The Sixth Foundation: The Words of the Prophets are True

(L"N SHLOMO BEN MORDECHI AND L"N FOR Azriel Mordechai ben YITZCHAK REUVAN)
The sixth foundation of the Jewish faith is that God communicated with us through His chosen prophets. The prophets were humans – they were not supernatural in any way – but they achieved a high level of spiritual perfection so that they were able to receive special insights directly from God. (We see in Tanach that there were schools for prophets, so it was actually something to which one could aspire.)

There were levels of prophecy, just as there are levels of intelligence. Not all prophets were equally “connected” just as all smart people are not equally intelligent. The prophets received their prophecies in visions and trances, in metaphors whose meanings were likewise communicated. (We see this many places in Tanach, from Abraham and Jacob to Isaiah and Daniel.)

In the Ani Maamins, this foundation is phrased, “I believe wholeheartedly that all the words of the prophets are true.”

In Yigdal, this foundation is the line that reads “Shefa n'vuaso n'sano el anshei segulaso v'sifarto” – “He granted a stream of His prophecy to those He selected, who reflected His glory.”