Do You Have to Believe Every Story You Hear?

Hi, this is Devin Olvsky with our question and answer series, where in a few minutes we try to answer listeners' questions. William Blachowitz, if I'm pronouncing that correctly. As you read this Torah's de facto and iker of emunah, especially regarding the legends of the shtetl about kids who knew Shas Baal Peh and Hasidic Rebbes who performed miracles and witnessed Eliyahu Hanavi, do they have a status of being part of the mesorah such that anyone who doubts them is in the category of an apikorus? So, the Ksav says that that's the reason the Rambam put together the Yud Gimel Ikrim, the 13 Ani Ma'amin. I have to believe there's a God. I have to believe that he gave the Torah. I have to believe in the rabbinic tradition. I have to believe in techiyas hameisim. I have to believe in olam haba. I have to believe All those things that he writes there. That's it. Those are the only things that are red lines that you absolutely have to believe. And if you don't believe in that, you can. But, when you ask me about yeridas hadoros, whether or not you have to believe in it, you don't have to. But, the concept of yeridas hadoros is the following, and very important to understand. Rebbi Akiva Eiger was on a plane sitting next to a professor from Hebrew University. And Rebbi Akiva Eiger's grandson kept coming over to check if he was okay, if he needed anything. And finally the professor said, "If my grandson was on this plane, he would not want anyone to know who I am. He'd walk the other way." So, he says, "Sure, cuz you believe in evolution. So, you believe we came from monkeys. So, you are a bigger monkey than your grandson. So, why would your grandson want to hang around with you? But, we believe that Hashem gave the Torah on Har Sinai, and I'm two generations closer to Ma'amad Har Sinai than he is. So, that gives me a special status. And so, obviously the further away we move from Har Sinai, the weaker we become. Now, is it absolute? Of course not. Because uh the Vilna Gaon argued with Rishonim, and obviously felt that he could. And uh there were other people along the lines who were considered out of their generation. Somebody who was above and beyond where they should fit in historically. So, uh yeridas hadoros being an absolute is clearly not an absolute. But, uh logically, does it make sense that there should be yeridas hadoros, that is, each generation, the further away we get, the less clear it becomes? Sure. Sure, it makes sense to say that. There can be exceptions, but as a rule, it makes sense to say that, yeah, as we move further away from Ma'amad Har Sinai, our understanding and our hold on it becomes weaker. And so, that's the concept of it. But, if you don't want to believe in it, I'm okay with that. I won't lose any sleep over it. Can Eliyahu Hanavi appear? Well, there's stories in the Gemara where Eliyahu Hanavi appears to, you know, Tana'im and Amora'im and and learns with them and speaks with them and, you know, does things with them. So, if you want to accept that Eliyahu Hanavi can appear today and learn with people, fine. If not, not. Could be the Chofetz Chaim made up the story. Could be when Rebbi Chaim Volozhin met uh met this fellow who told him a vort, and he told it to the Gra, he said, "Yeah, that was Eliyahu Hanavi." So, it could be they were all wrong. Am I wrong? I'm I won't lose any sleep over that if that's what's bothering you. But, uh does it make sense logically? I think so. This is Devin Olvsky with our question and answer.