Jewish Folklore 7

The eighteenth century saw a massive questioning of the issue of daily Birkat Kohanim. On the one hand, no one really remembered why not saying it had started. (We have access to documents that were not generally available at that time.) On the other hand, it is a Biblical command, which had been all but uprooted. Mix in with this, the issue of the Ashkenazic concept of the supremacy of minhag, and we wind up with extremely mixed emotions. Elijah of Vilna 

was convinced that it had all been a great mistake. He decided to reintroduce the blessing, at least on Shabbat. The first Shabbat it was done a major fire broke out in Vilna. The following Shabbat, the same thing happened. He took this as a sign from Heaven that this was wrong, and ceased his efforts in this direction. (Elijah of Vilna was far more receptive than most to correcting mistaken customs. In a letter he wrote, he explained that one of his primary reasons for wanting to emigrate to the Holy Land, was "to be rid of Polish customs"). A younger contemporary, Rabbi Shneur Zaman of Liadi, (the first Rebbe of Chabad), questioned the custom in his Shulchan Aruch HaRav, concluding with an enthusiastic "Yeyasher Koach (good for you!) to the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael, who bless daily". Chabad tradition maintains that there were three things that he wished to institute, but felt that he did not have sufficient authority. One of these was Birkat Kohanim every day. (The other two were the recitation of the Song of Songs before Shabbat, and the observance of the second day of Yom Tov even in Eretz Yisrael). The Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael was almost completely Sepharadic until the late eighteenth century. There was a large Ashkenazi "aliyah" at that time, consisting of both Hasidim and their opponents, the "mitnagdim". Many Sepharadic customs were accepted by both groups as "Minhag Eretz Yisrael". Among these, was Birkat Kohanim, either daily, or at least on Shabbat. To this day, Ashkenazim in E.Y. bless daily in most parts of the country, but only on Shabbat in the Northern part of the country. There are, however, exceptions. Chabad, for example, only bless on Shabbat everywhere in E.Y. Considering Rabbi Shneur Zalman's enthusiasm for this mitzvah, I find this rather ironic. An interesting proposition was suggested by Rabbi Shlomo Chaim of Koidanov (1797–1862), founder of one of the three Hasidic groups that existed in Lithuania. His proposal was as follows: When there is a service that would be appropriate for Birkat Kohanim, but for whatever reason it is not being said, the prayer leader recites a paragraph "Our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, bless us with the threefold blessing written in Your Torah, recited by Aaron and his sons, as it is said 'May the L-rd bless you and keep you...' (the text of the Birkat Kohanim is recited) The Rabbi of Koidanov suggested that the prayer leader always be a Kohen for the morning prayers, and should intend to be actually blessing the people. So as not to openly violate custom, rather than lifting his hands in the usual manner of Birkat Kohanim, he should show his enthusiasm by lifting them as though in supplication, thereby fulfilling the Biblical command, but not violating the custom in an obvious fashion. We see here the clash of folklore cum custom, conflicting with not only halachah, but with an actual Torah command. This is one of the reasons for which I became Sepharadic, and have never looked back. In my next post, I will get back to scientific and medical folklore, and how it is dealt with.

