<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1601" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: R'n Ilana Sober: </FONT><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>>>I once heard "myth" defined as an account of the past that
gives<BR>meaning to the present. Again - no connotation of
truth/falsehood.<BR><BR>Used in this sense, every nation has founding myths. Our
central<BR>founding myths are the stories of the Avot, and especially
Yetziat<BR>Mitzrayim. Regarding the Avot - we say maaseh avot siman
l'banim....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>I am not using the term myth to chas v'shalom imply that anything
in<BR>the Torah is fictional, but to convey WHY it is important for us
to<BR>retell and remember these stories.<<</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>"When I use a word, it means precisely what I want it to mean" -- *Alice in
Wonderland*</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>R'n Chana Luntz made a similar point. I'm sorry but we just can't use
the word "myth" about the historical origins of the Jewish people. The
connotation of falsehood is just too strong. There is also a connotation
that the person who is using the term is more sophisticated than the people who
invented the myths. When we speak of our founding stories as "myth" there
is a strong implication that we are in possession of greater knowledge
and understanding than the simple people in the distant past who
actually took these "myths" literally. Using the word "myth" this way
inevitably implies superiority and condescension on the part of the
speaker. This is exactly what the Conservative movement does with the
Torah -- calls it "myth" and then when you criticize them for that, they turn
around and say, "Oh by using the word 'myth' we didn't mean to imply that your
quaint beliefs aren't actually true!" Pat pat on your sweet little
head.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>From the American Heritage Dictionary:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>--begin quote--</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>myth n. 1. A traditional story presenting supernatural beings,
ancestors or heroes that serve as primordial types in a primitive view of the
world. 2. A fictitious or imaginary story, person or thing.
3. A false belief.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>--end quote--</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============</B></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Check out AOL Money & Finance's list of the <A title="http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001" href="http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001" target="_blank">hottest products</A> and <A title="http://money.aol.com/top5/general/ways-you-are-wasting-money?NCID=aoltop00030000000002" href="http://money.aol.com/top5/general/ways-you-are-wasting-money?NCID=aoltop00030000000002" target="_blank">top money wasters</A> of 2007.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>