[Avodah] learning Torah before Matan Torah

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 10:52:17AM +0100, Eli Turkel wrote:
: This whole attitude is so a-historical as to be disturbing (I would
: use a stronger word but then risk being rejected).

Except that the question isn't about the history, but about Chazal's
willingness to tell the story. Presumably, Chazal wouldn't place sinful
actions in the biography of Avraham avinu, not even bederekh mashal.

So, regardless of whether one can accept that Avraham avinu ate matzah
shemurah with the three mal'akhim because it was 15 Nissan, Chazal
taught us a lesson with the narrative that he did. Which means that all
details of that narrative, such as his learning Torah, would not be at
the expense of AAAH's memory.

I stand by my dictum that wondering about the historicity of
aggadic/midrashic stories is to miss the point. (One might even say that
it's of value, but a different discipline, to tie two thread together.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             You cannot propel yourself forward
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