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When the Torah (תורה) says 'if the sun has risen' regarding killing a thief, does the figurative meaning (clear intentions) replace the literal (daytime) or complement it? The machlokes between Rambam (רמב"ם) and Ra'avad establishes whether deeper Torah interpretations work independently of pshat or must always ground themselves in literal meaning.
This shiur explores a fundamental disagreement between two Torah (תורה) giants - Rambam (רמב"ם) (Maimonides) and Ra'avad - regarding the relationship between literal (pshat) and figurative interpretations in Torah text. Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the law of a thief breaking into one's home from Parshas Mishpatim, where the Torah states that if someone finds a thief breaking in, he may kill the intruder without liability. However, 'im zarcha hashemesh' (if the sun has risen on him), then he is liable. Rashi (רש"י) explains this figuratively - if it's clear as daylight that the intruder won't kill you (such as a father stealing from his son), then you cannot kill him. The Ra'avad, however, insists on maintaining the literal meaning alongside the figurative - both that daytime thieves cannot be killed AND that those who clearly won't harm you cannot be killed. This disagreement extends to three major areas. First, regarding the Messianic Age: Rambam sees prophetic descriptions of lions dwelling with lambs as purely figurative representations of peace, while Ra'avad argues that if the Torah states wild animals will be destroyed, this must be literally true alongside its deeper meaning about societal harmony. Second, concerning anthropomorphism: Rambam views all physical descriptions of God as purely figurative, making anyone who believes God has a body a non-believer. Ra'avad argues that while God isn't physical, the Torah's use of terms like 'hand' indicates something in the divine realm that corresponds to our physical hand - not mere metaphor but a non-physical reality that parallels physical concepts.
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Parshas Mishpatim - Laws of the thief breaking in
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