The Rambam:
It is [one] of the foundations of [our] faith that God conveys prophecy to man. Prophecy is bestowed only upon a very wise sage of a strong character, who is never overcome by his natural inclinations in any regard. Instead, with his mind, he overcomes his natural inclinations at all times. He must [also] possess a very broad and accurate mental capacity. (Yesodei Hatorah, 7:1)
The Questions:
What is the Rambam’s source for these prerequisite qualities of a prophet?
The Talmud has two different versions of the proper qualities for a prophet. Tractate Nedarim (38a) states, “G-d does not rest His presence, only on one... who is strong, wealthy, wise, and humble.” Tractate Shabbos enumerates different qualities, “wise, strong, wealthy, and tall.”
Why does the Rambam not cite these texts? Why does tractate Shabbos omit the quality of humility? And why is the order inverted in these sources, with “wise” appearing first in Shabbos but third in Nedarim?
The Explanation:
Rambam defines prophecy as an intellectual achievement. When a person trains their mind to connect with G-d’s intelligence, they become perceptive to His message and receive prophecy. Therefore, intellect is the most critical quality of the prophet.
In Shabbos, the Talmud is discussing the uniqueness of the prophet, and therefore it lists wisdom as the cardinal quality. In Nedarim, on the other hand, the Talmud is discussing the general phenomenon of the Divine presence resting on an individual, not prophecy per se. Therefore wisdom is not the most critical, and humility is relevant because ego is an impediment to the resting of G-d’s presence.
Order of Foundations:
Rambam lists the principle of prophecy before the foundation of believing in the Divinity of the Torah, unlike the Ikkarim, which lists prophecy after the belief in Torah from Sinai.
The reason is now understood: Rambam maintains that prophecy is not derived from belief in the Torah’s Divinity, it is based on the belief that G-d can become intelligible to humankind. Therefore, it follows from the earlier principles of “knowing that there is a First cause,” i.e. understanding G-d’s existence rationally. Prophecy is simply the ultimate realization of understanding G-d’s reality.
