Sforno on the Nachash: Apikorsus or Pshat? Part 1: Methodology and Premises

Machshavah Lab

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Length: 1 hour 37 minutes
Synopsis: This morning's YBT Sunday shiur (11/3/24) was a bit different than usual, focusing more on reading and discussing sources than in-depth analysis. This was intentional, since this shiur was intended to be a setup for the REAL shiur. My original goal was to present Sforno’s view that the nachash in Gan Eden represents the yetzer ha’ra. However, I realized two preliminary issues needed to be addressed: (a) clarifying Sforno’s understanding of the tzelem elohim, and (b) addressing a shiur by my Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Chait, who argues that allegorizing the nachash is an illegitimate, heretical, and dangerous approach. In this shiur, I aim to tackle both points, setting the stage (God willing) for Part 2, where we’ll explore Sforno’s view of the nachash in Gan Eden and the aftermath of the cheit.
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מקורות:
Rabbi Israel Chait, "The Snake" (C107-108)
אברבנאל - הקדמה לבראשית פרק ב
אבן עזרא - פירוש א' בראשית ג:א; פירוש ב' בראשית ג:כא
רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ב:כט-ל
ספורנו - בראשית א:כו-כז; ב:ז-ט,טו
ספורנו - אור עמים טד:נ-נא
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