Q&A: Faith
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Faith
Question
Hello Rabbi,
What does the Rabbi think about all kinds of legends and far-fetched stories that are brought in the Talmud and in midrash?
For example, the midrash about the wars of Jacob’s sons, or the stories of those who went down to the sea in Bava Batra.
Answer
These are apparently legends whose purpose is to convey messages, not to describe facts. Many have addressed this. See Maimonides in his introduction to the chapter Chelek about the three groups in interpreting aggadah, and in the collection of essays printed at the beginning of volume 1 of Ein Yaakov.