Is Your Leader a False Prophet? - Re'eh

In this episode of "Truths: Jewish Wisdom for Today," Rabb Dr. Levi Brackman discusses the Torah portion of Re'eh from Deuteronomy, focusing on the concept of prophets and how to distinguish between true and false prophets. He addresses the challenge of discerning genuine divine communication in a religious context, where false prophets can easily deceive people by claiming to have access to divine truth.

The Torah provides guidelines for identifying a false prophet: even if a prophet performs signs and wonders that come to pass, if they advocate worshiping other gods, they are a false prophet. Brackman explores Maimonides' views from "The Guide for the Perplexed," where he emphasizes that a true prophet must possess both courage and divination. Prophecy, according to Maimonides, involves an overflow from the active intellect (divine insight) into the imagination and intellect, allowing the prophet to foresee the future.

Maimonides also argues that a prophet's moral character, especially sexual purity, is crucial. An immoral person, particularly one with sexual impropriety, cannot be a true prophet. In "The Guide for the Perplexed" and his legal work "Mishneh Torah," Maimonides suggests that a false prophet can be identified not only by advocating actions contrary to the Torah but also by their prophecies failing to materialize.

Brackman highlights the distinction between judging a prophet at the moment they deliver a prophecy—based on their character and alignment with Torah—and assessing them over time by whether their predictions come true. He concludes by noting that while someone might not be considered a false prophet unless they explicitly invoke God's name in their prophecy, the failure of their predictions inherently labels them as false.

This episode explores the complex criteria for discerning true prophecy, blending Torah teachings with philosophical insights from Maimonides.

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Levi Brackman is a rabbi, Ph.D. in psychology, best-selling author of Jewish Wisdom for Business Success, and founder of Invown, a platform for real estate fundraising and investing.