A rare autograph of Maimonides exists at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, consisting of a brief text with Maimonides’ signature, authenticating an early copy of the first two books of his legal compendium Mishneh Torah:[1] Book of Mada (knowledge) and Book of Ahava (adoration).[2] The manuscript is known in the Bodleian Library as MS Huntington 80 and in rabbinic works as the ‘Book of the Signature’ (Sefer Hachatum).[3] The Bodleian Library bought this text in 1693 from Dr. Robert Huntington, who acquired it while serving as chaplain to the English merchants in Aleppo. The autograph states:[4] “Corrected against my own book, I Moses, son of Rabbi Maimon of blessed memory”. This manuscript is supremely important as it attests to the accuracy of the text after Maimonides had compared it against the original text. For this reason Jewish scholars[5] have sought out this manuscript as a reference to verify the authenticity of the Mishneh Torah text of the first two books of Mada and Ahava.[6]
In this essay, I will highlight a significant difference in the Oxford edition of the text compared to other versions of the Mishneh Torah relating to the laws of prophecy. I will first present the variation, the difference in the meaning of the two words as found in the two versions, present two additional related texts of Maimonides on the subject of prophecy that has both terms mentioned respectively, and finally, after challenging the Huntington version, argue that the text in the Huntington edition is not only deliberate but justified, taking into consideration the particular focus of the text where this variation can be found in the Mishneh Torah.
Two general types of prophets – private and public
Maimonides, in his legal work Mishneh Torah in the laws regarding prophecy, explains there are two types of prophets: a private prophet and a public prophet whose mission is to influence other people:[7]
There is the possibility that a prophet will experience prophecy for his own sake alone - i.e., to expand his mental capacities and to increase his knowledge - allowing him to know more about lofty concepts than he knew before. It is also possible that he will be sent to one of the nations of the world, or to the inhabitants of a particular city or kingdom, to prepare them and to inform them what they should do or to prevent them from continuing in their evil ways. When he is sent on such a mission, he is given a sign or a wonder to perform, so that the people will know that G-d has truly sent him.
This general distinction between a public and private prophet is explained in more detail in the Guide for the Perplexed.[8] He first explains the nature of prophecy, as an emanation sent forth by the Divine Being through the medium of the Active Intellect, in the first instance to man's rational faculty, and then to his imaginative faculty.[9] He then continues to explain that this Divine influence can have two manifestations: it may reach a person only in a small measure, and in exactly the same proportion would then be his intellectual condition, for the purpose of one’s own perfection. A second manifestation is a person receives Divine influence in so great a measure that in addition to sufficing for their own perfection, he can be the means of bringing perfection to others. The prophets of Israel as recorded in the Torah are mostly in the second category. They are referred to in Deuteronomy:[10] “A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your G-d will set up for you; you shall hearken to him.”
Two types of public prophets – documented and undocumented
The overall role of the prophet is that G-d reveals hidden knowledge to them, as it states in Amos:[11] “For the Lord G-d does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets.” In this context there were many prophets of Israel, as the Talmud elaborates[12] that there were many prophets who arose for the Jewish people, numbering double the number of Israelites who left Egypt. However, only a portion of the prophecies were recorded, because only prophecy that was needed for future generations was written down in the Bible for posterity, but that which was not needed, as it was not pertinent to later generations, was not written. In total, there were forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses who prophesied as public prophets on behalf of the Jewish people.[13] It would seem that both these groups of prophets, those who wrote down their prophecies and those who did not, included, though not exclusively, public prophets; many may have taught their prophecies to other people, though not all found it necessary to write their prophecies down for posterity.
Three categories of public documented prophets
Maimonides outlines three categories of public prophets, which he details in the Guide for the Perplexed[14]: a. the Patriarchs, who received a large amount of prophetic inspiration, though G-d did not send them any explicit command concerning certain things that should or should not be done. The Patriarchs told people from their own will to do what is right, as it states:[15] “For I know him, because he commands his sons and his house after him, to practice righteousness and judgments.” The Patriarchs showed the people around them the truth of the oneness of G-d through philosophical argument. The teachings of the Patriarchs were more as prophet-preachers than prophets with Divine commandments for the people. b. The second category is Moses regarding whom it states explicitly that G-d told him to speak to certain people regarding specific commandments and laws. c. The history of all the Jewish prophets after Moses is to exhort the people to keep the Law of Moses through reward and punishment.
