[Avodah] Taking Midrashim Literally

[Zev Sero]

On 23/06/2011 11:29 PM, Richard Wolberg wrote:
>> ...certainly one who refuses ever to believe the literal meaning of a medrash is a kofer in the whole torah.
>      Upon what source do you base this statement?
>
> Certainly you are aware there are rationalist meforshim who interpret
> the incident of Bilaam's talking donkey in a NON-LITERAL manner. Rambam
> sees it occurring in a dream. The Ramchal suggests that the donkey
> brayed plaintively and Bilaam intuited what it was trying to convey.
>  And this is not a medrah; this is from the Torah. Are they also kofrim?

First of all, I'd like to see these inside before I believe that they
really thought this was the meaning.  The Rambam, of course, has his
shita on nev'ah, that anyone except Moshe Rabbenu has to be in a trance
to see mal'achim; that doesn't mean he was also in a trance when the
donkey spoke.  (But if this is from the Moreh then it's no problem in the
first place; how can you derive the Rambam's actual opinion from a book
of apologetics specifically written for those whose dabbling in philosophy
has left them with problems in emunah?)

In any case, even if you're accurately reporting what they held about
this specific story, what do you think it proves?  Do you imagine they
didn't believe in any story that appears in the chumash, tanach, or
medrash?!  Do you imagine they didn't believe in miracles, r"l?!  How
can you even suggest such a thing?

As the saying goes about unverified Baal Shem Tov stories, one doesn't
have to believe any specific story happened (unless it's reliably
attested to), and one doesn't even have to believe that every such story
could have happened if there's a specific reason not to;  but one  who
believes that *none* of them could have happened has betrayed himself
as a kofer.

Consider, for instance, how Shimon Hakofer exposed himself; by his
reluctance to teach children Rashi's second explanation about Yitzchok
trembling when Esov came to him, that he saw Gehenom open under him
(Toldos 27:33).

The bottom line is that Judaism is not Protestantism.

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