[Avodah] Chain of Mesorah

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 11:23:58PM +0200, Simon Montagu via Avodah wrote:
: On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 10:32 PM Micha Berger wrote:
:>   It requires believing that the medrash about Pinechas's centuries long
:>   lifespan is historical. Then again, the Rambam did, and you don't get
:>   more rationalist than that.

: I don't think it requires a longer lifetime for Pinehas than is explicit in
: Navi -- he is still active at the end of Shoftim (20:28).

Unless one takes the dating of the Seder Olam (Leiner ed. #12) that
the stories of chaos at the end of Shofetim (from Pesel Mikhah ch. 17
onward) were during the rule of Kushan Rish'asayim, king of Aram. Then
the stories happen before the shofetim, as Osnial was sent to free us
from Kushan Risha'asayim's oppression.

By the Seder Olam's rechoning, Pilegesh begiv'ah (2535 AM) was only 47
years after crossing the Yardein (2488). Pinechas had to have been less
than 86, as he wasn't born yet when his father was made kohein.

That's very different than living long enough to teach Eili.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If you won't be better tomorrow
micha at aishdas.org        than you were today,
http://www.aishdas.org   then what need do you have for tomorrow?
Fax: (270) 514-1507              - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov