] in consequence of accompanying him to Mount Sinai; when our own eyes and not another's beheld, and when our own ears and not another's heard, the fire, the thunderings and the lightnings; whilst he approached the thick darkness, and the voice spake unto him in our own hearing: Moses! Moses! go, and say unto them so and so; just as it is said: The Lord talked with you face to face, (Deut. v. 4). And again it is said: The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers*, (Deut. v. 3).

III. But how do we know that the accompanying of him to Mount Sinai alone was the proof of his prophecy being true, and not liable to suspicion ?—It is because it is said: Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and BELIEVE THEE FOR EVER, (Exod. xix. 9). Consequently, before that event, they did not believe him with a faith which could last for ever, but with a faith which could still admit of doubt".

IV. And therefore [we say], that those [very men], to whom he was sent, were the witnesses to

* but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

literally : after which שיש אחריה הרהור ומחשבה 3

there is [still meditation and reflection.

his prophecy that it was true; so that he needed not to perform any other sign for them, for both they and he himself were witnesses in the matter, just as two witnesses who saw together any one thing, would mutually bear witness to each other, that they spoke the truth; and neither of them would need to give a proof to the other; so with regard to Moses our Rabbi, after accompanying him to Mount Sinai, all the Israelites became his witnesses, and there was no need for him to perform any sign before them.

V. Now this is that which the Holy One, blessed be He! spake unto him at the beginning of his prophecy, when He delivered unto him the signs to be performed in Egypt, saying: And they shall hearken to thy voice, (Exod. iii. 18). [For] Moses our Rabbi well knew, that he who believes in consequence of signs, still entertains in his mind some suspicion-that he still doubts and reflects and therefore he declined to go, and said: But, behold! they will not believe me, (Exod. iv. 1). Until the Holy One, blessed be He made known unto him that "these signs are only [to serve] until they have gone out from Egypt; but that after they have gone out and stood on this mount, all suspicion, that they may have entertained against thee, will be removed; for I give thee here a sign, by which they will know that I have truly sent thee from the very first, so that no suspicion shall remain in their minds'."

And this is that which the Scripture says: And this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain, (Exod. iii. 12).

VI. Hence we say, that we would not believe any prophet that should arise after Moses our Rabbi, in consequence of the sign alone, saying: "If he perform a sign, we will hearken unto him in every thing that he may say," but [if we hearken unto him, it is] in consequence of the commandment, with which Moses charged us in the law, saying: "When he gives you a sign, ye shall hearken unto him;" just as he commanded us to decide a [legal] matter by two witnesses, although we may not know whether they have borne true or false witness, so are we also commanded to hearken unto this prophet, although we do not know whether the sign be true, or [the work of] witchcraft or enchantment.

VII. And therefore if a prophet were to arise and perform great signs or wonders, but sought to deny the prophecy of Moses our Rabbi, we should not hearken to him, but should know certainly that the signs were [performed] by enchantment or witchcraft; seeing that the prophecy of Moses our Rabbi was not [established] by

2018 XYD) literally: Hence thou sayest.

3

literally: by witchcraft or enchantment.

48 literally: plainly, clearly.

signs, so that we could compare the signs of this man with the signs of the other; but we saw it with our own eyes, and heard it with our own ears, the same as he (Moses) himself heard it.

VIII. Behold! what the matter resembles; it is just like witnesses that were to bear witness before a man, respecting a thing which he saw with his own eyes, that it was not so as he saw it; in which case he would surely not hearken unto them, but would know certainly that they were false witnesses. And therefore the law says, that if [even] the sign or the wonder come to pass, thou shalt [still] not hearken unto the words of that prophet; for behold! this [man] comes to thee with a sign or wonder, to deny that which thou sawest with thy own eyes; and since we only believe signs, in consequence of the commandment with which Moses has charged us, how then are we to receive the sign of him, who comes to deny the prophecy of Moses our Rabbi, which we both saw and heard?