Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 7-9

Sugya Map

• Issue: The necessary preconditions for prophecy, specifically the Gemara's inclusion of 'עשיר' (wealthy) as a prerequisite versus its omission by Rambam.
• Nafka Mina: Understanding the fundamental nature of prophetic qualifications – are they solely internal/spiritual, or do external factors also play a causal role?
• Primary Sources: Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 7:1¹; Nedarim 38a²; Shabbat 92a³; Seder Mishnah ad loc.⁴

Text Snapshot

"אין הנבואה חלה אלא על חכם גדול בחכמה גבור במדותיו... ושלם בגופו."¹ Rambam enumerates wisdom, strong character, and physical soundness as conditions for prophecy. Notably absent is the condition of 'עשיר' (wealthy), which the Gemara explicitly includes. This omission is the crux of our analysis.

Readings

Seder Mishnah (R' Y. F. Corinaldi)

The Seder Mishnah⁴ grapples with Rambam's omission of 'עשיר'. He suggests two main approaches:

1. Rambam rules like R' Yochanan (Nedarim 38a) concerning 'בעל קומה' (tall stature), implying that 'עשיר' is likewise not an absolute prerequisite for prophecy's initial onset. Rather, wealth is a consequence (סגולת הנבואה) of prolonged prophecy, not a prior condition.
2. The purpose of wealth (as explained by Sefer HaIkkarim) is to ensure the prophet's words are heeded, as "חכמת המסכן בזויה" (the wisdom of the poor is despised). However, Rambam holds that this is not necessary at the outset, and God provides for the prophet's needs.

Maharsha (quoted by Seder Mishnah)

The Maharsha⁴ explains the Gemara's derivation of these qualities (חכם, גבור, עשיר, עניו) from Moshe Rabeinu via the phrase "נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמוני" (Devarim 18:15) – a prophet must possess some resemblance to Moshe in all his virtues.

Friction

The Strongest Kushya

How can Rambam omit 'עשיר' when Nedarim 38a explicitly states, "אין השכינה שורה אלא על חכם גבור ועשיר ועניו," and derives this from Moshe, Yonah, and Amos? Moshe, at the burning bush, was a shepherd, hardly 'עשיר', posing a chronological difficulty for the Gemara's own proof-texts, let alone Rambam's omission.

The Best Terutz

The Seder Mishnah's second approach offers an elegant solution: The Gemara's statement that "all prophets were wealthy" (כל הנביאים עשירים הוו) refers to a result or attribute of prophecy, not a condition precedent. Prophecy itself is a סגולה that brings wealth, much like the ketoret (incense) enriched the Kohanim. Thus, Moshe was not wealthy before his prophecy, but became so through it (e.g., from the sapphire shards of the luchot). Rambam, in this chapter, lists only the initial, intrinsic conditions for prophecy to begin.

Intertext

• Nedarim 38a: "אין השכינה שורה אלא על חכם גבור ועשיר ועניו" – The Talmudic source for the prophetic qualifications, highlighting the 'עשיר' condition.
• Devarim 18:15: "נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמוני יקים לך ה' אלהיך אליו תשמעון" – The verse from which the Maharsha (and implicitly R' Yochanan) derives that future prophets must share attributes with Moshe.

Psak/Practice

Rambam's omission reflects a prioritization of internal, intellectual, and moral perfection over external, material conditions. The psak emphasizes that prophecy is fundamentally a spiritual attainment, contingent upon the refinement of the individual's inner self and mind, not their bank account. This meta-psak heuristic highlights Rambam's tendency to distil the ikkar (essence) of a concept, sometimes reinterpreting aggadic statements to align with a consistent philosophical framework.

Takeaway

True prophecy is a testament to profound wisdom, moral fortitude, and physical integrity; material wealth is a potential blessing that follows divine communion, not a prerequisite for it.

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¹ Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 7:1 ² Nedarim 38a ³ Shabbat 92a ⁴ Seder Mishnah on Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 7:1:1 s.v. מיסודי הדת וכו'