More Discussions for this daf
1. Rebbi Yishmael Kohen Gadol 2. Age of Avraham Avinu 3. Accountabity for a father's misdeeds
4. Hash-m's anger 5. Acasriel ...Hash-m Tsevakos 6. Tosfos on Avraham Avinu
7. Gezeirah Shavah 8. Chronology 9. your response to Berachos 7
10. What the Kohen Gadol saw 11. The duration of G-d's anger 12. Reuvain -- now you see him...
13. The age of Avraham at Bris Bein ha'Besarim 14. G-ds anger 15. The Shechinah resting on the other nations
16. Recalling a prophecy 17. Dealing with the wicked
DAF DISCUSSIONS - BERACHOS 7

Shmuel Wagner asked:

the gemara on 4a says that a good nevuah can be reversed becaused of a sin. Yet on 7a the gemara says that a good nevuah even on condition is irreversable?

Shmuel Wagner, lakewood, nj

The Kollel replies:

Shmuel,

Excellent question. Your question is, in fact, discussed at length by Rav Eliyahu Mizrachi (the Re'em) to Bereishis 32:8, among others.

(a) The simple answer to your question seems to be that there is a difference between recalling a prophecy for a passive reason, and recalling a prophesy due to a positive action .

The Gemara on 7a tells us that an unfulfilled condition is not enough to revoke a promised reward, since there is no active reason to revoke it. However, the Gemara on 4a is telling us that a prophecy can indeed be revoked if a person actively sins, creating grounds for revoking the promised reward.

This is the answer offered by the RADVAZ 3:638 and the LECHEM MISHNAH in Yesodei Hatorah 10:4.

(b) However, the MAHARAL (in Gur Aryeh to Bereishis 32:8) takes a very different approach. He differentiates between a prophecy and a promise .

A prophecy will never be revoked, under any conditions. However, not every promise is a prophecy. The promise that Hash-m made to Yakov (that He will watch Yakov wherever Yakov goes etc.) did not have the status of a prophecy. Rather, Hash-m was telling Yakov that as a reward for Yakov's efforts to follow the will of Hash-m, Yakov earned the distinction that Hash-m would watch over him and protect him. Since this was promised based on Yakov's present level of G-d-fearingness, should Yakov sin, he would lose the promised protection.

I hope that you find this helpful. Best wishes,

Mordecai Kornfeld

Kollel Iyun Hadaf