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Someone asked "How does Judaism understand Numbers 12? I see that Moses is spoken to be faithful in G-d's house, and that he is at a higher level than everyone because G-d speaks to him face to face. Will the future Messiah be higher than Moses? Who will be the greatest authority in G-d's house?"
The greatest authority in G-d's house is G-d. Study His Torah! Even as great as Moses was he was a mortal man with human failings. It is important to realize that all humans are imperfect and that our purpose in this world is to learn and grow as much as we can. Without falling there is no getting up... As for the messiah, in every generation there is a man alive who could be the messiah -- ready to appear if we warrant his arrival. This is a human being -- a descendant of kings who is very learned in Torah and a good man -- but nevertheless a man. A mortal man. Moses was the only prophet G-d communicated with directly -- without the use of dreams and visions, but directly as you might have a conversation with another person. “Behold, My servant shall be wise, he shall be exalted and lofty, and shall be very high.” (Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13). In some ways he will be greater than Moses, and in other ways "not." Our sages tell us the messiah will be greater than the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He will be greater than the prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah -- and approach the greatness of Moses. Hilchot Teshuvah 9:2 tells us he will be wiser than Solomon (the wisest man to ever live): "the king who will arise from David's descendants will be a greater master of knowledge than Solomon and a great prophet, close to the level of Moses, our teacher. Therefore, he will teach the entire nation and instruct them in the path of G-d. "All the gentile nations will come to hear him as [Y'shayahu / Isaiah 2:2] states: "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of God's house shall be established at the peak of the mountains... [and all the nations shall flow to it]." "[Nevertheless,] the ultimate of all reward and the final good which will have no end or decrease is the life of the world to come. In contrast, the Messianic age will be [life within the context of] this world, with the world following its natural pattern except that sovereignty will return to Israel. "The Sages of the previous generations have already declared: "There is no difference between the present age and the Messianic era except [the emancipation] from our subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms."
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