| Orthodox Conversion to Judaism |
| The Thirteen Principles of Our Faith, According to RaMBaM |
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| The Shloshah-Asar Ikkarim is included in Maimonides commentary in the Mishnah. It is the 13 Principles of Articles of our Faith. Ani Maamin.... (I believe....) 6. The belief that G-d communicates with man trough prophecy. A person must know that there exists amongst mankind individuals who have very lofty qualities and great perfection; tzaddikim whose souls are prepared until their minds receive pefect intellect. 7. The belief that the prophecy of Moses our teacher has priority. This means to believe the he is the father of all prophets, both those that preceded him and those who arose after him; all of them were below his level. He was the chosen one from all Mankind. for he attained a greater knowledge of the Blessed One, more then any other man ever attained. Moshe rose up from the level of man to the level of angles and gained the exalted status of an angel. Nothing physical held him back. His powers of imagination, the senses, and the perceptions were nullified; the power of desire was separated from him leaving him with pure intellect. It is for this reason that it is said on him that he could speak to Hashem, without the itermediary of angles. Every other prophet received the word of Hashem trough an intermediary. All other prophets receive their prophecy either when they are sleeping or by day when a trance has fallen over them which removes all their senses and leaves their mind open as in a dream. When a prophet receives prophecy, even though it was only a vision and by means of an angel, he would nevertheless be weakened by it and his body would shudder. With Moshe, the word came to him and he did not experience trembeling and shivering in any way. This was due to his total attachment to the intellect. The other prophets were unable to receive prophecy when they willed it but only when Hashem wished it. The prophet could wait days or years and prophecy would not come. He could beseech Hashem to make known to him a matter through prophecy and then he could wait for days or months for the prophecy, sometimes it would never come at all. There were prophets that would prepare themselves and purify their thoughts and prophecy came upon him. But it was not certain that ^rophecy would come at the time a person prepared himself. Moshe could prophesize at any time he wished. "mouth to mouth I speak to Him" (Bamidbar 12:8) "in a dream at night" (Bereishis 20:3) "in a vision at night" (Iyov 33:15) "And Hashem spoke to Moshe face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Shemos 33:11) "Wait and I will hear what Hashem has commanded you" (Bamidbar 9:8) |