[Avodah] Only One Interpretation, The Right One - (Was Did RSRH write LH)

[Prof. Levine]

At 06:51 PM 12/20/2008, Rn T. Katz  wrote:

> >>>>>
>I find it hard to take that medrash seriously because there is simply no
>textual support for the notion that Dinah was sent away or that she had a
>daughter or that "Asnas bas Potiphera" was 
>really "Asnas the daughter of Dinah  and
>Shechem" or that Eishes Potiphar adopted a daughter.   It's all  based on
>what?  And explains what?

I think the comments of RSRH on Bereshis 40:5 can 
be used to back up your contention.

5 Both of them then had a dream, each one his 
dream in the same night, each one as an interpretation
of his dream, the butler and the baker of the 
king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the prison.


An intelligent person can discern the precise explanation of a dream,
without being able to guarantee the dream’s fulfillment. The interpretation
must come from within the dream itself. Such an interpretation
of a dream is a deep psychological task, just as the explanation of any
symbol, the hermeneutic interpretation of any verse, should be pisron,
explanation from within. There is no end to the interpretations that can
be forced upon any symbol or verse. But there is only one interpretation
— the right one — that will be found by one who seeks (thus the term
derush) the interpretation from within. Just as at organic birth and at the
unfolding of every bud, there is an inner point from which the whole
development takes its course, so in every “closed” symbolism, there is
a kernel of an idea which has to be grasped, whereupon all the rest
automatically follows and becomes clear.

RSRH does not use midrashim to explain pesukim 
all that often. To me it seems that the above comments explain why. YL
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