[Avodah] Rambam on Metaphors

rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com
Wed Jun 24 08:08:08 PDT 2009


Michael:
> But furthermore: Rambam only allegorizes when reason contradicts the
> peshat. When reason says nothing, or when reason is uncertain (for
> example, Aristotle and Plato on eternity and unformed matter), we go
> by the Torah's peshat. When reason yields certain results, and only
> then, do we reinterpret the Torah

Well read the above

As Raavad will tell you MANY reasonable people did NOT alegorize
anthropomorphic aspects of Torah

So since Rambam was willing to allegorize more agressively than others
in these matters

Therefore why stop there and draw the line at Divine attributes? 

The Rambam was far more prone to allegorize. Obviously much of torah
is written poetically. Use of metaphor, simile, and idiom abound.
So why not see the eye in ETE as an idiom, metaphor, etc.?

It seems to me these hard and fast black and white rules are somewhat
arbitrary.

KT
RRW
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