“the Maharal could have made a Golem but probably didn’t” to be a bit of a cop-out, this is exactly the shitto of R’ Avrohom Gurwitz shlit’a. “
This is a good technique to use if one wants to increase the stature of the person spoken of.But as an argument, it is worse than useless. The claim that “So and so can do this but he didn’t want to”, or “could have done it, but probably didn’t” leads nowhere, except to the suspicion that the reason he didn’t was because he couldn’t.
To Yitz17, please calm down. I didn’t quote the gemara, it was quoted to me. I simply acknowledged that I am familiar with the gemara and what Rashi says on the daf. I myself maintain that the story referred to did not actually occur, but was a dream.
To Sam2, the Rambam is not alone here in his interpretation of such stories as possible dreams. Rabeinu Chananel and his talmid chaver Rav Nissim both interpreted these types of “events” as dreams only or allegories, and not as actual physical events. I am referring specifically to the gemaras in Brachos 19a, Bava Metzia 59a, and Bava Metzia 107b.
I am undisturbed by the emotional outbursts here calling me a boor, an apikores, a liberal, MO or whatnot. I accept it as a commendable expression of passion for what they believe in, even though it is adolescent behavior at its finest.
Bottom line: There is absolutely no Jewish dogma that requires belief that man can create animate life from inanimate matter. And for good reason. It is impossible, and so it never happened, recorded or not.