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Hebrew Text
וְכִי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבֶךָ אֵיכָה נֵדַע אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־דִבְּרוֹ יְהוָה׃
English Translation
And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?
Transliteration
V'chi tomar bilvavecha eicha neida et-hadavar asher lo-dibero Adonai.
Hebrew Leining Text
וְכִ֥י תֹאמַ֖ר בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ אֵיכָה֙ נֵדַ֣ע אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהֹוָֽה׃
Parasha Commentary
📚 Talmud Citations
This verse is quoted in the Talmud.
📖 Sanhedrin 89a
The verse is referenced in a discussion about false prophets and how to discern whether a prophecy is truly from God.
Context in Sefer Devarim
This verse appears in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 18:21, within a section discussing the criteria for distinguishing true prophets from false ones. The Torah anticipates the people's concern about verifying prophetic authenticity, as false prophets could lead them astray.
Rashi's Explanation
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) comments that this verse reflects a legitimate concern: how can one discern whether a prophet's words are truly from Hashem? He explains that the Torah provides the answer in the following verse (18:22): if the prophecy does not come to pass, it was not spoken by Hashem. Rashi emphasizes that this applies specifically to prophecies of tov (good) or ra'ah (calamity), not to conditional prophecies where repentance could alter the outcome.
Rambam's Perspective
In Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah (Laws of the Foundations of the Torah 10:4), the Rambam (Maimonides) elaborates on the signs of a true prophet. He states that a prophet must:
The Rambam notes that even if a prophet performs miracles, if he contradicts Torah law, he is false (based on Devarim 13:2-6).
Talmudic Insights
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 89a) discusses this verse in the context of the nevi'ei sheker (false prophets). It explains that true prophets speak with humility ("perhaps Hashem will grant...") while false prophets speak with certainty ("Hashem said..."). The Sages derive from our verse that doubt about a prophet's authenticity is natural and requires careful verification.
Midrashic Interpretation
The Sifrei (Devarim 18:21) connects this verse to the broader theme of emunat nevi'im (belief in prophets). It teaches that Hashem provided clear guidelines specifically because He wants the Jewish people to follow true prophets, not to be misled by imposters. The Midrash emphasizes that this concern demonstrates the people's wisdom in wanting to properly serve Hashem.
Practical Halachic Application
Based on these sources, later halachic authorities (such as the Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 516) derive several principles for evaluating prophets: