Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

I sent an explanation of how Rashi derives this from the text, did you see it?

Shoshanna



I think Shoshanna has made clear that she accepts these traditions as
equal in authority with the written text. So from her perspective
there is not a need to defend this position with the written text. She
only needs to come to terms with what insight this gives her about the
written text. The first problem you raise is a theological one.
Punishing the children for the act of the parents is not unheard of
and even mentioned elsewhere in the Torah. The second problem assumes
a strictly chronological order to the entire text. There is no reason
to assume this and understanding the text to contain a collection of
individual stories that may overlap solves this nicely.