Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Deuteronomy 34:10/ספורנו על דברים ל״ד:י׳
אוְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה. לֹא הִגִּיעַ שׁוּם נָבִיא לְמַדְרֵגַת נְבוּאָתוֹ, וּבְזֶה הִתְבָּאֵר שֶׁאֵין נָבִיא רַשַּׁאי לְחַדֵּשׁ דָּבָר מֵעַתָּה, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם ״אֵין בֵּית דִּין יָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל דִּבְרֵי בֵּית דִּין חֲבֵירוֹ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן״ (שבת קד).
1ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה, no other subsequent prophet ever attained the lofty spiritual stature of Moses. This explained the statement by our sages that no prophet is allowed to innovate something in the Torah since Moses had died. (Shabbat 104) This statement also explains the rule that no Rabbinical assembly may invalidate a decree by another such Rabbinical assembly which had preceded it, unless it could be proven to be more competent and consisted of a greater number than the Rabbinical assembly which had originated said decree. (Megillah 20)
באֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ ה׳. הִנֵּה הַנָּבִיא יִקְנֶה תּוֹסֶפֶת אוֹר שִׂכְלִי בְּלִי סָפֵק בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ מִתְנַבֵּא, כְּאָמְרוֹ (שמואל א י:ו) ״וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ עִמָּהֶם וְנֶהְפַּכְתָּ לְאִישׁ אַחֵר״. וּלְכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִגִּיד חַסְדֵי הָאֵל עַל עַמּוֹ אָמַר (עמוס ב:יא) ״וָאָקִים מִבְּנֵיכֶם לִנְבִיאִים״. וּבִהְיוֹת כָּל פְּעֻלַּת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּידִיעָתוֹ עַצְמוֹ בִּלְבַד, אָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ״ לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁפָּעַל בּוֹ בִּידִיעָתוֹ לְטוֹב, כְּמוֹ ״מָה אָדָם וַתֵּדָעֵהוּ״ (תהלים קמד:ג), ״וָאֵדָעֲךָ בְשֵׁם״ (שמות לג:יז), ״וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹהִים״ (שמות ב:כה), ״יוֹדֵעַ ה׳ דֶּרֶךְ צַדִּיקִים״ (תהלים א:ו), וְרַבִּים זוּלַת אֵלֶּה.
2'אשר ידעו ה, whom G’d had endowed with so much knowledge by turning His face to him. We have been told in Samuel I 10,6 that receiving even a small measure of prophetic insight makes the recipient an איש אחר, a different person. This is why the prophet Amos 2,11 when referring to the deeds of loving kindness performed by G’d for the people lists the fact that G’d gave many Israelites prophetic insights. The people, during Amos’ time, instead of availing themselves of the spiritual inspiration thus accessible, forbade these prophets to impart their visions, etc., reversing and frustrating G’d’s purpose. Seeing that all of G’d’s activity stems exclusively from His own personal knowledge (cannot be evaluated properly by His creatures, seeing that they are “only” His creature) the Torah records G’d as saying that אשר ידעו ה' פנים אל פנים, that in His communications with Moses and granting him insights into His ways, He did so exclusively for Moses’ benefit. This expression ידע appears repeatedly in Scriptures in this sense of endowing someone with insights. One example is Psalms 144,3 מה אדם ותדעהו, “what did man do that You should take the trouble to grant him such insights?” Another such example is found in Exodus 33,17 ואדעך בשם, “I granted you some insights about My essence, by making you familiar with some of My attributes.” [my translation. Ed.] Compare also Exodus 2,25 Psalms1,6 and numerous other examples. [If I do not err, the author feels that seeing that G’d’s omniscience is axiomatic in Judaism, such phrases as the ones quoted cannot simply mean “G’d knew,” for there would be no point in the Torah stating the obvious. They must therefore imply that G’d communicated some of His knowledge. In Exodus 2,25 the Torah meant to tell us that the Jewish people would shortly become aware that G’d knew all about their condition and would do something about it, something that would also raise their spiritual level as a result. Ed.]
גפָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים. בְּעוֹדוֹ מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּחוּשָׁיו.
3פנים אל פנים, while in full possession of his faculties.