Reply To: Disproving the Famous Story

coffee:

Still not clear. The other Midrash which you refer to is the Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer Perek 12, which in fact the Seforno references after saying his pshat. His pshat is clearly different from the Pirkei’s pshat.

Here is the Seforno’s pshat:

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ? ????? ??????? ??????? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???’ ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??????

Here is the Pirkei:

???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??”? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??’ ????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????

The Seforno seems to be saying that the Torah referred to the Yetzer Hara by using the term “???” whereas the Pirkei seems to be saying that the Yetzer Hara possessed the ???.

By the way, this thread is not entirely serious, because one can simply say that the Seforno, et al weren’t working with the Midrash in Bereishis Rabba.

Haleivi:

I’m not sure how you are addressing what I said.