But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die:
If you say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which Hashem has not spoken: When a prophet speaks in the name of Hashem, if the thing doesn't follow or happen, that is the thing which Hashem has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him:
This possuk is teaching us a lesson about the future, and all of this is hinted at in the wording of the possuk.
The Ohr Hachaim begins by asking, why did the Torah add the word אך – but, at the beginning of the possuk? What is the exclusion denoted by this word?
Another question is, why did the Torah use the word יזיד – presumptuously to describe the Navi that lies in the name of Hashem? How is that to be considered presumptuous? Would the Torah not have made its point by saying אשר ידבר – that will speak?
A third question is, what is the Torah informing us with the second and third possuk? Would anyone think that a Navi can predict something falsely and still be considered a Navi? What is the Torah telling us?
The possuk first discusses a Navi who speaks בשמי – in My name. Hashem is speaking in the first person. When the possuk describes a Navi who speaks in the name of Hashem and his prediction fails to materialize, the possuk refers to Hashem in the third person בשם ה' – in the name of Hashem. Why did the Torah change the syntax suddenly? How did Hashem’s being the one talking become the one being talked about?
One last question is asked by the Ohr Hachaim. The Torah tells us about the words that Hashem did not say הוא הדבר אשר לא דברו ה' – that is the word that Hashem did not say. This seems to be a strange definitive way to refer to something that didn’t happen.
The Story of Michyahu and Ach’av
The Ohr Hachaim explains this based on a story of the Navi in Melachim. Yehoshafat, King of Yehuda met Achav, King of Yisroel. While they were conferring, Ach’av told his servants that Ramos Hagil’ad belonged to him, and he wished to have it returned to him. Aram had taken it from Klal Yisroel and Ach’av wanted Yehoshafat’s assistance in returning it to Klal Yisroel. Yehoshafat wholeheartedly agreed, volunteering his army and resources to win this war. Ach’av called together 400 Nevi’im to ask them to tell him Hashem’s word about this war. He would not go to war without their promise that he would win. All of them spoke the same language, saying, in the name of Hashem, that they would win against Aram. However, Yehoshafat wanted to ask the opinion of another Navi, and Ach’av suggested Michyahu ben Yimlah, who was a true Navi. Ach’av warned him that Michyahu generally prophesized negative things because he did not like Ach’av.
Yehoshafat was undeterred, and Michyahu was called to relate that which he was informed regarding the upcoming war with Aram. Michyahu warned the messenger that brought him that he would not distort the words of Hashem.
Tzidkiyahu ben Kena’anah, the leader of the false prophets, fashioned a helmet with horns for himself and told the Kings that these were the horns with which they would gore Aram. Michyahu agreed with this prophecy, using the same language as the rest of the prophets – עלה והצלח – go up and be successful. Yehoshafat was dissatisfied and warned Michyahu to say only the truth in the name of Hashem.
Michyahu’s answer was a completely different story. He told the Kings of Yehuda and Yisroel, that he saw a vision of Klal Yisroel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. Klal Yisroel would lose this war, but none would be killed save the King of Yisroel. Indeed, that is what happened, and Ach’av was killed in this war, whereas Klal Yisroel stayed alive.
Michyahu told Yehoshafat what had happened in Heaven on that day. The possuk tells us that Hashem was sitting on his throne of judgement, with his prosecuting angels on one side and the defending angels on the other. Hashem announced, “Who will persuade Ach’av to go and fight and fall in Ramos Gil’ad?” Each angel offered a different opinion until the spirit of Navos Hacarmeli announced that it would be his privilege to persuade Ach’av to go to his downfall. He told Hashem that he would imbue the prophets with a spirit of false prophecy that would persuade Ach’av to fall.
Who was Navos Hacarmeli?
Earlier in Melachim, the possuk told us the tragic story of Navos. He owned a vineyard in Yizre’el, near the estate of Ach’av and his Queen Izevel. Ach’av coveted Navos’ vineyard and he made him an offer to buy it, but Navos refused to sell. Ach’av was quite upset, and his wife Izevel came up with an idea. Izevel hired two false witnesses who testified to a purported blasphemy of Navos’. The witnesses were accepted and Navos was killed by the Beis Din. Ach’av had his vineyard, but Hashem sent him a message that this would be his downfall and his punishment would be severe. In Heaven, Navos’ spirit was desperate for revenge, and now was his opportunity.
