Discourse of R. A. son of Maimonides, of blessed memory

As the opinions of the interpreters regarding these homilies differ, so do the opinions of those who speak [of them] and their wisdom. Consider this:

The Fifth Part: Homilies in which they spoke using hyperbolic language and imagery. This part exists in the Talmud of Pesahim. Mar Zutra said, "From etzel beside/at to etzel there are a hundred camels." He interprets "the first etzel" as the beginning of the verse, and "the last" as the end of the verse. And [it says], "And to etzel were six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan, sons of etzel." Some commentators have said, for the sake of this discourse, that the "first etzel" is this verse, and the "last" is the second verse that follows it. And the homily concerns these two verses. Yet, in both ways, this homily cannot be anything other than hyperbolic language; for it is not possible in the eyes of any person of reason that there is a homily on the entire scripture [representing] four hundred camels, and all the more so regarding two verses. Therefore, it is only hyperbolic language. And this is explained in the Be'ur Exposition regarding this and other matters. This part of the homilies is very small in its estimation compared to the other parts, because most of their words that are in hyperbolic language concern narratives, as I shall state. The part concerning narratives has four divisions: The first part consists of narratives that happened and occurred in the world just as you find them written. They were mentioned in order to bring them forward to derive benefit from them. The benefit can be in laws, opinions, or beliefs, or those narratives may be a wondrous deed and an event close to the matter previously mentioned. If so, the part branches into four ways:

The First Way: A narrative from which we learn a benefit in laws. As is said in Sukkah, "He whose head and most of his body were in the Sukkah." And between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai: "It happened that the elders of the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai went to meet R. Yohanan ben Ha-Horani, and they found him with his head and most of his body in the Sukkah, and his table inside the house. They said to him, 'If you were acting in this manner, you have never fulfilled the commandment of Sukkah in your life.'" And as is said in Ketubot: "The mother of Rami bar Hama wrote over her property to Rami bar Hama in the morning; in the evening she wrote it over to Rav Ukba bar Hama. Rami bar Hama came before Rav Sheshet, who put him in possession of the property. Rav Ukba came before Rav Nahman, who put him in possession of the property. Rav Sheshet came before Rav Nahman and said to him, 'Why did you do this?' He said to him, 'I exercised the judicial discretion shuda de-dayana judicial decision where evidence is equal.' He said to him, 'I also exercised judicial discretion.' He said to him, 'You see that I am a judge, and you are not a judge.' Furthermore, from the outset it was not in the manner of this one." In narratives of this way, the number is great.

The Fourth Way: A narrative that was written because a wondrous thing or a matter of astonishment occurred in it. Like that which they said in Yoma: "R. Meir, R. Judah, and R. Yosi were traveling on the road. They happened upon a certain innkeeper. They said to the innkeeper, 'Son, what is your name?' He said to them, 'Kidor.' They gave him their purses, but R. Meir did not give him his purse, etc." Behold, this narrative was written only to inform you of the discernment of R. Meir and the wonder that occurred, that the words of R. Meir were verified in the recognition of that man. And like that which they said in Megillah: "R. Judah Nesi'ah sent R. Oshaya a leg of a three-year-old calf and a jug of wine. He sent back [a message], 'You have fulfilled for us the commandment of "gifts to the poor."'" He then sent him the whole of the three-year-old calf and a jug of wine. He sent him [a message], 'You have fulfilled for us the commandment of "the gifts of his friends and the sending of portions man to his friend."'" And so with everything like this. Narratives of this way in the Talmud are without number. And in the Talmud of Gittin, you will find them in abundance, as well as in other places in the Talmud. It is possible that as the opinions of the commentators differ regarding these narratives, they will find in them other benefits. And they will be found in the three

ways we have already discussed. The truth is that this part of the narratives has a fourth way unto itself, according to the path we have explained:

The Second Part: Narratives that were seen and occurred to them in a dream, and they mentioned them in clear and simple language, for they knew that it is impossible for a person of intellect and understanding to be mistaken by them. As our Sages of blessed memory said in Berakhot: "It was taught: R. Ishmael said, 'Once I entered to offer incense into the Holy of Holies, etc.'" And so it is in their words in many places. Likewise in the narratives in which they mentioned the visions of the prophets and that He spoke with them, and that they were aided by them, and such as the narratives in which they mentioned demons. The one who sees, whose heart is not with them, will think that these are things that existed in the world just as they were written. And he will come to think and believe a thing that is impossible, that cannot be, but [must be] taken literally. And all of this happens to him due to his excessive foolishness and his lack of knowledge of the nature of the world. Regarding the narrative of miracles and the way of the Sages of blessed memory, which is the way of the prophets, they tell in simple language what they saw in the visions of prophecy. And this way was followed by the Sages, as my father, my teacher of blessed memory, explained in the Guide for the Perplexed original: "Moreh Nevukhim" before us.