In summary, looking at the views of Maimonides in combination with the Tlamud, one may say there are actually five categories of prophets: a. Private prophets who attain their own perfection with no role to influence others, b. Public prophets, who preach to others, such as the Patriarchs. c. Public prophets, who G-d commanded explicitly to teach laws to the people, as Moses, d. Public prophets who exhort the people to keep the Torah and repent or convey other teachings but remain undocumented. e. Public prophets who exhort the people to keep the Torah and repent and whose prophecies were documented for posterity in the works of the scripture (Ketuvim).
Two versions in Maimonides regarding the public prophet
Relating to the public prophet whose aim is to preach to and influence the people (above categories b, d or e), there are two versions of the role of such a prophet. In the standard edition of the Mishneh Torah it states:[16]
There is the possibility that a prophet will experience prophecy for his own sake alone - i.e., to expand his mental capacities and to increase his knowledge - allowing him to know more about lofty concepts than he knew before. It is also possible that he will be sent to one of the nations of the world, or to the inhabitants of a particular city or kingdom, to prepare (l’chonen) them and to inform them what they should do or to prevent them from continuing in their evil ways.
In the Huntington 80 manuscript of Maimonides Mishneh Torah it states:
There is the possibility that a prophet will experience prophecy for his own sake alone - i.e., to expand his mental capacities and to increase his knowledge - allowing him to know more about lofty concepts than he knew before.It is also possible that he will be sent to one of the nations of the world, or to the inhabitants of a particular city or kingdom, to grant them knowledge (l’vonen)and to inform them what they should do or to prevent them from continuing in their evil ways.
In the old Sephardic printed editions, early printed editions, including the standard Vilnius-Warsaw edition, the word used in describing the role of a public prophet is l’chonen - to prepare the people and inform them what to do. In the Oxford Huntington edition, as well as other Ashkenazic, Sephardic and Yemenite editions,[17] the word used is l’vonen - to grant knowledge.
Furthermore, in the Huntington edition, the word is first omitted altogether and then added in the margin as a correction. It would appear that during the editing process of this section of the Mishneh Torah, perhaps under the supervision of Maimonides himself, it was noticed that the word was missing by mistake and instructed to be added. The word that was added however was l’vonen (to grant knowledge), as opposed to l’chonen (to prepare). The fact that the word was first omitted and then added in the margin further emphasizes the deliberateness of the use of this word. The signature of Maimonides authenticating this version of the text may indeed have been referring to such and other, albeit seemingly minor, corrections. Both words are very similar. The difference being the Hebrew letter vet (similar to a v sound)has a small protrusion on the right hand side of the base, whereas the semi circular Hebrew letter chet (similar to the guttural ch sound)does not haveany protrusion from its base. Nevertheless, the fact that the word is found as a marginal correction suggests this is not merely a mistake or inconsequential variation, but a deliberate correction in the Huntington edition.
Moses Hyamson’s translation
In the translation of the Oxford Huntington edition of the Mishneh Torah published in 1965 by former acting Chief Rabbi of England and head of the London Beth Din, Rabbi Dr. Moses Hyamson (1862-1949), it correctly writes the word l’vonen in the Hebrew, as recorded in the Huntington edition, but in the translation it writes ‘to direct them aright.’ This seems to be a translation of the version as found in the standard edition - l’chonen, ignoring the variation of the Huntington edition that writes l’vonen‘ - to grant understanding.’
L’chonen
To understand the significance of the variation of the Huntington edition, I would like to present a brief survey of, firstly, the different meanings of these two words, l’vonen and l’chonen, as presented respectively in various Biblical passages; secondly, cases where both words are used in juxtaposition to each other; and thirdly, a case where both terms are mentioned immediately adjacent to each other with commentary highlighting their close relationship in meaning, giving greater context to the variation of the Huntington edition compares to other versions.
