Q&A: The Importance of the Truth of Myths
The Importance of the Truth of Myths
Question
Hello Rabbi,
In your book “Those Who Are Here and Those Who Are Not Here,” you argue that the importance of the truth of myths stems from a “metaphysical influence on reality,” and not only because it is hard to educate on the basis of a falsehood. Could you explain why you reject the claim that it stems from the difficulty of educating on a falsehood? Seemingly, that is a much simpler explanation that does not require the existence of mystical influences.
Answer
I explained that if there were only a problem of difficulty in education here, that could not be a reason to reject factual claims. Even if it is hard to educate on the myth of the Binding of Isaac, that does not mean the Binding of Isaac actually happened. So what is Rashba’s claim against someone who holds that it did not happen? Does a person have to adopt historical facts for educational reasons? In my view, that is completely unacceptable.