Does God Speak to People? Understanding Divine Communication in the Torah and Today

Throughout the Bible, it is mentioned many times that God spoke to human beings, using expressions such as “And He said” or “And He spoke”. What does this really mean? Did the Creator of the universe actually speak with people, and did they hear Him as two human beings hear one another? Does God still speak with people today?

* * *

God did not speak directly to ordinary people. He spoke only to prophets of a very high spiritual level, who were able to contain and endure the Divine word.

Most prophets experienced God’s communication through visions or dreams at night. However, Moses — because he was the greatest of all prophets, was unique in that he heard God’s voice while awake, in a direct and clear manner. The prophets truly heard God speaking to them, revealing His will in a way that human beings could understand. God, who knows human limitations, communicated with them in a language and form they could grasp, yet it was always on a far more powerful and awe-inspiring level than human speech. The prophets trembled at God’s word, fully aware of its holiness and intensity.

Today, God does not speak to people directly in this way. Instead, He communicates indirectly, through the events and circumstances of their lives, and through the way He responds to their prayers. When Mashiach comes however, prophecy will return to the Jewish people, and once again God will speak personally to prophets, just as He did in earlier times.