Jewish Folklore 6

One of the most tragic periods in Jewish History was the era of the Crusades (1095-1291). Populations were smaller then, but proportionately, it was the equivalent of the Holocaust, with fully one-third of world Jewry wiped out. A "slight" difference was that the Holocaust lasted twelve years, while the Crusades lasted almost two centuries. The end of this period saw some countries (like England) completely Judenrein through murder. while others had impoverished, decimated communities, many of which chose to emigrate eastward into Poland and other Slavic countries for refuge. The Crusaders, on their way to "free" the Holy Land from the Muslims, decided to vent their insane rage on the "enemies of Christ" in their own countries, and all the countries through which they passed. Now largely forgotten, the Crusades left an indelible mark on Jewish feelings of insecurity, and became the basis for many customs and traditions, whose true origins have mostly been forgotten. Since armies in those days usually fought in the Spring and Summer, thus avoiding harsh weather, numerous days of mourning were instituted locally in memory of great massacres. As time went by, the Spring tragedies became connected with the Talmudic report of the death of Rabbi Akiva's students during the Omer period, although a thousand years had since passed with no mourning period enacted. The Summer massacres became connected with the mournful period of the days preceding Tish'ah B'Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. To be sure, the Talmud lists requirements for that season, but at this time they were magnified exponentially, in both length and depth of mourning. To this day, the German Jewish "Kinot" (dirges for Tish'ah B'av) contain sections entitled "the destruction of Mainz", "the destruction of Worms", etc. The Jews of the affected communities struggled between maintaining faith and hope, while keeping the memory of the martyrs alive. A prayer in their memory is still recited in Ashkenazi synagogues, either at special anniversaries, or every Shabbat (Av Harachamim). These additions are completely understandable in human terms. More problematic is the virtual abolishing of a Biblical precept in this context. The Torah commands that the Sons of Aaron bless the people. This was done at least daily in the Temple, at a particular point in the Sacrificial service. After the destruction, the Sanhedrin, which had been set up in Yavneh, ruled that this would now be done in every synagogue at the morning service, as well at Musaf services  (Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, and Holidays), and at Minchah on fast days. This was not merely in memory of the Temple, but is the fulfillment of one of the 613 commandments. The blessing was henceforth performed in all Jewish communities...until the Crusades. The Talmud stipulates that the Kohanim who are blessing the people must do so out of love, and in a joyous mood. If a Kohen dislikes someone in the congregation, he is forbidden to bless. If he is in mourning, he doesn't bless. In a few communities, a Kohen whose wife is menstruating doesn't bless, as he lacks joy at that time.In order to "escape" the obligation to bless, he will walk out of the synagogue when the Kohanim are called. The Ashkenazi communities instituted that there would be no calling to the Kohanim to bless, thereby eliminating the actual obligation. Through the hell of the persecutions of the Crusades, when everyone knew that he, his wife and children, and all his friends had a 30% chance of being murdered any time, usually being burnt alive, many felt that a feeling of joy was no longer possible. To stop the blessing completely, seemed unthinkable. It was decided that it should only be recited on full holidays, when the eating, drinking and celebrating would allow at least some joy. Even Shabbat seemed too short to really forget the world they were living in. Although many Sepharadic communities were terribly affected as well, Sepharadim, more bound to sources than custom, saw the cessation of the blessing as unthinkable. Eventually, the origin of not reciting the blessing was largely forgotten. but was still observed based on the Ashkenazi concept of "a minhag trumps a law". A further blow came four hundred years later. The false Messiah, Shabbaetai Tzvi, was, as we have seen, Manic Depressive. When he was in his manic phase, he would deliberately sin. When he was in his depressive phase, he became a completely pious Jew, with great feelings of remorse. He would, at those times, try also to correct the sins of others. He wrote letters to communities that were lax in any commandment to change their ways. Primary among these were communities that were not careful about drinking non-Jewish wine, not leaving the "pe'ot" (sidelocks), and ...not reciting the blessing of the Kohanim daily. Shabbateans in Ashkenazi countries reintroduced the blessing in their synagogues. Henceforth, the recitation, and the fulfillment of this Biblical command became associated with heresy! I have even seen a book that alleged that NOBODY said the blessing daily anymore until some communities were seduced by the Shabbateans to say it! This is perhaps one of the greatest ironies in Jewish history. Once the Crusades became a distant memory, and even Shabbetai Tzvi no longer seemed relevant, there were attempts to reintroduce the blessing. More on that next time.

Jewish Folklore 5

An area that has been controversial for over a thousand years is the medical and scientific information in the Talmud. As I have pointed out in previous posts, there are some who regard the Talmud as a revealed work in its entirety, dictated to Moses on Sinai. They will go to great lengths to try to give an unscientific statement some "logical" reasoning. Moreover, they are sure that this view is THE view of Judaism, and those who hold different views are heterodoxic. Shmuel HaNagid (eleventh century), a leader of Spanish Jewry who wrote a commentary to the Talmud, still printed in scholarly editions, divides the Talmud into three parts. The first is the oral details of the Biblical laws. This is as authoritative as the Torah itself, as it records the information given at Sinai that is necessary for the fulfillment of the Mitzvot. The second is interpretation of verses beyond their literal meaning. He says that these are the rabbis' own understandings, which should be studied, as the rabbis were far greater than we in these matters; but these interpretations are by no means authoritative. The third division is statements on science and medicine, which simply reflect the knowledge of the time, and should be ignored. A century later, RAMBAM wrote of these areas, indeed, of the aggadic (non-halachic) areas of Talmud in general, that they should be understood as allegories. An example might be the assertion that the reason why women don't menstruate while pregnant is that the body transforms the blood into milk for the baby. This statement is widely used, especially in Hasidic literature, as a symbol of transformation of bad into good. Rabbi Nachman even saw the custom of eating dairy on Shavuot as symbolizing a repair of our character, and a repair of the Universe, through the counting of the Omer, leading from spiritual slavery to true freedom; blood to milk! When confronted with a statement that he believed to be less than factual, RAMBAM accepted later science over the Talmud. The Torah forbids a man with mutilated genitals from marrying. RAMBAM faithfully lists the types of injuries that, according to the Talmud, would render a man incapable of fathering a child. Then, he says that this is to be overridden by later medical advances, and we "accept the views of the great doctors".. MAHARAL, writing in the sixteenth century, simply calls the scientific statements in the Talmud "the best knowledge of the day". The fact is that in most yeshivot, these sections are skipped. But many have become matters of folklore. Some rabbis will say that these statements WERE valid, but "the human body has changed", and therefore they no longer apply. There is even a rumor that a ban of excommunication has been placed on those trying the remedies mentioned in Talmud, as they will no longer work, and this might cast aspersions on the Talmud in general. However, we search in vain for any such ban. Sometimes, on the other hand, a scientific statement in Talmud, which may have, at one time seemed ridiculous, has been proven to be accurate. For instance, the constellation Pleiades is called in the Tanach "kimah". Why, the Talmud asks, "kimah"? Because it has "about a hundred" (k'meah) constituent stars. This is very strange, as the unaided human eye can only perceive in this constellation seven, or at most eight, stars. With the invention of the telescope in about 1600, it was discovered that there actually were about a hundred stars in this constellation. That would be about a thousand years after the Talmud! Also, scientific and medical knowledge was sometimes better in Talmudic times than it was for the next thousand years. The Talmud discusses at length the matter of birth by Caesarian section and its halachic implications. RAMBAM, himself a physician in the twelfth century, dismisses this as folklore, as "it is totally impossible for a baby to survive such a procedure", and it is "highly unlikely for the mother to survive". Again, some would chalk this up to the "bodies changing". Others will grant that some things were known, forgotten, and then rediscovered. I will discuss some specific cases in my next post.

Jewish Folklore 4

Every year at Hannuka time, someone posts online "segulot" for Hannuka. A "segulah" (literally, a treasure) is an action that has a positive effect, with no rational reason behind it. There are many segulot listed in the Talmud, as well as later Jewish sources. My understanding of a segulah is that it is like a prayer said by actions rather than by words. I DO take segulot seriously. The eating of certain foods on Rosh HaShanah that hint at blessing and protection is already found in the Talmud. RAMBAM, however, rejects these practices as superstition, never mentioning them or giving them credence. The annually posted Hannukah list includes many things I have never heard of, or seen sources for. (Like making wishes over the Hannukah candles. Fortunately, it does not urge blowing them out so the wish will come true.) Among the others, is a list of meditations of RAMBAM to be held in mind while frying the jelly donuts. But RAMBAM never mentions jelly donuts, or even a custom of eating fried foods on Hannukah. His very consistent opposition to segulot makes the assertion that these ideas come from RAMBAM very suspicious, to say the least. (A friend said to me  on this topic: "How many times can a person roll over in his grave?") But people love "lucky secrets", and this post on Segulot of Hannukah has gone viral. Ascribing a popular practice to a great personage is one of the most difficult things to deal with. Is it real? Well, if Rabbi So and So said it, it must be!" But did Rabbi So and So really say it? In Israel, on the eve of the 1991 Gulf War, a rumor circulated that the Lubavitcher Rebbe had ordered every home to light three candles "for protection". Telephone squads called people to urge fulfilling this "order" as a segulah. Those who called me could give no explanation as to why this was put in place, therefore I ignored it. Soon afterward, the Chabad headquarters completely denied the rumor. The alleged connection to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, resulted in hundreds of thousands of people performing a meaningless act. This becomes all the more problematic when an enactment is ascribed to a great Rabbi, but we don't know if this is factual or merely connecting a custom to a name. One of the greatest personages in Jewish history is Rabbi Gershom ben Yehuda (c.960 - 1028). He is known to this day as the "Light of the Exile". Living one generation before RASHI, he is described by him as "the Rabbi of All Ashkenazi Jewry". Legend has it that in the year 1000, he convened a great synod, and made certain enactments on pain of excommunication, for several vital topics. He banned polygamy except in very rare cases. He enacted that a woman could not be divorced without her consent. He forbade reading other people's mail and required good treatment for Jews who had apostatized but now wished to return. These are known as "the bans of Rabbenu Gershom". However, there is no contemporary record of this synod having taken place, nor the bans being issued by the illustrious rabbi. One hundred and fifty years later, we find some references to the event and the bans, bemoaning that we have no written text, that would indicate the nature and scope of the bans. Other sources simply quote these practices as "the custom of Franco-German communities". There is a great deal of difference if something is a custom or an official ban. Besides the severity of the action, the question arises that if these were, in fact, bans, they would apply to all the descendants of Ashkenazi Jewry. If they were customs, they would have no halachic force outside France and Germany. (There is no truth in the commonly heard idea that the bans were "only" for a thousand years). But the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. We simply do not know. Recently, someone tried to convince me that the kitniyot "ban", stems from Rabbenu Gershom as well, despite its not being mentioned for another two hundred years. Folklore and halachah can get very intertwined. We must be careful when new things arise, checking our information about origins and attributions. . Sometimes, the information is already hidden by the mists of time.

Jewish Folklore 3

Jewish suffering at the hands of Christendom was a given from at least the time of Constantine. Stories of Jews being martyred always gave pride and hope. If there was Divine retribution against the perpetrators, so much the better for the frustrated and helpless Jewish minority. In 1753, a Croatian man named Raphael Sentimany, who had taken the name Abraham Isacowicz was executed in Vilna by Church authorities for apostasy. He had, at a very young age, converted to Judaism. He sought to hide among the Jewish community in Vilna. He was discovered, and, with great fanfare, burned at the stake. The event was reported all over Europe, bringing disgrace to the Catholic Church. By 1800, the story had undergone vast embellishments, taking its final form in a historical novel by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Now, the hero was a Polish nobleman, named Count Valentine Pototzki. In some versions, he was the heir to the Polish throne. Potocki had gone to study in Paris, where he encountered Jewish scholars. He was so impressed that he went to Amsterdam (the only place in Europe at that time with complete religious freedom), and converted, taking the name Abraham ben Abraham. He returned to his native Vilna. His attempts at "fitting in" proved unsuccessful. After a lengthy trial, he was sentenced to be burned at the stake. His parents urged him to publicly renounce his Judaism, and they would build him a great palace, where he could practice his Judaism in secret. He told his mother "I love you dearly, but I love Truth more". Elijah of Vilna sent him a message, that he could get him out of prison by means of Kabbalah. He refused, preferring a martyr's death. He was burned at the stake in a huge public ceremony in 1749, on the very same date as Isacowicz had died; the second day of the Feast of Shavuot. The town from which the wood had been brought for the execution soon burned down. Buildings around the public square where the execution had taken place became stained with soot, which could not be cleaned away or painted over. A Jew secured his ashes, which were buried in the Jewish cemetery of Vilna. Abraham ben Abraham was subsequently known as "the Ger Tzedek"; the "true and righteous convert" and has been the subject of numerous novels ever since. How do we know that this story is merely an embellishment of the Isacowicz story? First, there is no contemporary written record in either  Jewish or Non-Jewish sources of these events. The Catholic Church in Poland had very outspoken critics at that time, who wrote extensively about Church excesses, including crimes against the Jews. We find nothing. The Potocki family is very well known, with extensive genealogical records. There is no Valentine at that time. We have correspondences from family members. There is no mention of these events. Moreover, although Poles could be executed for apostasy, this was not the case with the nobility. They enjoyed the right to live by any religion they might choose. We may see this story as expressing Jewish pride, the love of Torah so great that it is worth dying for, as well as hope for people born among the oppressor, finally acknowledging the Truth, and even happy to die for it. The encouragement that this story gave Eastern European Jews cannot be overestimated. The true story is perhaps not as spectacular, but nevertheless carries the major elements of the legend. In any case, it is a story born of pain, which provided inspiration and hope. A legend that can do that, is far more than just folklore, even if it never happened..

