Q&A: The Reason of the Verse
The Reason of the Verse
Question
Hello and blessings, Rabbi Michi, I have a question.
When the Talmud says they disagreed that “we do not expound the reason of the verse,” that seems, on the face of it, to be a dispute about reality, no?
What I mean to ask is: does Rabbi Yehuda mean that this is an actual prohibition? Or is it permitted, but simply foolish, because who can understand the ways of God?
And there is also a problem with applying this in practice as Jewish law, lest we make a mistake…
In short, what is the root of the dispute between Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Yehuda?
Is it an actual prohibition according to Rabbi Yehuda, or is it simply stupid because we are tiny ants… and Rabbi Shimon disagrees with him?
I would be glad for a brief explanation, thank you.
Answer
See my article on the fifth root. There is no problem at all with expounding the reason of the verse, since all commentators on Scripture do this all the time. The problem is using this as an interpretive tool in the realm of Jewish law. See there for the reasoning.