The Era of the Neviim
The era of the Neviim (Prophets) was a period when ruach nevuah (prophetic spirit) rested upon elevated and lofty Yidden who conquered their yetzer and physical desires. They merited to serve as an intermediary connecting Am Yisroel to their G-d, bringing the people to teshuvah and drawing them closer to Hashem, transmitting nevuos and various missions from Hakadosh Baruch Hu to His people.
Unlike the chachomim, and even the greatest Kabbalistic sages, who do not grasp the essence and mahus of Elokus but only knowledge of existence, the neviim had a certain perception in understanding the mahus of the sefiros that Hakadosh Baruch Hu influences.
Different Levels of Nevuah edit
The greatest of the neviim was Moshe Rabbeinu, who unlike all other neviim who only prophesied with "So says Hashem" because they only saw visions which they interpreted according to their understanding to translate the nevuah, he prophesied in the exact language of the nevuah.
Moshe Rabbeinu had perception in NHY"M from Atzilus.
The Baal Shem Tov explained the possuk "Turn from evil and do good," that unlike Yirmiyahu HaNavi who was punished by being thrown into a pit and such because he did not daven for Yisroel when he heard the negative nevuah about Yisroel, Yeshayah (whose name means salvation) davened for Yisroel.
The Nevuah of Melech HaMoshiach edit
Melech HaMoshiach is a very great novi and greater than all neviim, close to Moshe Rabbeinu. And in the Tanchuma it implies that he is a greater novi than Moshe: This is Moshiach ben Dovid... who is greater than the Avos, as it says, "Behold My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high." "Exalted" above Avraham, "lifted up" above Yitzchok, "very high" above Yaakov... and "lifted up" above Moshe.
The Rebbe explains that according to Midrash Tanchuma it implies that Melech HaMoshiach will be greater than Moshe, and therefore the meaning of the words in the Rambam "close to Moshe" is: above Moshe.
See Also edit
- Nevuah