One of the first times l’chonen is used is in Exodus:[18] ‘You shall bring them and plant them on the mount of Your heritage, directed toward Your habitation, which You made, O Lord; the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands founded (konenu).’ Ibn Ezra[19] translates the word the same as the earlier word in the same verse: made or acted (poalta).[20] In Deuteronomy it states:[21] ‘Is this how you repay the Lord, you disgraceful, unwise people?! Is He not your Father, your Master? He has made you and established you (va’yechonenacha).’ Biblical commentator Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi (1040-1105), drawing on the Talmud and Midrash,[22] translates the word va’yechonenacha, ‘He established you’, meaning G-d made the Jewish people self-sufficient:
After He made you a special nation, G-d established you upon every kind of firm base and foundation (kan) i.e., made you self-contained: your priests are from among yourselves; your prophets are from among yourselves, and your kings are from among yourselves. Indeed, you are like a city from which all resources are drawn.
A similar interpretation found elsewhere in the Talmud, comparing it to the word koneniyut, which means bases, from the Hebrew word kan.[23] The Talmud comments in this context[24]: ‘The Holy One Blessed be He created bases (internal organs) in man, so that if the position of one of them is inverted, he cannot live.’
Spanish medieval Biblical commentator and Talmudist, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, known as Nachmanides (1194-1270) translates va’yechonenacha as ‘He fashioned or formed you.’ The same translation is used in Job:[25] ‘Did not my Maker make him in the womb, and did not G-d form us (v’ychunenu) both in the womb?’ 16th century Italian commentator Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (1475-1550) offers a third translation of the verse in Deuteronomy: ‘He prepared you to be ready as his treasured nation.’
In Psalms the term is used numerous times. It states:[26] “Your faith is to every generation; You established (konanta) the earth and it endures”. A further verse in the same chapter states:[27] “My prayers are that my ways should be established (yikonu), to keep Your statutes.” As in Deuteronomy, Psalms implies more than one translation. In the verse:[28] ‘From the Lord a mighty man's steps are established (konanu), for He delights in his way,’ Rashi translates: ‘From the Lord a mighty man's steps are prepared for reality.’ Elsewhere in Psalms, it states:[29] ‘And He drew me up out of the roaring pit, from the thick mire, and He set my feet upon a rock, He established (konen) my steps.’ Here too Rashi translates: ‘He prepared my steps.’ In summary, the following translations may be applied: established, bases, formed, prepared. In the context of prophecy, Maimonides would then be saying possibly all the above, that the prophet fashions, establishes and prepares the people and informs them what to do or what not to do.
L’vonen
The word ‘l’vonen’ is also used in a number of verses. In Deuteronomy, it states:[30] ‘He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland. He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them (y’vonenehu), He protected them as the pupil of His eye.’ Rashi explains: ‘G-d bestowed upon them Torah and understanding’. In Psalms also, the term is used a number of times. It states:[31] ‘Make me understand (havineni) Your precepts, and I shall speak of Your wonders.’ Another verse states:[32] ‘Enable me to understand (havineni) and I shall keep Your Torah, and I shall keep it wholeheartedly.’[33] Biblical commentator Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (1809 -1879), known by the acronym Malbim, comments that the request of understanding is not only not to pervert one’s ways but to understand the Torah with depth through deductive reasoning. Further in the chapter in Psalms it states:[34] ‘I am Your servant; enable me to understand (havineni) and I shall know Your testimonies.’ Further in Psalms it says:[35] ‘The righteousness of Your testimonies is eternal; enable me to understand (havineni) and I shall live.’ Malbim comments in this passage: Grant me understanding in the testimonies and I should understand the ways, how the wicked are punished and the righteous are delivered, as sometimes one is confused when seeing the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. 13th century Biblical commentator Rabbi David Kimchi (1160–1235), know as Radak, comments: ‘Grant understanding and I will live in the world to come.’ Finally, in Psalms it states:[36] ‘May my song of prayer draw near before You, O Lord; according to Your word, enable me to understand (havineni).’ 18th century Biblical commentator Rabbi David Altschuler comments in his Metzudat David commentary on this verse: ‘grant knowledge of the Torah according to Your true intentions.’
