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Sometimes I'll hear a Midrash and sometimes people might say, "Well, I don't know if it's meant to be taken literally."

When do we know when Midrashim are speaking metaphorically or when they are telling a real story?

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Hacham Gabriel
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    I need to find it to be sure, but doesn't the Rambam criticize both those who take Midrashim literally and those who dismiss them outright? – Seth J Jan 05 '12 at 03:27
  • I think the aforementioned More Nevuchim. See answers below. @SethJ – Hacham Gabriel Jan 05 '12 at 03:28
  • I'm reading it. It's not so clear where the author is bringing the Rambam and where he is inserting his own ideas. And since it's anonymous ... – Seth J Jan 05 '12 at 03:30
  • @SethJ Hakdama to More Nevuchim. Beli Neder I'll take a look at it later. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 05 '12 at 03:33
  • Could've sworn it was Perush HaMishnayoth. – Seth J Jan 05 '12 at 04:30
  • @SethJ either way makes sense. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 05 '12 at 04:31
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    I don't think this is a duplicate. It asks how to categorize individual midrashim, whereas the other question asks about "midrash" as a seemingly monolithic class (though some of the answers draw distinctions between different types of midrashim). (Can I ping @msh210 here?) – Fred Jan 05 '15 at 21:57
  • @Fred The other speaks of "a midrash" as this one does. (Yes, you can.) Let's discuss this in [chat] if you like (but I can't just at the moment). – msh210 Jan 05 '15 at 22:23
  • @msh210 I agree it ought be reopened (and cleaned up). The first question ("When do we know...?") is unique, and unlike the other answer, there's no "meta-halakha" of "must we." The second question is not distinct from the dupe. – Charles Koppelman Jan 06 '15 at 18:13
  • Related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/76804/must-we-consider-the-gemaras-conclusions-literally-true – SAH Jan 04 '18 at 20:36
  • @Alex This question is totally different and necessarily assumes that the answer to that question is no – b a Jan 21 '20 at 11:56

3 Answers3

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The Vilna Gaon (Even Shelema 8:26 citing his other works) says:

The Midrashim that seem to be nonsense (are not so). Within them is held all the secrets.

Just wanted to add this in.

Hacham Gabriel
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The answer Here here which he says Rambam in the Moreh and the Ramchal are speaking metaphorically

simchastorah
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Midrashim do not tell true events

In his work called Chelek, Maimonides writes that those who take Midrashim literary are "fools," while those who reject them out of hand are also "fools." Midrashim are imaginative parables, sermons designed to teach moral lessons. People should mine Midrashim for lessons about proper behavior.

Jonathan
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  • The Rambam has no work called chelek. You mean his commentary to the chapter in Sanhedrin called Chelek. He also doesn't write what you say he writes. Read it again. – robev Jan 21 '20 at 01:47
  • Actually, he does. – Jonathan Jan 21 '20 at 05:31
  • You seem to have lifted your answer from a paragraph in this answer to a different question. – robev Jan 21 '20 at 13:02
  • Does it matter so long as I don’t copy word for word but teach the same basic truth? Is This not what Maimonides says anyway? – Jonathan Jan 21 '20 at 16:47
  • The Rambam there is coming to say that many medrashim are not literal, but that doesn't mean that all medrashim are non-literal. The question is, how do we know when to say that a story in the medrash that could be literal is and when to say that it is a parable. – Mordechai Jan 21 '20 at 19:39
  • I think the Rambam is saying that all midrashim (that have imaginative stories that are impossible to be true) are parables designed to teach people about proper behavior. People need to mine midrashim for moral lessons. – Jonathan Jan 21 '20 at 21:47