Q&A: Torah and Science
Torah and Science
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Following up on our conversation on WhatsApp, I’m attaching an article of mine that was published yesterday, and a question that was sent to me along with the answer I responded with on the same topic.
I’ll just emphasize that it’s clear to me that the scope of the discussion, both in the article and in the answer, is very limited, due to the constraints of the format.
I would appreciate the Rabbi’s comments on two aspects:
1) The content of what is said
2) Whether, from a didactic standpoint, the main message is explained in a way that the secular / undecided reader can understand, or at least whether it sparks his curiosity to examine the matter more deeply, or undermines his confidence in the lies that atheism has sold him until now.
There is of course additional material, but that will come later, God willing.
Answer
A, hello.
I hope you’re doing well.
First, I very much prefer questions to be sent through the website (see the link below). It makes things easier for me.
As for what you wrote, here are my comments:
A. A few comments regarding your article:
1. Among the theories that threaten faith, you omitted evolution. It is actually considered the central threat.
2. You identify Torah with Jewish law (factual truth versus halakhic truth). But the opening chapters of Genesis are not dealing with Jewish law.
3. The explanations involving the intervention of an external force are problematic: a. because they are an excuse (that is, they allow one who already believes not to abandon his faith, but they do not persuade someone who comes to the discussion with an open mind). b. because what you are really claiming is that the events from before 6,000 years ago did not occur at all. The world was created at some stage already in its full form. But we know of specific events, including human beings and animals, that took place tens of thousands of years ago and more. Do you think all of these are fossils that the Holy One, blessed be He, for some reason planted in the ground? (In order to confuse us?) That is not plausible. After all, in every other context we do accept the scientific findings (for example, to determine the age of things for legal and historical purposes).
4. Identifying Nachmanides’ words with the Big Bang is a nice homiletical idea, but it is not convincing. It is very far-fetched. What appears there is a completely abstract and primordial suggestion that does not really point to actual information. It is a thesis that comes from reasoning, not a “scientific theory that Nachmanides states,” as you put it. And in general, the assumption that Nachmanides or the Sages knew current scientific information does not hold water. They contain quite a few scientific errors, sometimes even in science that was known in their own time.
5. Abiogenesis is “obviously” not accepted by Torah thought? Who revealed this secret to you? Why do you think the Holy One, blessed be He, did not create us through abiogenesis?
6. The existence of the mental is explained by materialists through emergentism. They claim these are functions of the brain and the material body, not an additional substance. In my opinion too this is implausible, but there is no argument in what you wrote that explains why.
7. Your conclusion, and in general the use of the terminology “the theories of Torah thought,” is anachronistic. Torah thought has no scientific theories (ones that make predictions and can be tested for falsification), and perhaps it has no claims about reality at all. Everything is open to interpretation, and I do not agree with the approach that sees them as alternative theories.
B. As for your answer to the woman who asked, I tend to agree, but in my opinion there is no need to get into those calculations. In my book God Plays Dice, and in an article that summarizes it, I explained that there is a proof from the laws that does not require those calculations at all:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%98%D7%AA%D7%99-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%97%D7%A1%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%94/