Note to Mods: This post is very long and earlier today my long post of a quote from the Chasam sofer took six hours to be posted. I assure you that there is nothing in this post which would require moderation. You don’t need to read it. It is purely a collection of the rishonim and acharonim on the sugya that Secretagentyid brought up. So please don’t take forever to approve it. Thank you.
The Gemara (58a) says:
???? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???’ ?”? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ???
Seemingly there would be two requirements: 1) 600,000 “intellects” 2) 600,000 faces. While Moshe Rabbeinu might satisfy the first requirement, presumably he would not satisfy the second requirement.
However, on the next amud, the Gemara quotes the story which you mentioned:
?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?????
What are we to make of this story?
The Ramban in Milchamos H’ writes:
??? ?????? ???’ ?”? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???’ ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ????”? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???”? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??”? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ???”? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??
(Talmidei) Rabbeinu Yona on the side of the Rif, in explanation of the Gemara’s first statement, writes:
????’ ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????
Similarly, the Tur in siman 224 paskens:
??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??”? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??
The Beit Yosef there writes:
??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???’ ??? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????? (??) ???”? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?????”? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????
The Bach there quotes the Beit Yosef and then writes:
?????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???”? ???? ?????”? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??”? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???”? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????”? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????”? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???
The Divrei Chamudos in Ose 27 also rejects the Beit Yosef’s pshat.
See also the Tzlach on the Gemara:
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=37718&st=&pgnum=107(bottom of second column)
See also the Ben Yehoyada on the sugya:
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=20115&st=&pgnum=102 (middle piece in the second column)
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=20115&st=&pgnum=105 (bottom of first column)
[In the Benayahu he explains that R’ Papa and R’ Huna didn’t put an ayin hara on R’ Chanina; the mekatregim and mastinim did. I.e. R’ Papa and R’ Huna weren’t necessarily castigating R’ Chanina for making the beracha.
Summary:
It’s definitely a machlokes whether one says the beracha on a single great Torah Scholar. However, some of the objections of those who are against it might not apply to Moshe Rabbeinu.
Psak: When you see Moshe Rabbeinu, ask him what to do.