[Avodah] Consumer alert:minhog scams on the rise!

[Zev Sero]

On 6/07/2011 1:54 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> I think the whole focus on which stories were historical and which are
> melitzos is a distraction. Chazal didn't care, and our trying to derive
> the science of history from quotes made within a worldview that predates
> it means focusing on something they didn't consider important.
>
> The "melitzah understanding" has to work because the statement was made
> without regard to historiocity. The story is repeated because the lesson
> is valid; with no concern for whether or not it really occured. Even
> historical stories are only repeated if they have a mussar haskeil or
> a nimshal to take away. The understanding has to be the same whether
> historical or not.

If the stories of R Chanina ben Dosa and R Pinchas ben Yair didn't happen
then they *have* no meaning.  There is *no* musar haskeil that can be
taken from such a story, if it was made up.  How can you prove anything
from a story you just made up for the purpose of proving your point?
The only strength the stories have is that they actually happened, exactly
as described, and that *fact* proves the gemara's point.

-- 
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