[Avodah] Reuven's sin

[Zev Sero]

Rabbi Y. H. Henkin wrote:
> For Reuven's sin "al pashto" see Rambam Sotah 3:2,

How does that prove anything?  It seems clear that we're telling her
whatever will produce the desired reaction, and we don't care whether
it's literally true, or whether she will misunderstand.


> and compare Bava 
> Batra 15b  "anyone who says that the Queen of Sheba was a female..."(!)

How do you know R Yonatan didn't mean that literally?  Why not take
him at his word, that the entire story is about an ambassador (of
unspecified sex) representing and acting for the kingdom of Sheva?
I don't know what would have made him think that, but if he said so
then presumably that's how he read the pesukim.


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Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
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