Women of the Wall

OK, I've calmed down a bit, and will tackle the "Women of the Wall" issue as best I can. There is an Israeli saying "don't believe anything you read in the papers, except the date, and sometimes the weather".There is no such thing in Israel as an independent news agency. All are politically affiliated, and subject to government censorship. Even the sports teams are party affiliate.Animosities run very deep. There are many factions of religious, secular, and ethnic divisions. as well as variations of political Right and Left. Israel tries to maintain a delicate balance in all of these, usually successfully. No party has ever had a majority in the Knesset, and every government is made up of a shaky coalition. One false move and a party might leave the coalition, resulting in new elections, which few want. The religious- secular divide is especially sensitive. Compromises are in place, which most fear to tamper with. As each faction has existential fears concerning the other factions (I have written in the past about being spat at in Tel Aviv by total strangers becasue of my religious appearance. It happens the other way as well.) When the Kotel was liberated in 1967, it was recognized as a religious, rather than a purely historical site, and handed over to the control of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. There is a rabbi in charge of the Kotel, who has full government authority to enforce religious law at the site. Besides that, there is a law in place against making any significant changes in the public observance of any religion. All this is to keep people from killing each other. When I was there, a young woman made a cartoon depicting Mohammed as a pig. She got five years in jail (released after three for good behavior). If this had not been done, people would have died. Allow me to give an American analogy. In New York City (where I live) a woman has a full legal right to go topless. If she walks into certain Churches and Synagogues (let alone Mosques) she places herself in danger. She is within her legal rights, and anyone trying to stop her, would be punished. But is it a wise idea to challenge these groups? The answer is "no", unless she is "putting her life on the line" to enforce her principles, and perhaps destroy the institution she is challenging. As we have been discussing all along, some religious Jews place the emphasis on "this is the way we've always done it" and some on written sources. This is not relevant to most Israelis, who are secular, and they do not care. From sources, there is no question that women may wear tefillin if they wish. On the other hand, this has rarely been done historically, and would be seen as threatening to many people .In most countries, Jews would simply form different synagogues in which to practice the different interpretations. In Israel, rabbis are government bureaucrats. The rabbi of the Kotal has full legal jurisdiction,For better or for worse, this is the law of the land, arrived at by years of conflict, strife, and compromise. The WOW are NOT a feminist group. They have been denounced by feminist organizations, as the latter are in favor of Muslim rule at the site, as opposed to more, but different, Jewish presence. (For the Muslims, the Kotel (El Buraq) is itself a Muslim shrine. Although most Israelis refer to the WOW as "the Reform Women" their membership consists of women who identify as members of all "denominations". Like the example above of going topless to a house of worship, their intent is to shock and provoke, until the organized rabbinate is broken. This is not unlike the Civil Disobedience practiced by the late Dr. Martin Luther King. Unlike in the case of Dr. King, however, there is no large group yearning for freedom. One government minister who was trying to work out a compromise, related that he had received over 10,000 letters from American Jews on the topic, but barely 100 from Israelis. Most secular Israelis feel that the entire topic is irrelevant, as prayer is "stupid", or, alternatively, that a agonizingly difficult compromise worked out years ago should be kept in place, or else risk civil war. The WOW has provoked loud shouting matches at the Kotel, and some scuffles. One of our members wrote to me earlier that she had "been told" that women were not accommodated at the kotel during Passover. That is totally false. Rather, the WOW announced plans for a massive "Priestly Blessing" done by women. In halacha, this can be interpreted as no big deal..or an actual Biblical prohibition. The rabbi at the kotel gets to make that call. Police prevented the event from happening, in order to prevent bloodshed. I find the strife between Jews in Israel to be sickening and disgusting. We have our divisions in American Jewry as well, except we talk them over. That is sadly lacking in Israel. I mentioned a few days ago that my wife, Sima, sometimes chides me for being a "radical feminist". There is truth in that, but I also know how to talk and find common ground. Please, questions accepted, but not if put in an accusatory form. Everything to do with Israel opens too many old wounds for me.