In summary, the term l’vonen may intend the following deep insights: the prophet grants understanding and deductive reasoning of the Torah, the true intentions of G-d in His commandments, and the secrets to understand G-d’s conduct, as in the persistent question, why do bad things happen to good people?
Both words in close proximity and juxtaposed
While the above study of the two words imply two very different meanings, the two words also have a close relationship, not just in spelling but also in meaning and context. This can be demonstrated by the fact that both terms are mentioned in close proximity to each other in two places. In Deuteronomy, the two above-mentioned verses, while employing both words separately, are in fact in very close proximity to each other. It states:[37] ‘Is this how you repay the Lord, you disgraceful, unwise people?! Is He not your Father, your Master? He has made you and established you (va’yechonenacha).’ In merely four verses later, in the same context, it states:[38] ‘He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland. He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them (y’vonenehu), He protected them as the pupil of His eye.’ This would imply the close relationship between the two words: established (self sufficient) and bestow knowledge.
There is furthermore an instance in Psalms where both words are not just in close proximity but in juxtaposition to each other in the same verse. It states: [39] ‘Your hands made me and fashioned me (v’yechonenuni)’ and then continues: ‘enable me to understand (havineni), and I shall learn Your commandments.’ Metzudot David comments that the Psalmist here is requesting: ‘make me a ready vessel to receive understanding therefore grant me understanding and I will learn.’ According to this interpretation, both l’chonen and l’vonen, are related to the concept of knowledge and understanding, although one is to prepare them to receive wisdom, while the other is to grant wisdom. Based on the above study, the interchanging use of the words in the section about a public prophet in the Mishneh Torah is understandable, as they are closely related though also different: the word established, fashion and prepare implies the refocusing of the people towards receiving knowledge, while granting of knowledge implies the actual intellectual sharing of knowledge of the prophet to the people.
Challenge to the Huntington version
Based on the above study, it would appear the correct version should in fact be l’chonen, to prepare, as opposed to l’vonen, grant knowledge. This can be argued based on the way Maimonides himself uses these words in two additional sections of the Mishneh Torah in relation to prophecy, in the Laws of Repentance and Laws of Kings.
In Laws of Kings, Maimonides writes the purpose of the prophet is to “prepare their hearts”, similar to the standard edition of the Mishneh Torah - (l’chonen):[40]
Our Sages taught: "There will be no difference between the current age and the Messianic era except the emancipation from our subjugation to the gentile kingdoms." The simple interpretation of the prophets' words appear to imply that the war of Gog and Magog will take place at the beginning of the Messianic age. Before the war of Gog and Magog, a prophet will arise to inspire Israel to be upright (l’yasher)[41] and prepare (u’lhachin) their hearts, as Malachi states:[42] 'Behold, I am sending you Elijah.' He will not come to declare the pure, impure, or to declare the impure, pure. He will not dispute the lineage of those presumed to be of proper pedigree, nor will he validate the pedigree of those whose lineage is presumed blemished. Rather, he will establish peace within the world as it continues:[43] 'He will turn (v’heishiv) the hearts of the fathers to the children." There are some Sages who say that Elijah's coming will precede the coming of the Mashiach.
In the laws of Repentance[44] however it suggests the role of the prophet in the future era of Mashiach is to teach and instruct the people in the path of G-d:
For these reasons, all Israel, in particular, their prophets and their Sages, have yearned for the Messianic age so they can rest from the oppression of the gentile kingdoms who do not allow them to occupy themselves with Torah and mitzvot properly. They will find rest and increase their knowledge in order to merit the world to come. In that era, knowledge, wisdom, and truth will become abundant. Isaiah states,[45] "The earth will be full of the knowledge of G-d." Jeremiah states:[46] "One man will no longer teach his brother, nor a man his colleague... for all will know Me." And Ezekiel states:[47] "I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." These changes will come about because the king who will arise from David's descendants will be a greater master of knowledge than Solomon and a great prophet, close to the level of Moses, our teacher. Therefore, he will teach (yelamed) the entire nation and instruct them in the path of G-d. All the gentile nations will come to hear him as Isaiah[48] states: "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of G-d's house shall be established at the peak of the mountains... and all the nations shall flow to it."
