The sages quoting the word of Hashem outside of Tanach

Question

There are so many examples of this but here is one, Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 2:6 it says towards the end:

Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai stated: The book Deuteronomy ascended, bowed down before the Holy One, praise to Him, and said to Him: Master of the Universe, You wrote in Your Torah that any disposition which is partially invalid is totally invalid, and now Solomon wants to uproot a י from me! The Holy One, praise to Him, said to it: Solomon and a thousand like him will disappear but nothing from you will disappear.

The question is did Hashem actually say that? Was there a Navi who received that word of Hashem? Was it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who heard it from Hashem or an angel or a bat kol? Or are they merely saying that Hashem would say something like that? There is clearly a heavy weight with the word of Hashem, is it applied to the above example? Is this counted as someone who is speaking in the name of Hashem? How does this relate to Deuteronomy 18:18-22? Is this applying the weight of Hashem's word without any of the responsibility of the one who speaks in the name of Hashem?

Answer 1

The Gemara was written after the era of prophecy had come to a close. The aggadeta in the OP's question should not be taken literally. Examples of such aggadetas are analyzed by Rabbi Tzvi-Hirsch Chajes in his book "The Student's Guide through the Talmud", chapter XXVII Aggadoth expressing profound ideas in figurative style:

There are several subjects in the Gemara whose meaning cannot be taken in literal sense, because the text expounded literally would depict G-d as corporeal being, and would also at times involve an act of blasphemy. We should, and we are, indeed, in duty bound to believe the transmitters of true Kabbalah (i.e. tradition), who are known to us as righteous and saintly men and also as accomplished scholars, would not speak merely in an odd manner. We must therefore believe that their words were uttered with an allegorical or mystical sense and that they point to matters of the most elevated significance, far beyond our mental grasp.

The Rabbis deemed it proper not to expose to the masses the mystical doctrines that were hidden in their words, and so they uncovered only one handbreadth, leaving ten handbreadths covered. The literal sense of such words of theirs was only as if it were a mere outer garment beneath which lay a precious ideas observed only by the wise and understanding student.

... (These types of aggaddos) which according to ordinary reason, seem to have no sense and are at first glance contradictory to the principles of our religion and the fundamentals of our faith, contain important intimations on matters of high worth. And these profound thoughts are merely enveloped in a covering of many shells, the inner meaning left for those alone who can penetrate into the hiden things of G-d.