Mitzvah —
10
Not to test the prophet unduly
This page is incomplete.
Help complete the
Mitzvah Minute website.
Do a Mitzvah — Join us in building a living digital Beit Midrash — your partnership makes it possible.
פָּרָשַׁת וָאֶתְחַנַּן
-
:לֹ֣א תְנַסּ֔וּ אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֑ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִסִּיתֶ֖ם בַּמַּסָּֽה
Deuteronomy 6:16
-
You shall not try the L-rd, your G-d, as you tried Him in Massah.
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Prophecy – נְבוּאָה
It is forbidden to test a true prophet by demanding proofs beyond what Torah prescribes.
This mitzvah forbids testing Hashem or His prophets with excessive conditions. Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandment 64; Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 10:5) explains that once a prophet has been verified by the Torah’s criteria, it is prohibited to subject him to unnecessary trials.
Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 429) explains that this mitzvah preserves faith and prevents cynicism — demanding endless proofs erodes reverence for prophecy. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 89b) warns that one who continues testing a prophet after he has been verified is guilty of rebellion against Hashem. Rashi (Deut. 6:16) interprets the verse in context of Massah, when Israel tested Hashem by demanding water, showing that testing prophets mirrors doubting Divine providence. Ramban emphasizes that proper reverence requires trust in Hashem’s appointed messengers without unnecessary challenge.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah 10:5): Prohibits testing prophets beyond Torah’s requirements.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 429): Notes that testing undermines faith and reverence.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 89b): Calls undue testing of prophets rebellion against Hashem.
- Rashi (Deut. 6:16): Links to Israel’s sin at Massah, when they demanded proof of Divine presence.
- Ramban (Deut. 6:16): Teaches reverence demands trust, not endless questioning.
Contrast with Listening to Prophets (Mitzvah 9):
- Mitzvah 9 commands obedience to prophets; Mitzvah 10 forbids excessive testing.
- Rambam explains that obedience requires trust, while testing reveals lack of faith.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 89a–b) distinguishes between verifying prophecy once (permitted) versus constant doubt (forbidden).
Parallel to Faith in Hashem (Mitzvah 1):
- Just as Mitzvah 1 commands knowledge of Hashem, this mitzvah protects faith in His agents.
- Ramban notes that doubting prophets equates to doubting Hashem’s providence, making the mitzvah a safeguard for emunah.
Parallel to Mitzvah 43 (Not to listen to a false prophet):
- Rambam (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 10:1–5) distinguishes between confirming a prophet once versus doubting him endlessly. Testing too much undermines true prophecy, but failure to reject false prophecy endangers the nation.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 90a, 89a) balances these: Israel must accept verified prophets without cynicism yet remain vigilant against impostors.
- Ramban (Deut. 13:4–6) notes the Torah gave both mitzvot together to teach equilibrium — unquestioning acceptance is dangerous, but so is constant suspicion.
- Sefer HaChinuch (425, 516) explains that trusting true prophets refines humility, while rejecting false ones safeguards emunah.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Trust Without Over-Testing
- Rambam (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 10:5) rules that once a prophet is verified through authentic signs and alignment with Torah, Israel must not test him repeatedly. In a modern sense, this teaches cultivating trust in Torah-true leaders rather than demanding endless proofs or doubting every directive.
Faith in Divine Mission
- Rashi (Deut. 6:16) links this mitzvah to Israel’s sin at Massah, where they demanded water to test Hashem. Applied today, this warns against a culture of cynicism — insisting that Hashem or His representatives constantly “prove” themselves before we accept truth.
Guarding Against Spiritual Skepticism
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 89b) explains that once a prophet establishes his role, doubting him is equivalent to doubting Hashem. Contemporary application: resisting the corrosive effect of hyper-skepticism, which undermines genuine Torah authority and spiritual trust.
Respect for Torah Transmission
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 425) teaches the root of this command is to strengthen humility before Hashem’s chosen messengers. Today, it emphasizes confidence in the transmission of Torah through sages, poskim, and rabbinic leadership, without constant demands for proof.
Balancing Trust with Caution
- Ramban (Deut. 6:16) clarifies that this mitzvah does not mean blind acceptance of every claim — false prophets must be exposed. In modern terms, the mitzvah balances discernment with trust: not testing endlessly, but also not surrendering to manipulation.
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Prophecy – נְבוּאָה
- Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah 10:5) teaches that once a prophet has been tested by Torah’s standards, it is forbidden to test him further. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 89b) states that repeated testing amounts to rebellion against Hashem Himself, since a prophet’s authority flows directly from Him. Sefer HaChinuch (429) adds that prophecy guides Israel in times of doubt; undermining it through excess testing weakens the very purpose of Divine communication.
Faith – אֱמוּנָה
- Rashi (Deut. 6:16) ties this mitzvah to the episode at Massah, where Israel tested Hashem by demanding water. Just as testing Hashem eroded emunah, so too testing prophets reflects a lack of trust. Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim III:24) emphasizes that faith requires reasonable verification but not endless conditions, for doubt can become corrosive if unchecked. Sefer HaChinuch (429) frames this mitzvah as cultivating a heart of trust, not cynicism.
Core Beliefs – יְסוֹדוֹת הָאֱמוּנָה
- Ramban (Deut. 6:16) explains that prophecy is part of the covenantal structure established at Sinai; rejecting prophets undermines the very foundations of belief. The Sifrei interprets “do not test” as a command to accept Hashem’s ways with wholeness of heart. By protecting the integrity of prophecy, this mitzvah preserves the core belief that Hashem guides Israel continuously.
Reverence – יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם
- The Talmud (Sanhedrin 89b) calls excessive testing of prophets “rebellion,” underscoring that reverence (yirat Shamayim) demands humility before Hashem’s messengers. Rambam writes that one who treats prophecy lightly is guilty of disrespecting Heaven itself. Midrash Tanchuma (Ki Tavo 3) teaches that reverence means trusting Hashem’s emissaries without mockery or excessive demands.
Torah – תּוֹרָה
- Midrash Sifrei (Deut. 6:16) explains this mitzvah directly from Torah’s revelation: just as Hashem was tested at Massah, so too testing prophets is forbidden. Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah 9:1) codifies that Torah permits initial verification, but never ongoing doubt. The mitzvah therefore protects Torah authority from being undermined by skepticism.
Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם
- Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, Neg. 64) stresses that prophecy is strictly Bein Adam L’Makom — it is Hashem’s direct word. Talmud (Sanhedrin 99a) rules that one who disobeys a prophet’s command is considered rebellious toward Hashem Himself. This mitzvah ensures that the covenantal relationship between Israel and Hashem remains intact through trusting His appointed messengers.
