[Avodah] Fables and Lies

[Richard Wolpoe]

On Nov 24, 2007 7:24 PM, kennethgmiller at juno.com <kennethgmiller at juno.com>
wrote:

>
>
> So it's not just the Christians. We too have fables, fictions, and lies.
> Perhaps it is only this one solitary example. But one is not zero.
>
> My heart is still not fully healed from the pain of this disillusionment.
> And I apologize if this post has disillusioned any others. But I think that
> it is very relevant to the question which was asked in the previous thread.
> And given RBW's comment, I figured it might be worthwhile to spin it off
> into a new thread.
>
> To repeat his question:
> > the people who are motivated to repent will basing their avodat
> > Hashem based on a fable, and maybe even on a lie. Do we really
> > want that?
>
> My gut reaction is to scream, "No! It is too dangerous! How will they
> react when the lie is discovered!" But that consideration does not seem to
> have bothered those who chose to include Ayleh Ezk'rah in the machzor.
>
> Akiva Miller
>
> <http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org>


As Rav Avaharm the Son of the Rambam has warns us
It;s the hyperbole of Midrash that leads us astray, it's our need to take
them literally that is itself a fiction and a form of sheker. and if you
base dyour emanah on suhc a faulty foundation look out!

I have always opposed teaching kids what I call "Santa Claus" Judaism. I
recently protested in Arievim re: misquoting of the Midrash that Ya'akov *never
slept *instead of the original that Ya'loov never* LIED DOWN *for 14 years.
This kind of magical Midrash is not the fault of the midrash rabba, but the
fault of misquoters who pay little heed for the original texts and say 'waht
feels good"  And I plead guilty myself at times to furthering urban legends
instead of doing my due dillligence.

In an arumgent with young Yeshiva bachurim about 20+ years ago when I
explained that these Midrashim were being misunderstood they said:
"Rabbi you mean you don't believe the Midrash is TRUE?"
I answered: "of course every word is true!  But it is not meant to be
understood LITERALLY!"  That would be fallacy.

Since then I have found that Maharal and Rav Schwab [in addition to R. A ben
HaRambam] have been saying this for a long time.


-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
Please Visit:
http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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