[Avodah] the physics of giants

[Zev Sero]

On 9/11/2011 9:08 AM, Marty Bluke wrote:
> R' Zev Sero said:
> <However I don't see what choice we have but to accept that Moshe Rabbenu was literally ten amot tall
>
> In fact, the Maharal in Chidushei Aggados Bava Metzia 84a (http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14192&st=&pgnum=37&hilite= <http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14192&st=&pgnum=37&hilite=>) understands that Moshe was not really 10 amos tall and that Chazal are describing his spiritual attributes.
> The Maharal writes:
> "ayn zeh shiur gashmi rak ki haya rauy lishlaimus umaalas nafsho aeser amos"
>
> My translation:
> This [Moshe being 10 amos tall] is not a physical measurement but rather that Moshe was fit for the perfection and spiritual heights of 10 amos.

Actually your translation is incorrect.  It should be "...the completion
and stature of his soul made him fit to be ten amos tall; because of the
body's deficiency this full measure wasn't there, but he had whatever
height was possible."

However, this does not explain how he managed to put the roof on the
mishkan without a ladder.  And if he did use a ladder then what on earth
would impel the gemara to say he was that tall in the first place?  How
does it know he was, in principle, 10 amot tall and not 7 or 13?  And
how could it at first assume that his entire tribe was also that tall?
No, this "explanation" must itself be taken as an "agadeta"; it simply
does not work as pshat.

-- 
Zev Sero        If they use these guns against us once, at that moment
zev at sero.name   the Oslo Accord will be annulled and the IDF will
                 return to all the places that have been given to them.
		                            - Yitzchak Rabin