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The Gemmorah in Bavli Kiddushin 81a brings several similar stories:

.ר' עקיבא הוה מתלוצץ בעוברי עבירה
.יומא חד אידמי ליה שטן כאיתתא בריש דיקלא
.נקטיה לדיקלא וקסליק ואזיל
'כי מטא לפלגיה דדיקלא שבקיה וכו

Rabbi Akiva would likewise ridicule transgressors. One day, Satan appeared to him as a woman at the top of a palm tree. Rabbi Akiva grabbed hold of the palm tree and began climbing. When he was halfway up the palm tree, the evil inclination left him, etc.

I truly understand the educational purpose of such a story, to warn us about the severity of Arayos prohibitions. However, it seems so improbable and unimaginable that R' Akivah would override so many Halachos (incl Hillel's "אל תאמין בעצמך עד יום מותך", Avos 2,4), and climb a palm tree to get to a random woman, no matter how tempting it might be, that I doubt if this story is real. It does not appear in Yerushalmi or other earlier sources that I searched (suggestions welcomed).

This story is only an example, there are many other stories of Tannoyim's somewhat weird behavior that only appear in Bavli.

Do some commentators agree with my view and state that some Talmudic stories are not authentic and seek educational purposes only?

This question is about personal stories in the Talmud, about specific Rabbis of distant generations, not Agadetah in general (metaphorical stories). I agree that most stories are original, but some are some outrageous that it is hard to believe they were real. Also those stories are NOT metaphorical, though they could be interpreted so.

Al Berko
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  • @DonielF My question is specifically about personal stories in the Talmud, specific Rabbis of distant generations, not Agadetah in general. I do believe most stories are authentic, there's no reason not to believe they happened (R"E and the Chachamim or R"Y and R'Gamliel). But some are outrageous. Could it be that some are fables? – Al Berko Jun 03 '19 at 13:13
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    Why isn’t this a duplicate of a broader question? Why would a complete answer to that question, detailing in what instances one should assume Midrashim are literal and in what instances one should assume they’re metaphorical, not address stories in the Gemara? – DonielF Jun 03 '19 at 13:14
  • @DonielF Because the other deals with Aggadeta, I address Halachic stories, not Aggadah. Sometimes a question is so broad it does not cover specific points. – Al Berko Jun 03 '19 at 13:16
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    I fail to see how these are “halachic stories” and not Aggadah. They’re stories told to make a point. And you still haven’t answered why you feel an answer to that question wouldn’t answer yours here. – DonielF Jun 03 '19 at 13:49
  • I think I have a related MY question asking about how they knew very personal information and why they relayed some of it. E.g. there's some passage (don't recall where) that compares the size of various rabbi's genitalia. Why would anyone need to know that? – DanF Jun 03 '19 at 14:12
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    @DanF It’s Bava Metzi’a 84a. Take a look at Maharsha and Tosfos there, who each give very different interpretations as to why the Gemara discusses that. – DonielF Jun 03 '19 at 15:37
  • @DanF Also, you indeed do have such a question. – DonielF Jun 03 '19 at 16:20
  • @DonielF please reopen it! As I wrote, those stories are not metaphorical at all, they might be not authentic. If I write a book and say a rabbi ran into a whore once, it is nothing metaphorical. This is about the authenticity of סיפורי צדיקים - either negative or positive. – Al Berko Jun 03 '19 at 17:03
  • @Salmononius2 and msh210 Please see my comment to Doniel. You misunderstand the idea of authenticity as a metaphor. The question is were they real or THEY NEVER HAPPENED, not they happened spiritually. – Al Berko Jun 03 '19 at 17:05
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    @AlBerko I think you misunderstand the concept of a metaphor. If it’s meant to be taken metaphorically it never happened, either - it’s meant to teach a lesson. – DonielF Jun 03 '19 at 17:12
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    @msh210 et al. Midrashim are usually Biblical interpretation. This question is about stories of tanna'im – b a Jun 03 '19 at 18:07

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