אור החיים — ודבר ה' אל משה פנים אל פנים

Q — What is the meaning of Moshe's unique prophecy 'face to face' (פנים אל פנים), and how does it distinguish him from all other prophets?

A — Or HaChaim builds on the Rambam's principle that all other prophets receive their visions through an angel, and therefore perceive 'in metaphor and riddle' (במשל וחידה), gazing through 'a clouded glass' (אספקלריא שאינה מאירה). Moshe alone prophesied without an angelic intermediary — 'face to face' — and so saw matters with full clarity, 'on their true nature, without riddle or metaphor,' through 'the clear glass' (אספקלריא המאירה). His directness of communion is the source of the unparalleled clarity of his prophecy.