Q&A: Several Questions
Several Questions
Question
Have a good week.
I have several questions, and I would be happy if the Rabbi could answer them (or some of them).
1. I heard in one of the Rabbi's lessons that not every time we drive over the speed limit we are violating Jewish law; rather, we are violating traffic laws. If so, what is the meaning of “the law of the kingdom is law”? Is it only the general principle that one may not rebel against the king?
2. Tosafot on Yevamot 50 says, “A prophet prophesies only about what is fitting to be if there had been no sin.” If so, does prophecy tell us nothing at all about the future? After all, anything can be canceled because of sin or repentance!
3. Can there be disputes between prophets? Seemingly the Hebrew Bible describes such a dispute with the spirit of Navot the Jezreelite, who misleads the false prophets (is that really a false prophet?). More generally: can there be disagreements between prophecies (“these and those are the words of the living God”), like in the Talmud?
4. If some prophecies describe the Messiah in one way, and others describe the Messiah in another way (“if they merit it” versus “if they do not merit it”), then necessarily one of them will not come true? After all, the Messiah will come either in the way of “if they merit it” or in the way of “if they do not merit it,” meaning that there are prophecies that are not destined to occur?
Thank you very much
Answer
First of all, in the future I would appreciate it if you asked through the site.
1. I was speaking from the standpoint of the laws of danger to life, not from the standpoint of obeying the law. See my article here:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%90%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%AA/
2. What is the question? That is what Tosafot says. By the way, the Shelah says this too in his introduction to the book, in the section “Beit HaBechirah.”
3. It is unlikely that there would be. There are different prophecies about different circumstances. There are differences in style (“no two prophets prophesy in the same style”).
4. Our Sages already answered this: if they merit it, he will come earlier (“I will hasten it”); and if they do not merit it, then “in its time.” And that itself shows you that the Sages were not willing to accept a dispute between prophecies.