EE & R, 3_10: Between the Torah and the Prophets: Mosaic Humility and Prophetic Pride
(For the previous installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here. For ToC, click here.)
The prophets are the masters of knowledge; their master, Moshe, knows that he doesn’t truly know. This explains Moshe’s singular humility:
Moshe was a very humble man, more than anyone else on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3)
The rest of humanity – all those who do know – can never reach Moshe’s level of humility, for those who possess knowledge naturally take pride in it, as expressed in the words of the prophet:
The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. The one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows Me – for I am Hashem, who acts with kindness, justice, and righteousness in the land (Jeremiah 9:22-23)
One who understands that “no man shall see Me and live” grasps the extent of human limitation. He knows that self-sacrifice is reflective of the deepest truth, which is that there is nothing we can know with certainty, not even the value of life itself. Having no basis for pride, he will be exceedingly humble. In contrast, those who know Hashem know all there is to know and conduct their lives in line with the divine plan, their realm uniting seamlessly with the realm of Hashem; and they are proud indeed, their confidence stemming from the divine insight they perceive and are entrusted to reveal. For them, the notion of self-sacrifice represents a denial of their justified pride, an affront to the divine vision they embody, and a rejection of the purpose Hashem has revealed through them.
On a deeper level, Moshe and the prophets each emulate Hashem according to their unique perception of Him. To Moshe, Hashem is unknown and hidden, and he too acted in imitation of the hidden God, adopting a self-effacing demeanor. In contrast, the prophets perceive a God who is known and revealed, and they embody His proud clarity, encouraging boldness and confidence in alignment with the divine certainty they behold.