[Avodah] History

[Micha Berger]

I'm surprised a bit by RZL's request for meqoros that an aggadic story does
not make a historical assertion by someone who has been around this the
past few iterations as well.

We have, during the course of the years, found meqoros in R Saadia
Gaon, the Rambam (who is quite harsh toward the literalists a few
paragraphs before he lists the ikkarim), R' Avraham ben haRambam (in
his introduction to the subject), the Maharshah, the Baal haMe'or,
the Maharal, the Ramchal (haqdamah to Medrash Rabba), the Gra (Peirush
al Qama Agados), RSRH, RYS (from RDKatzh's Tenu'as haMussar, see
<http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol15/v15n003.shtml#03>)...

I assume RDE has an authoritative collection of sources in his DT vol I.

I also think I provided a way in which RET can accept the notion that the
members of Chazal who derived halakhos from such stories could still have
not assumed they were historical. One assumes a rule of the system is
that one does not besmirch a role model by attributing actions to them
that are today (at the time of the retelling) considered assur. Then,
the survival of a story into the corpus would imply that there are no such
issurim contained therein. It's a way to pick the brains of the previous
generations who brought the story down to the one drawing the conclusion.

It would be more useful to me if he would address why this answer doesn't
satisfy rather than restate the original question anew.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             In the days of our sages, man didn't sin unless
micha at aishdas.org        he was overcome with a spirit of foolishness.
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