qwerty: I already conceded that you’re right about Rashi saying that Yaakov Avinu is alive.but I and all rational Jews follow Maharsha who disagree with Rashi.
In other words, you in your infinite wisdom, humility, non-arrogance, amazing literary skills, and more, “choose” to be rational – together will all rational Jews, of course – and “disagree” with Rashi.
What a chutzpah to say such a thing! You “disagree” with Rashi based on your rationality. You are truly, and very very sadly, an apikorus.
Listen, as someone who has a yeshivah-upbringing, and who taught high-level gemoro in a yeshivah for a number of years, let me set you straight. We NEVER say, “I disagree with [insert the name of any Rishon].” That is apikorsus. What we say is, “Shiv’im panim laTorah. Rashi says this. It doesn’t seem rational, but he was a Rishon who wrote with ruach hakodesh, so we can’t just ‘disagree’ with it.”
And if the the student still doesn’t understand, we explain on a more basic level: “Do you think Rashi was, chas veShalom, a simpleton? You’ve learnt Rashi for some years now, and you have certainly experienced his absolute brilliance. So do you really think that he doesn’t know that it is irrational to say that Yaakov Avinu is still alive? Of course he knows it. But he decided nonetheless to write that Yaakov Avinu is still alive. So please don’t make an utter fool of yourself by saying you disagree with him.”
Of course, qwerty, the above does not apply to you, because you are quite used to making an utter fool of yourself.