The Third Part: Narratives that occurred in the world just as they were written, except that they spoke in them using hyperbolic language, for they knew that a person of intellect would not be mistaken by words of hyperbole. And they permitted this part, which is hyperbolic language, regarding what they said in the Talmud of Tamid: "The Torah spoke in the language of hyperbole; the prophets spoke in the language of hyperbole; the Sages spoke in the language of hyperbole." "The Torah spoke in the language of hyperbole: 'great cities, fortified in the heavens.' The prophets spoke in the language of hyperbole: 'and the earth was split by their voice.' The Sages spoke in the language of hyperbole: 'an apple, a vine, a curtain, etc.'" These places are in the Mishnah and the Talmud, and hyperbolic [language] is found without number, which cannot be denied by any person of wisdom. An example of this part is what they said in the Talmud of Megillah: "Rabbah and R. Zera held a banquet together. Rabbah arose and slaughtered R. Zera. He prayed for mercy for him, and he revived him." That is to say, he struck him and wounded him with a large wound, such that he was close to death, and due to the magnitude of the wound, he brought about a slaughter. Perhaps that wound was on the throat. And "he revived him" is from the language of "he lived from his illness." And in the language of the Sages of blessed memory: "until the wound heals." And like that in Ketubot: "Rabbi Hanina was traveling to the house of Rav at the end of the days of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai, etc." And he went and sat in the House of Study for ten years, etc., until "her spirit departed" meaning: the vital soul parted from her. He said before Him: "Master of the Universe, has this poor woman waited in vain?" He prayed for mercy for her, and she lived. And the explanation of "her spirit departed" is not that the soul of the vital spirit departed from her in death, but [that] out of great joy when she saw him, her senses were confused, to the point of a part of the parts of the living soul departing, as often happens to people. And he prayed for mercy for her, and she lived and returned to her soul. And so with all that is like this.

The Second Way: Is a narrative from which we learn a benefit in character traits and opinions. As they said in Tractate Shabbat: "A person should always be humble like Hillel and not impatient like Shammai. It happened with two men, etc., this one witnessed, etc. One should be like Hillel and not impatient." We learned from that narrative that a person must be patient like Hillel according to his ability, that he should not be impatient and not grow angry, even over provocative things. This is a very honorable trait, and this way is found often in the Talmud.

The Third Way: Is a narrative from which we learn the foundations of faith. As they said in Tractate Taanit: "It happened that they said to Honi the Circle-Maker, 'Pray that rain may fall.' He said to them, 'Bring in the Passover ovens so they do not dissolve.' He prayed, and it did not rain. He made a circle and stood inside it and said, 'Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces toward me, etc.'" Behold, this narrative points to the truth of the faith that He, blessed be He, hears the voice of His righteous servants and answers them in their distress, as it is said: "And what great nation is there that has gods so near to it as the Lord our God, etc.?" And it is said by the prophet: "Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer." And it says: "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him." And similar to this narrative is what they said in Taanit: "Once, Israel went up for the pilgrimage, and they had no water to drink. Nakdimon ben Gurion went, etc., until: Therefore he was called Nakdimon, for the sun shone Hebrew: nakdah for him." And like this, there are many in the Talmud.

The Fourth Part: These are narratives that happened in truth, but they spoke of them in the form of a parable and a riddle. In these, we must reflect, for their meaning is not explained to every person in general, until one reflects upon the form of the wise and understanding person’s deed, [so that] he will understand it and know its intention. He will see in the literal meaning of the narratives of this part things that are fair and lovely, and other things whose hearing is cut off meaning: off-putting/absurd even before the old and the young. It happens that the hearing of these things in their simple sense [leads one] to believe that homily according to its simple meaning, even though the thing itself is impossible to him. But to one who knows the nature of the world and the way of its existence, he will understand the matter of the parable and the riddle and will recognize it. An example of this is what they said in Tractate Sukkah: "There were two Cushites often used for dark-skinned foreigners who were standing before Solomon. They said to him, 'Bring us to the place of the cold.' He brought them to the house of the scribes of Solomon. He showed them the Angel of Death, who was sad, etc., until Solomon opened and said, 'A person's feet are responsible for him. To the place where they are required, they are led.'" Behold, the literal meaning of the narrative is a complete impossibility to all who have intellect and understanding. And its meaning, according to what appears to me, is a thing that happened in truth. I mean that those two asked Solomon, for they were going the way of all the earth due to an illness that befell them or another matter, and he wanted to find tactics to save them from death. And he fled them from that land to another land that was better for them according to what they needed and according to their temperament, as he thought they would be saved there. And they died in that place where Solomon thought that they would be saved, by the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, before whom there is no flight or escape. And regarding this, Solomon said, "A person's feet, etc." And everything said regarding the matter of that narrative, besides what we have explained, is for the perfection of the parable and to connect the matter of the riddle. And it is possible that when a person of standing reflects on the words of this narrative, he will find a matter for every word. And I do not wish to be lengthy now in this. And do not be astonished that the Sages of blessed memory remember in their words narratives and legends, all of which are included as parables and riddles and are not according to their literal meaning. For they themselves, the Sages, interpret verses from the words of the prophets in this way. See what they say on the verse, "He struck the lion," and on the verse, "He struck the two lion-men Hebrew: ari'el of Moab" in Berakhot. They brought it out of its literal meaning, even though the prophets say it in simple language as if there is no second meaning in it. And I do not wish to say...