[Avodah] literalism

[saul mashbaum]

RRWolpoe gives several example of Talmudic phrases and principles which are not to be taken perfectly literally, among which he includes "bdikat chametz" and "n'tillat lulav".
I accept  his examples of "ein bein... ellah", and "michemet reshut", as parallel to our previously discussion of "chalitza b'makom yibum eina mitzva"; all these may indeed be not entirely literal. 
However, I don't think non-literal phrases or terms like bdikat chametz and n'tillat lulav are examples of the idea which we have been discussing. Once we have determined what n'tillat lulav means, or b'dikat chametz is, all Talmudic statements about these practices are to be taken fully literally.The existence of non-literal *terms*, a common feature in any language,  does not justify the conclusion that the legal statements made by chazal may sometimes be taken non-literally (a position which nevertheless I believe to be correct).  
Saul Mashbaum
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