The Almighty Defers to Rabba bar Nahmani on a Question of Jewish Law!

In my book I point to many instances where biblical figures challenge or argue with God, including Avraham, Moses, Job, and Jonah. None of these men are punished for their effrontery, although Jonah is taught a somewhat painful moral lesson. Similarly, the Talmud includes a number of stories in which the rabbis argue with or challenge God, including those at the Yavneh academy who ignore the rulings of a bat kol (heavenly voice), as described in the “Oven of Akhnai” episode discussed in a prior post. I present below a short video that illustrates another Talmudic story echoing this theme. These examples collectively show that the Almighty does not expect us to simply accept His commands on faith, but to struggle with and challenge them, and even modify them is justice so demands.