I noticed a reference on your website to the Alphabet of Ben-Sira. What is the Torah view of that work? While I have never in fact read it, it is known to contain some pretty interesting statements..
I took a look at the article you mentioned and it seems to me that the author was only using that passage as an historical reference (without attributing to it any special authenticity; much like we might use Josephus) rather than as an authentic halachic source.
Tanchuma, Yalkut and Rabba are three works of Midrash (among others) that are known to be particularly reliable, but there are, as you suggest, many other collections of stories and folk-remedies that are called “Midrashâ€? but that are far from authentic. Identifying them can be an art in itself. As you might know, the Book of ben Sira itself (as opposed to the alphabet), while quoted by the Talmud in many places, was nevertheless allowed to become corrupted until the versions running around today are virtually useless.
In addition, it is possible that one of the commentators on the Shulchan Aruch (the most authoritative work on Jewish Law) brings this particular passage about ben Sira (it’s lodged in there in my memory for some reason), so that alone would justify quoting it without implying anything about the authenticty of the rest of the book.
With best regards,
Rabbi Boruch Clinton