Commandment Details

Mishneh Torah #: 43
Mishneh Torah Book #: 1
Mishneh Torah Book: Knowledge
Mishneh Torah Category: 4- Idolatry and Gentile Customs
Reference: Deuteronomy 13:4
Scripture Book: Deuteronomy
Scripture Chapter: 13
Scripture Verse: 4
English: You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Hebrew: ה אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תִירָאוּ; וְאֶת-מִצְו‍ֹתָיו תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּבְקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹדוּ וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן.
Greek: (13:5) ὀπίσω κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν πορεύεσθε καὶ αὐτὸν φοβηθήσεσθε καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάξεσθε καὶ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε καὶ αὐτῷ προστεθήσεσθε.
Parashah: 47- Re'eh
Sefer Hachinuch #: 456
Sef. Hach. Command: To pay no heed to anyone prophesying in the name of an idol or idolatry
Category: Prophecy
We can perform today: Yes

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) The literal commandment is that we should not listen to the words of a prophet or dreamer of dreams who tells us to go after other gods and serve them.

The Literal Commandment

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

The literal commandment is that we should not listen to the words of a prophet or dreamer of dreams who tells us to go after other gods and serve them.

Messiah Says

Messiah implicitly affirmed this commandment when He spoke about the Law:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

Pictures of Messiah

Messiah declares "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)

We are commanded not to heed the false prophet who entices us to follow and serve false gods. This is because idolatry and false worship is pointless and only serves to turn us towards falsehood and away from the G-d who is the Truth.

This commandment points to the false prophet in order to teach us that Messiah, the true prophet, the prophet like unto Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) is not like him.

How Messiah Fulfilled

Messiah fulfilled this commandment by not listening to a false prophet or by even heeding the enticements of the ultimate false prophet: the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).

Traditional Observance

This commandment is traditionally observed by ignoring the words of anyone who says to follow anyone other than the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This also includes ignoring the words of those espousing belief in Jesus as the Messiah.

Other Notes

We are able to fulfill this commandment today and we should not heed the words of any false prophets.

<><

Do not listen to a false prophet