Why Did Prophecy Stop?

Do prophets still exist today, and if not, why did prophecy come to an end?

Q. Do prophets exist today ? Why or why not?

G-d decided, about 2,500 years ago, to cease prophecy and super-natural miracles, thus enabling us more “free will”. Just like the individual, as he matures, is capable of more independence, and is granted it by his caring parent, so too regarding mankind. Nevertheless, there is still, even today, a lower level called “Ru’ach HaKodesh” where a rare super-righteous person, like R. Mordechai Eliahu, is sometimes granted special knowledge or vision from above. There are no full-time miracle-makers, prophets or healers as when the Tanach was written (anyone who claims to be is a charlatan, and stay away!), but rather we are meant to function through rational decisions for which we are held accountable, and prayer (which is a personal encounter!), asking G-d to please intervene (preferably in an undetectable way, not supernaturally). There are documented cases of visions, often dreams, which Rav M. Eliahu, Rav Aryeh Levine, the Lubavitcher rebbe, R. Ya’akov Abu-Chatzeira (Baba Sali) and a few others had and acted upon, which cannot be explained other than Divine intervention, but they are the rare exception (see for example the documented cases of R. Aryeh Levine concerning the identification of the 35 slaughtered members of the Hagana in Gush Etzion (the “Lamed-Heh”) and the case of Avraham Stavsky’s widow who needed chalitza, in Simcha Raz, “A Tzaddik in Our Time”). Most of these cases involve national events, but there are cases of individual situations, as well. G-d reveals Himself more on the national level. The nation of Israel has seen many a natural-miracle, like the victories of the IDF in the War of Independence, the Six Day War, recovering and winning the Yom Kippur War, the rescue at Entebbe, the beeper attack, etc. In fact the eternal survival of Israel against all odds, is a miracle. Similarly, today we have something even greater than prophecy, and that’s when ancient prophecies actually come true (even greater than when they were just predicted some 3,000 years ago)! We were told that G-d will eventually gather the exiles and bring us back to Israel, our State, language and army will be revived, as will the desert of Israel, all of which has been fulfilled through G-d’s naturally directing the history of Israel together with the efforts of man, as well. In short, there are still undoubtedly occasional (even documented) cases of Divine intervention, especially on the national level of Israel, but it is preferable to live life within the regular rules of nature through observing Torah and mitzvot, because to be G-dly is even greater than to speak to Him.