Face to Face | Proof of Divine Torah

It is clear also from this week’s reading that the expression “mouth to mouth” indicates Moses’ unique standing as a prophet: “Not so with My servant Moses; … With him, I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles” (Numbers 12:8). This, however, poses some difficulty as we find a third verse, Deuteronomy 5:4, that says: “Face to face [Heb. panim be-panim] the Lord spoke to you on the mountain out of the fire,” where “you” refers to the entire people of Israel. True, the revelation to Israel at Mount Sinai was exceptional and unique. Nevertheless, we must ask whether it is conceivable that the entire people attained, be it only in a one-time occurrence, the prophetic level of Moses?