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Many people interpret things in Tanach as metaphorical sometimes. For instance, Rambam’s whole reading of Bereshit is an allegory. The Gemara says that Iyov may never have happened. Basically like all the Nevuot are interpreted as symbolizing something.

My question is where do you draw the line at interpreting stuff as not being literal? Why did Iyov maybe never exist but there’s no doubt Moshe did? This question also relates to taking things like numbers in the Torah literal and what not (600k Jews leaving Egypt, living for hundreds of years…), so at what point do you stop making everything a metaphor?

Shmuel
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Curious Yid
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    "For instance, Rambam’s whole reading of Bereshit is an allegory" as is, this vague statement is incorrect. – robev Jan 14 '23 at 21:24
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    Even if there are given multiple interpretations (metaphorically or not), the peshat of a posuk always remains (Yevamos 11b, Shabbos 63a, Yevamos 24a, Saadia Gaon HaEmunot veHaDeot 2:1). – Shmuel Jan 14 '23 at 21:28
  • "Almost invariably, the classic sources guide us as to when the Torah’s intent is more and less literal." - https://aish.com/is-the-torah-literal/ – Shmuel Jan 14 '23 at 21:30
  • שִׁבְעִים פָּנִים לַתוֹרָה – Shmuel Jan 14 '23 at 22:00
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    Does it matter? Whatever happened happened. Either way this is the Torah God gave us to follow – Double AA Jan 14 '23 at 23:46
  • https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/99751/should-we-interpret-the-torah-literally-or-allegorically/99764#99764 – Alex Jan 15 '23 at 00:24
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    https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/29305/if-moses-wrote-the-book-of-job-was-he-jobs-contemporary-and-writing-history-or/97146#97146 specifically for “ Why did Iyov maybe never exist but there’s no doubt Moshe did?” – Alex Jan 15 '23 at 00:26
  • It is not necessary to accept whether something mentioned in our sources actually happened in order to extract valid teachings from it. – Maurice Mizrahi Jan 15 '23 at 01:14
  • Possibly a duplicate of https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/99751 – msh210 Jan 15 '23 at 03:38
  • @robev no it isn’t read Moreh Nevuchim. He clearly interprets the snake, Adam, and Eve and the whole Gan Eden story as representative of the faculties of the soul. – Curious Yid Jan 15 '23 at 17:33
  • @CuriousYid you said Bereishis, which could mean the entire 1/5 of the Chumash is allegory – robev Jan 15 '23 at 20:51
  • @robev PARSHA Bereshis, happy? – Curious Yid Jan 16 '23 at 08:41
  • @DoubleAA maybe He only metaphorically gave it to us (a metaphorical people), to metaphorically follow (chas veshalom). This question matters very much. – Rabbi Kaii Jan 31 '23 at 20:40
  • @Rabbi the question of if we are supposed to follow the Torah or not matters, sure. That's not what is asked here. – Double AA Jan 31 '23 at 20:43
  • @DoubleAA good point. How do we classify which factual statements in Tanach are pertinent to that question? If there was no real Avraham for example? – Rabbi Kaii Jan 31 '23 at 20:49
  • @Shmuel your aish link seems to be a good answer here – Rabbi Kaii Jan 31 '23 at 20:59
  • And everyone agrees some things are not literal, like עין תחת עין – Heshy Jan 31 '23 at 21:04
  • @Heshy this gemara implies that those cases are extremely rare and, effectively, give away the fact that they are not literal themselves: https://www.sefaria.org/Yevamot.24a.8 – Rabbi Kaii Feb 12 '23 at 23:48

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According to the Rambam, the Torah never contradicts a fact. If a scientific claim is true we must reinterpret the Torah (ie we read it allegorically). That is in harmony with what sciences teaches. Science does not have to negate religion, it helps us understand the Torah.

The Rambam brings down that we should only believe one of three things: what our five senses tell us is true, something our mind tells us must be true (our intellect or reasoning), and what we have from the Torah.

Anyone who accepts anything that is not found in one of these three things, it is said of him, “The simple believes everything” (Prov. 14: 15).

See his letter to the community of Marseille.

Shmuel
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