Rabbi...I am hearing voices... Prophecy or Pretend?

(2) Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: every day a bat kol (a heavenly voice) goes forth from Mount Horeb and makes proclamation and says: “Woe unto humankind for their contempt towards the Torah”, for whoever does not occupy himself with the study of Torah is called, nazuf (the rebuked. As it is said, “Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense” (Proverbs 22:11). And it says, “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets” (Exodus 32:16). Read not haruth [‘graven’] but heruth [ ‘freedom’]. For there is no free man but one that occupies himself with the study of the Torah. And whoever regularly occupies himself with the study of the Torah he is surely exalted, as it is said, “And from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and Nahaliel to Bamoth” (Numbers 21:19).

(1) It is a clear and manifest principle concerning the Torah that as a Law it is permanently established forever and evermore; and that it is not subject to mutibility, nor to diminution, nor to amendment; for it is said: "All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" (Ibid. 13.1); and it is further said: "But the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Ibid. 29.28). Herefrom we learn that according to all the words of the Torah we are commanded to do forever. It is, moreover, said: "a statute forever throughout your generations" (Num. 15.15); and again it is said:¹See Baba Mezi’a 59. C. "It is not in heaven" (Deut. 30.12); herefrom we learn that no prophet is thereafter permitted to make any innovation. Therefore, should a man rise up, whether he be from among the Gentiles or whether from among Israel, and deliver a token and perform a miracle saying, that God hath sent him to add a commandment, or to diminish a commandment, or to interpret a certain commandment of among the commandments with such interpretation as we have not heard by tradition from Moses; or he said, that these commandments with which Israel was charged are not forever and throughout all generations, but that they were commandments in keeping with those times only, behold him, he is a false prophet, seeing that he came to deny the prophecy of Moses; and his punishment is death by strangulation, because he wilfully spoke in the name of God concerning that which He did not charge him; for He, blessed is He! commanded Moses, saying, that this enactment was "unto us and unto our children forever" (Deut. 29.28); and, "God is not a man that He should lie" (Num. 23.19).

(2) If it be so, wherefore is it said in the Torah: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethern, like unto thee" (Deut. 18.18)? Indeed, not to establish a religion is he to come, but to command concerning the words of the Torah and warn the people not to transgress it, as the last of among them said: "Remember ye the Torah of Moses My servant" (Mal. 3.22). Likewise if he command us concerning secular things, for example: Go ye to yon place, or do not go; join battle this day, or do not join, construct this fortress, or do not construct it, it is mandatory to hearken unto him, and whosoever deliberately disregards his words has forfeited his life to Heaven, for it is said: "And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in my Name, I will require it of him" (Deut. 18.19).²Sanhedrin, 89. C.

(3) Likewise, a prophet who violates his own words, or who witholds his prophecy forfeits his life to Heaven, and of the three it is said: "I will require it of him" (Ibid.). Moreover, should a prophet, who is known to us as a prophet, charge us to violate one of all the commandments spoken of in the Torah, or many commandments, whether minor or major, it is mandatory to hearken unto him, if it be a need of the time. Thus did we learn traditionally from the early sages: "In all matters, if the prophet tell thee to forego the words of the Torah, even as Elijah on Mount Carmel did, hearken unto him, save only in idolatry".³Yebamot, 90; Sifre, Deut. 18. C. Provided, however, that the violation be temporary as, for example, Elijah on Mount Carmel, who sacrificed a burnt-offering without, whereas Jerusalem was chosen the only place therefor, and whosoever sacrifices without is guilty and suffers excision. And, because he is a prophet, it is mandatory to hearken unto him, for even in this it is said: "Unto him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18.15). Had they at that time asked Elijah, and said unto him: How can we abolish that which it is written in the Torah: "Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest" (Ibid. 12.13)? He would have replied: "This is not spoken of save against the one who sacrifices without continuously who is guilty and suffers excision, even as Moses hath commanded; but I am sacrificing this day without, because God wills it, so as to deny the prophets of Baal." In such manner, if all the prophets command to violate aught temporary, it is mandatory to hearken to them; but if they say that the matter be abolished forever, the one saying so is punished with death by strangulation, for the Torah said: "Unto us and to our children forever" (Ibid. 29.28).

(4) In like manner, if he abolish aught of the things which we did learn by tradition, or if he say concerning a given law of the laws of the Torah that God charged him to interpret the law thus, and that the law should be decided in favor of that man, behold, he is a false prophet, and shall be strangled, even though he delivered a token; for, lo, he came to refute the Torah wherein it is said: "It is not in heaven" (Ibid. 30.12). Nevertheless, if his charge be of a temporary nature, we must hearken unto him in everything.

(5) All these matters were said only concerning the rest of the commandments, but concerning idolatry he must not be listened to, even it be temporary, and even if he delivered great tokens and performed great miracles and said that God commanded him that idolatry should be worshipped this day only, or this hour only; for, lo, this one spoke perversion against God, and concerning such one Holy Writ commanded, saying: "And the sign and the wonder come to pass…Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet…Because he hath spoken perversion against the Lord your God" (Ibid. 13. 2.4.6); and, lo, he came to refute the prophecy of Moses, we therefore know of a certainty that he is a false prophet, and all that which he did was done by enchantment and witchcraft, and he shall be strangled.