Jewish Folklore 2

As I have so often mentioned, there were huge differences between the Talmud Yerushalmi and the Talmud Bavli in both practicum and outlook. Even when the rulings of the Bavli became standard, the Yerushalmi left its imprint on many communities, particularly the Ashkenazim. One striking difference was in prayer. The rabbis of the Yerushalmi wrote poetry for every occasion, that became part of the order of prayer. In the Bavli, we never find this, as an off-topic prayer inserted into the amidah or other blessings, was seen as a "hefsek", an interruption, which might even invalidate the prayer. Even today, German Jews say lengthy poetic additions in the reader's repetition, and sometimes in the blessings of the Shema', at every special occasion. A Shabbat coinciding with Rosh Hodesh, for example, has additions to the service that take about forty minutes to say. Other Ashkenazic communities have much less, and on fewer occasions, but they are present. Sepharadim, following the Bavli, have few poetic additions, and those that they do have, are recited at non-critical parts of the service. (The exception is Yom Kippur, when a few additions are in the reader's repetition. I am searching for an explanation for this). Therefore, if one visits a Sepharadic synagogue on Rosh HaShanah, the service is only slightly longer than a Shabbat service, while the Ashkenazi service will typically begin around 8 am, and continue well into the afternoon. We have a tradition not to speak any dire words, or even to have dire thoughts, on Rosh HaShanah. In fact, many people even deliberately mispronounce the Shehechiyanu blessing, so as not to include something that may sound unpleasant. Yet, at the very heart of the Ashkenazi Musaf prayer, there is a long, albeit beautiful, description of death and suffering that will come upon those whose fate is so decreed. It is called "Unetaneh Tokef"; "let us speak the awesomeness of the day...even the angels are in terror, the fate of each creature is determined for life or death, who by fire, who by water, who by stoning, who by strangulation..." After the list, the haunting melody continues without words, hinting at more means of punishment. Rabbi Nachman said that many horrible things come into the world due to the implied punishments in the melody. It always bothered me how this fits into the Rosh Hashanah idea of only happy thoughts and words. The answer is a very old and beloved legend. Because of the legend, the Unetaneh Tokef is seen as the height of the service. It was even adopted by many Sepharadic communities, albeit not said during the amidah. I have a Sepharadic High Holiday prayer book in my possession that even tells the legend in Ladino. The legend became world-famous when Menachem Begin, being pressured by Jimmy Carter to make suicidal concessions, told the story at the press conference following a meeting between the two men. Carter was gnashing his teeth through his signature smile. The story goes like this. Rabbi Amnon of Mayence, referred to as "the Gadol HaDor" (Great One of his generation), was constantly pressured by the local archbishop to convert to Christianity. After many years of this pressure, Rabbi Amnon unthinkingly said "give me three days to think about it". He immediately deeply regretted his words, and did not come to the archbishop on the agreed-upon day. The archbishop sent men to bring him by force. "Why did you not come". Rabbi Amnon said that he did not mean it, and urged the archbishop to cut out his tongue which had spoken these words. "No! Your tongue spoke well. Your legs are guilty for not coming!" He thereupon had Rabbi Amnon's legs cut off. He asked to be brought to the synagogue, where Rosh HaShanah prayers were in progress. He stopped the prayers, saying the words of the Unetaheh Tokef, proclaiming G-d as Sovereign and Judge, waxing eloquence about human suffering. When the recitation was finished, he died. Everyone present was overwhelmed by the beauty of the prayer, but no one could remember his words exactly. Three days later, his friend and colleague, Rabbi Kalonymos (d. 1096) saw Rabbi Amnon in a dream, in which Rabbi Amnon taught him the prayer. But the story has problems. Although Rabbi Kalonymos is well known, we search in vain for any reference to Rabbi Amnon outside this legend. If he was the Gadol HaDor, where are quotes of his teachings, or mentioning who were his teachers and disciples? The story is first referenced in the thirteenth century, with the prayer first coming into liturgical use in Europe in the sixteenth century. Moreover, manuscripts of prayers from Eretz Yisrael consisting of poetic insertions have been found which contain this prayer, predating the legend by about 400 years. The real story may be nowhere nearly as dramatic as the legend, but I believe that there is a deeper story here. That is the reconciliation of an ancient E.Y. approach with a Bavli approach, spoken out of the pain of persecution. We find a similar phenomenon among the annusim from Iberia. The most common women's name among them was Susanna. The annusim saw the apocryphal Book Of Susanna as a paradigm of their own plight. In the story, Susanna is a woman who is suffering greatly at the hands of corrupt judges. Daniel, still a child, comes forward and proves the judges false. They are subsequently executed, and Susanna vindicated. Frustration at their treatment by the authorities, and the hope for vindication and true justice, made this apocryphal story so real for them. I believe the same goes for Rabbi Amnon. Just because something did not happen, doesn't mean it isn't true.