I could not agree more with R. Tzvi Daum's concerns with teaching students the most fantastic midrashim in a manner that leads them to believe that these are to be taken literally. When they grow up, they are then inclined to accept all sorts of hocus pocus as being part of Yahadus. Note the prevalence of segulos that are "guaranteed" to find one a mate, parnassa, cure all disease, etc. that abound today.
I am convinced that this encourages people to be gullible. Years ago there was the Monsey "talking fish" story. After telling a neighbor of mine that this was nonsense, she replied, "But it could be true couldn't it?" There was nothing that I could say to her that would convince her that it could not be true.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote that one need not accept midrashim and Aggadita literally. See -
Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch on Aggadita I (from R. N. Slifkin's website) - [
www.stevens.edu]
Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch on Aggadita II (Original Hebrew article from Hama'ayan) - [
www.stevens.edu]
Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch on Aggadita III (Translation as it first appeared in Light Magazine) - [
www.stevens.edu]
Judaism is NOT a religion of superstition or hocus pocus. It is important that those who educate our youth make sure not to teach things that lead their students to the erroneous belief that it is.
Professor Yitzchok Levine
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ 07030
[
personal.stevens.edu]