Mordecai Kaplan and Louis Ginzberg discuss the relative merits of derashas vs ancient (and modern) laundry lists

Here's a record of a fairly interesting exchange between Louis Ginzberg and Mordecai Kaplan, recorded in the latter's diary (as published by Mel Scult; Communings of the Spirit: The Journals of Mordecai M. Kaplan, 1913-1934):