Avraham and Sarah in Provence - Hakirah

228 : Ḥakirah, the Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought
tainly would not be likely to take such a position, there being nothing
in his words ever to suggest it, and his stated (Moreh Nevuchim 2:25)
position is to accept the literal except when the literal is logically untenable.
26
The Symbolism of Man and Woman, Chomer and
Tzurah, in Rambam, Plato, and Jung
However, the source of the Avraham/Sarah allegory itself, explains
Rav Yedayah, is in fact the teachings of Rambam. Just as those who
ban open their attack on philosophy with this allegory, Rambam
opens his magnum opus on Jewish philosophy with an explanation of
this very allegory. Rambam, in the introduction to Moreh Nevuchim, 27
explains the methodology of prophetic allegories and uses as his example
the prevalent metaphor in Sefer Mishlei that speaks of the harlot.
She represents the physical urges of the flesh. The last chapter of
the book deals with the “woman of valor,” the perfected flesh that
Rambam refers to as the chomer hamesukan, that has imbibed the values
of the intellect, i.e., the tzurah, which is the םיקלא םלצ. Rambam
notes that this allegory is universal and is found in Plato. 28 Modern
scholars of psychiatry, such as C. J. Jung, 29 identify Logos (intellect)
םלוע דע.
26 That which defies nature or the rules of logic would not be taken literally.
Whether one who claims that we should not take the entire Sefer
Bereishis literally is, in fact, a heretic will not be discussed here and requires
an essay in itself. It is worthwhile, however, for each reader to
consider what, if anything, he himself considers acceptable as being
non-literal. For example, does he think the dialogue recorded in the Torah
is an accurate recording of what was said, or perhaps words selected
by the Torah to teach the essence of what each party thought or
implied to the other? Should one choose to believe that the latter is
true, we have already reduced the literalness of the Torah, and I doubt
that most would accuse one who takes this position of being an apikores.
But starting from this position we can start to slowly add other elements
that weaken the literalness of the Torah, not only in Bereishis but
as far as Devarim.
27 Also see Moreh 1:17, 3:8.
28 See Moreh 1:17.
29 See, for example, “Man and His Symbols,” Chapter 3, p. 179.