Saturday, December 17, 2016

Can Nevuah Be Inherited?

לזכות ידיד נפשי ר' יהודה יעקב בן דינה חאשע ואשתו החשובה לברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיהם!

The gemara [Megilla 15] says that whenever the name of the Navi is mentioned together with his father it means that he is a Navi ben Navi.

The Abarbanel says that Nevuah can be inherited!

Rashi on the pasuk in parshas Shoftim נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמוני יקים לך writes:

כמו שאני מקרבך מאחיך יקים לך תחתי וכן מנביא לנביא.

Just as I [Moshe] come from among you, so too will other prophets arise from among your bretheren. And so from prophet to prophet.

The Brisker Rov asked what Rashi means when he writes וכן מנביא לנביא. Is there such a thing as receiving prophecy from another Navi?

Rav Yitzchak Sorotzkin Shlita [Rinas Yitzchak Yeshaya p. 6] suggested based on the Abarbanel that Rashi means that Nevuah is transferred from father to son.

Maybe, but I wouldn't sign my life on that explanation.

Hopefully more to come...