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Q&A: Unrealistic Cases in the Sages

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This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.

Unrealistic Cases in the Sages

Question

Hello Rabbi,
How should one relate to unrealistic cases and things that don’t fit with logic that appear in the words of the Sages?
I don’t think there’s much need for an example, but say the egg of the bar yokhani bird that drowned 60 cities and broke 300 cedar trees.
Thank you very much!

Answer

I assume these are parables meant to convey some other message. I don’t deal with aggadic literature, because in my view it has no value.

Discussion on Answer

Karton De’eino Miskartin (2024-02-20)

You should know that things also happen that are the opposite of reason.
For example:
a nation that is supposed to be a light unto the nations—its leader is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and as expected he leads to disasters.
And the rabbis? They’re actually partners in the scheme, and want the decline to continue…
At least some of them.

If I had told you such a thing 10 years ago, you would have laughed at me.
Now reality is laughing at both of us.

You’re asking about what was written 1,700 years ago, based on traditions and stories they had in hand about a few hundred thousand years earlier?

I’m not sure that’s such a difficult question.
You assume it didn’t happen, and therefore you ask.
But perhaps it did?

Berish Raba (2024-02-20)

As is known, the egg of the bar yokhani fell about 66 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs, of blessed memory.
And one who mocks the words of the sages eats burning coals of broom tree embers.

Hillel Levitas (2024-02-20)

Can we understand what exactly is meant by “has no value”? When you come to aggadic passages in the Talmud, should you skip them?

Michi (2024-02-20)

There are no instructions here. I wrote my opinion and what I do. Indeed, I usually skip them.

A.Y.A. (2024-02-22)

Why skip them?
The Rabbi also mixes Torah and aggadah—for example, the last column mixes a film [aggadah] with Jewish law?
It would seem that the Rabbi holds that there is value in aggadah, but that the aggadot of the Sages are no longer effective?

Michi (2024-02-22)

What is the point of this question? I discussed a case that appeared in a film. Does that mean there is value in aggadot or in films? You can use anything as a basis for discussion. The question is whether one learns something new from such a source.

השאר תגובה

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