The role of a prophet is thus twofold: to prepare the hearts of the people for repentance and to teach them. However, when choosing between the two terms, it depends on the context of the text and period it relates to. In the time prior to the Messianic era the function of the prophet is to inspire and prepare the hearts of the people to repentance, as mentioned in the Laws of Kings. In the Messianic era, the role of the prophet will be to teach knowledge, as mentioned in the Laws of Repentance. If this is the case, the section of the Mishneh Torah where the general concept of prophecy is discussed,[49] the term l’chonen – to prepare the people to repentance or receive wisdom would be a more suitable term, presenting a challenge to the Huntington version.
Explaining the Huntington version - prophecy is knowledge
I would like to argue that the term l’vonen, deliberately inserted in the text as a correction, could be explained when considering the context of the whole chapter where this text is situated in Mishneh Torah.[50] The subject of prophecy can be divided into two parts:[51] a. The very belief in prophecy as one of the tenets of Jewish faith, that G-d attaches His intellect to man’s intellect. b. The role of the prophet - to inspire the people to repentance and teach them wisdom.[52] The subject of prophecy in the Laws of Repentance and the Laws of Kings refers to the role of the prophet, while the chapter where our variation is situated focuses on the belief in the existence of prophecy. This is evident by the opening of the chapter:[53] ‘It is one of the foundations of our faith to know[54] that G-d conveys prophecy to man.’ It is in the context of the very existence of prophecy as a tenet in Jewish belief, as opposed to his role, that Maimonides is pointing out that the nature of prophecy may be private – sufficient for his own perfection or public - sufficient also for the perfection of others.
In this context Maimonides continues in the chapter to explain the definition of a prophet as a person subject to the intellectual transformation of the mind:
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. A person who is full of all these qualities and is physically sound is fit for prophecy. When he enters the Pardes and is drawn into these great and sublime concepts, if he possesses an accurate mental capacity to comprehend and grasp them, he will become holy. He will advance and separate himself from the masses who proceed in the darkness of the time. He must continue and diligently train himself not to have any thoughts whatsoever about fruitless things or the vanities and intrigues of the times. Instead, his mind should constantly be directed upward, bound beneath G-d's throne of Glory, striving to comprehend the holy and pure forms and gazing at the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, in its entirety, in its manifold manifestations from the most elevated spiritual form until the navel of the earth, appreciating His greatness from them. After these preparations, the divine spirit will immediately rest upon him. When the spirit rests upon him, his soul becomes intermingled with the angels called ishim, and he will be transformed into a different person and will understand with a knowledge different from what it was previously. He will rise above the level of other wise men, as the prophet, Samuel told Saul:[55] "The spirit of G-d will descend upon you and you shall prophesy with them. And you will be transformed into a different person."
Accordingly, the additional text about the two types of prophets is not intended to explain the role of the prophet as in the Laws of Repentance and Kings but rather for the purpose of understanding the very nature of the prophet that may have sufficient perfection of the intellect for oneself (private prophet) or a greater degree that is also sufficient for the perfection of others (public prophet). In this context it makes sense for Maimonides to continue to focus on the intellectual aspect of the prophet, thus choosing the word l’vonen, to grant understanding, as corrected in the Huntington edition.
Preparation for prophecy
The emphasis on knowledge, as opposed to role, is indicated also in the qualities that Maimonides selects to describe a prophet. The Talmud relates:[56] Rabbi Yocḥanan said: ‘The Holy One, Blessed be He, rests His Divine Presence only upon one who is mighty, and wealthy, and wise, and humble. And all of these qualities are derived from Moses.’ A second source in the Talmud[57] also mentions tall as a quality. A third source in the Talmud focuses primarily on humility.[58]
Despite the Talmud predicating prophecy on the above numerous qualities, Maimonides merely states wisdom and strong moral character as prerequisites:[59]
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. A person who is full of all these qualities and is physically sound is fit for prophecy.
Similarly, in the Guide for the Perplexed it states:[60]
Three conditions are necessary for prophecy: mental perfection acquired by training, perfection of the natural constitution of the imaginative faculty, and moral perfection produced by the suppression of every thought of bodily pleasures and of every kind of foolish or evil ambition.