The Ohr Hachaim asks a number of questions on this Parsha in Navi. Why did Michyahu first say the same Nevu’a as everyone else, based on the spirit of Navos, and then change his Nevu’a, ignoring Navos’ spirit? How did Navos’ spirit leave him suddenly? Additionally, why did he attempt to thwart Navos’ plan and tell Ach’av the truth? His job was to entrap Ach’av, not to tell him his vision of Klal Yisroel scattered on the mountains.
The answer to this is that this spirit of Navos only filled Michyahu when he first prophesied in favor of a war against Aram. After the job was done, the spirit left Michyahu, and he was free to declaim the true prophecy. By now, Ach’av was free to ignore him. He could hang his hat on the original prophecy, and his second prophecy was discredited.
Halachic Implications
The Ohr Hachaim uses this story to explain the meaning of our Parsha. Hashem wished to ensure that when a case arose that a Navi was deliberately deceived to achieve a certain outcome, he would not be killed as a false prophet. Otherwise, when Ach’av was killed in battle and the armies lost the war, Michyahu would be liable for the death penalty for delivering false prophecy. An exception needed to be carved out.
The Parsha begins with the word אך – only. This denotes an exclusion. This Halacha has an exception, and the Torah is already alluding to it. If this false prophet acts presumptuously, he is not imbued with the spirit of Navos who wishes to trick Ach’av, but acts presumptuously, with sinful intent, and in blatant disregard of the truth, he is to be put to death.
These words allow Michyahu to live, even after his prophecy did not come to fruition. He did not intend to misspeak; he did not wish to prophecy that which was untrue. Rather, the spirit of Navos overcame him.
The other 400 false prophets could use the same excuse if this is true. Why does the Gemara in Sanhedrin tell us that Tzidkiyahu ben Kenaanah was guilty of a capital crime of delivering false prophecy? The Gemara tells us that the onlooker could be sure that the 400 false prophets were wrong, because it is impossible that two Nevi’im would prophecy in the same language. There are always small differences in the language that make it clear that the prophecy is from Hashem.
Indeed, the other prophets ceased telling their prophecy as soon as they realized that they were all speaking the same language. They knew that a strange spirit must have overcome them. Only Tzidkiyahu continued to speak, even after he should have realized this. That is why he alone was liable for capital punishment.
The question remains: how can we ever kill a false prophet? Perhaps Hashem wished to trick him with a false prophecy through the spirit of Naovs? If not for Michyahu, the 400 prophets would have been liable for the death penalty, because they said that the war against Aram would be successful. Is this justice?
The Torah asks this question with the second possuk: אֵיכָה נֵדַע אֶת הַדָבָר אֲשֶר לֹא דִבְּרוֹ ה' – how are we to know the words that Hashem did not say? How are we to know that the words spoken by the prophet are not those of Hashem, either directly or through the spirit of someone like Navos?
The Torah gives us the secret. If a Navi speaks in the name of Hashem, and the prophecy does not pan out, we can know that this is not a spirit of Navos, and the prophet is lying. If the Nevu’ah was sent through the spirit of Navos, the Navi would not speak in the name of Hashem. Hashem’s name would not be attached to an untruth. Indeed, Michyahu did not say that he was speaking in Hashem’s name until his second Nevu’a.
That which the Navi will say in the name of Hashem, if he uses Hashem’s name, and the matter does not come to pass; the Nevu’a is untrue, we can be sure that בזדון דברו הנביא – the Navi spoke presumptuously. We can be sure that the Navi is lying with intent, and he was not fooled by a spirit.
The possuk says הוא הדבר אשר לא דברו ה' – these words could not be said by Hashem, not directly and not through the spirit of Navos.
At first, Michyahu did not speak in the name of Hashem, which shows us that there was a possibility of him being fooled by a spirit. Yehoshafat knew this, and he warned him to speak only in the name of Hashem. It was then that Michyahu spoke the truth.
The Torah foretold this story in our Parsha, and ensured Michyahu’s position as a true Navi.