As mentioned, Maimonides is focusing in this chapter on the qualities that are necessary not for the role of a prophet to be listened to, which requires wealth and other physical qualities or the overall resting of the Divine presence that requires humility, but rather the intellectual transformation of a prophet. Maimonides in this context lists the qualities that are relevant for this intellectual capability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have demonstrated that the addition in the Huntington version of the Mishneh Torah of the word l’vonen (to grant understanding), as opposed to l’chonen (to establish or to prepare), was deliberate and not a mistake in spelling. On the contrary, it would appear that subsequent versions may have copied it erroneously due to their similarity. The argument put forward is that the word l’vonen is justified once one delineates the concept of prophecy in Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah into two aspects: its existence and its role. While in other places in the Mishneh Torah it focuses on the role of the prophet, in this case it is specifically focused on the existence of a prophet itself as an intellectual concept. For this reason the emphasis is on imparting understanding (l’vonen), as opposed to inspiration to repentance. In this context, it is understandable that Maimonides, perhaps personally, corrected this all-important early copy of his work and chose the word l’vonen (to grant understanding) to clarify this point.
___
Footnotes
[1] MS Hunt. 80
[2] The book of Mada includes laws of belief in G-d, ethics, Torah study and repentance. The book of Ahava includes laws of recitation of the Shema, Prayer, Tefilin, Torah Scroll, Mezuzot, blessings and laws of circumcision.
[3] Mishneh Torah by Moses Maimonides Book of Hamada, Published by Hotzaat Shabse Frankel Ltd (2001), 496.
[4] Fol. 165r.
[5] It serves as the basis for the Frankel edition of the two books of the Mishneh Torah published between 1973 and 2007.
[6] A second autograph is Maimonides’ Commentary to the Mishnah, containing the tractates of Nezikin (damages) and Kodshim (consecrations). This was among the 420 manuscripts bought from the Regius Professor of Hebrew Edward Pococke. A third autograph is a draft copy of a section of the Mishneh Torah, containing Laws of Hiring (Sechirut) and Laws of Borrowing and Deposits (Sheilah U’fikadon), which was acquired as part of the Cairo Genizah.
[7] Yesodei Hatorah 7:7.
[8] Volume 2, chapter 33-37 (translator: Michael Friedlander, Dover: New York, 1904), p. 225-228.
[9] The distinction between passive and active intellect is made by Aristotle and later adopted by Maimonides and Aquinas. See “Aquinas: An introduction to the life and work of the great medieval thinker”, F.C. Copleston, Penguin, 1955, p. 181.
[10] 18:15.
[11] 3:7.
[12] Megillah 14a.
[13] Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Pinchas, Elkanah, Eli, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, David, Solomon, Iddo, Michaiah son of Imlah, Obadiah, Ahiyah the Shilonite, Jehu son of Hanani, Azariah son of Oded, Jahaziel the Levite, Eliezer son of Dodavahu, Hosea, Amos, Micah the Morashtite, Amoz, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah ben Amittai, Isaiah, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Uriah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Shemaiah, Barukh, Neriah, Seraiah, Mehseiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Mordecai Bilshan, Oded, Hanani, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, Esther.
[14] Volume 2, chapter 39.
[15] Genesis 19:19.
[16] Yesodei Hatorah 7:7.
[17] See Frankel edition, Shinuyei Nuscho’ot.
[18] 15:17.
[19] Exodus 15:17.
[20] The Aramaic translation of Onkelos (35-120AD) also uses the same translation for both words askeinta and askenohi from the word tikun, which means to perfect or fix. The translation of Aramaic the first generation Mishnaic sage Rabbi Jonathan ben Uziel uses askinta (repair, fix) for the translation of poalta and shachlilu (perfect, improve) for konenu. Talmud Sanhedrin 92a comments on the fact that the word Temple (mikdash) in the verse is situated between two mentions of G-d’s name, indicating the Temple is the foundation for the knowledge of G-d’s providence and knowledge (Rashba). This commentary supports the translation ‘established’ similar to the translation of the Hebrew word machon (foundation), mentioned earlier in the same verse. Some translations of the Talmud (see Sefaria.org) uses the word prepared to translate the word konenu.
[21] 32:6.
[22] Chulin 56b; Sifrei 32:6.
[23] Similar to Exodus 38:8. Rashi commentary to Talmud Sanhedrin 56b.
[24] Chulin 56b.
[25] 31:15.
[26] 119:90.
[27] 119:5. See Radak and Metzudot David.
[28] 37:23.
[29] 40:3.
[30] 32:10.
[31] 119:27.
[32] 119:34.
[33] Radak comments: should not be for grandeur but from love of G-d to do His Mitzvot.
[34] 119:125.
[35] 119:144.
[36] 119:169.
[37] 32:6.
[38] 32:10.
[39] 119:73.
[40] 12:2.
[41] This word l’yasher is found in Psalms (119:128): ‘Because I considered all precepts of all things upright (יִשָּׁ֑רְתִּי); [and] every false way I hated’, and Psalms (119:137): ‘You are righteous, O Lord, and Your judgments are upright (וְ֜יָשָׁ֗ר).’
[42] 3:22.
[43] ibid. 3:24.
[44] 9:2. In the Laws of Repentance 6:5 Maimonides seems to point to the role of a prophet to prepare their hearts for repentance, though without using explicitly the word ‘l’hachin’ and to learn and understand. Maimonides writes: What was implied by David's statement Psalms (25:8-9): "God is good and upright, therefore, he instructs sinners in the path. He guides the humble in the path of justice and teaches the humble His way"? That He sends them prophets to inform them of the path of G-d and to encourage them (machzirin otan) to repent. Furthermore, it implies that He granted them the power to learn and to understand. This attribute is present in all men: As long as a person follows the ways of wisdom and righteousness, he will desire them and pursue them. This may be inferred from the statement of our Sages of blessed memory: "One who comes to purify himself is helped;" i.e., he finds himself assisted in this matter.
[45] 11:9.
[46] 31:33.
[47] 36:26.
[48] 2:2.
[49] Yesodei Hatorah (Foundation of the Torah), 7:7.
[50] Yesodei Hatorah 7.
[51] This argument is based on an essay in Likkutei Sichot vol. 23: 82-91.
[52] Likkutei Sichot delineates three concepts: belief in the existence of the prophet, role of the prophet and reception to prophecy and the commandment to listen to a true prophet.
[53] 7:1.
[54] This emphasis on knowledge to describe the tenet of the Jewish faith is also found in the opening of the Mishneh Torah (Yesodei Hatorah 1:1) regarding belief in G-d: ‘The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know that there is a Primary Being who brought into being all existence. All the beings of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them came into existence only from the truth of His being.’
[55] I Samuel 10:6.
[56] Nedarim 38a.
[57] Shabbat 92a: The Divine Presence only rests upon a person who is wise, mighty, wealthy, and tall. Since the Divine Presence rested on Moses, he had to be tall.
[58] Sanhedrin 11a: The Sages taught: After the last of the prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, died, the Divine Spirit of prophetic revelation departed from the Jewish people. But nevertheless, they were still utilizing a Divine Voice, which they heard as a kind of echo of prophecy. One time, a group of Sages were reclining in the loft of the house of Gurya in Jericho, and a Divine Voice was bestowed upon them from Heaven, saying: There is one here who is fit for the Divine Presence to rest upon him as it rested upon Moses our teacher, but his generation is not deserving of this distinction. The Sages set their eyes upon Hillel the Elder, trusting that he was the one indicated by the Divine Voice. And when he died, the Sages said about him: Alas, the pious man, alas, the humble man, a disciple of Ezra. Another time, a group of Sages were reclining in the loft in Yavne, and a Divine Voice was bestowed upon them from Heaven, saying: There is one here who is fit for the Divine Presence to rest upon him in prophecy, but his generation is not deserving of this distinction. The Sages set their eyes upon Shmuel HaKatan. And when he died, the Sages said about him: Alas, the pious man, alas, the humble man, a disciple of Hillel.
[59] Mishneh Torah, Yesodei Hatorah 7:1.
[60] Vol. 2, ch. 36.