Q&A: Interpreting the Torah
Interpreting the Torah
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Last time I asked how evolution fits with the Torah, and you said that the Torah does not give us historical information.
I thought about it, and in itself that actually makes a lot of sense, and I’m willing to accept it,
but isn’t it a bit problematic to interpret the Torah so that it fits with science?
You gave the proof from Rashi, who wonders why the story of Creation was written at all, but in general this is not what people are taught from childhood, from the Religious State system all the way to Talmud Torah schools and yeshivot, at least from what I experienced. I also believe that if I turn to a typical religious person, he’ll tell me that it is the history of the Jewish people, or at least that’s how he was educated… I’m curious what rabbis like Rabbi Kanievsky and Rabbi Ovadia would say about this, because in the end, if the Torah does not give us historical information, how is it that people didn’t think this way even before the study of evolution?
Answer
But I already wrote to you that people thought this way long before evolution (Nachmanides, for example, at least regarding the Creation passages. Maimonides says that there are passages in the Torah that are parable or dream. And regarding the aggadic statements of the Sages as well, he writes that one who interprets them literally belongs to the class of fools).
As for what people teach, I suggest asking those who teach that way. The same goes for rabbis. It’s worth asking them. I’m stating my own view, not theirs.
Discussion on Answer
I don’t see any value in uniformity. On the contrary. I do see value in truth, but there is no one who can determine the truth and enforce it on everyone (and that’s a good thing). I say what I have to say, and whoever accepts it accepts it. The marketplace of ideas should be open.
I didn’t understand the question. If a plane were to fly straight, it really would go out into space. But a plane doesn’t fly straight. I didn’t understand what experiment you want them to do: to check that the world is round? They did. They checked. It’s round.
Section b is an excellent example of section a. There are a few crazy people who think the world is flat. Do you expect someone to force them to think otherwise? And that’s in the realm of facts and science. So in matters of faith and opinion, certainly one should not expect that.
Interesting, so you basically have a pluralistic approach. There’s no small amount of value in that. I just sometimes translate it as confusion, but apparently there are more advantages to it than to one body forcing something on everyone, as you described…
As for the plane, that’s also very interesting, but why doesn’t it actually fly straight?
This is not essential pluralism. I’m a monist who believes in one truth. But I’m also in favor of freedom to think and discuss, for two reasons: 1. The obligation of autonomy, according to which each person should act based on his own understanding, and coercion is forbidden. 2. Without give-and-take among different views, it is hard to arrive at the truth. See my article here on the site about the price of tolerance.
With God’s help, 26 Shevat 5784
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook writes in Letters of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (134?) that in the account of Creation, which is among the “secrets of the Torah,” there is more room to interpret it not according to its simple meaning, unlike the Torah’s other narratives.
With blessings, Fish”l
First of all, it’s good that you speak for yourself and not in the name of the Torah (which many people do, and that’s very misleading and a shame…). On the other hand, it still leaves the question somewhat in place, because education says a lot, and if people don’t agree on something that’s a problem, because afterward one big mess is created. In my opinion it’s important that they establish something definite. The situation is already not great as it is, and there are too many streams. If what you’re saying really holds water, it would be very worthwhile to establish it and teach it systematically and raise awareness of it, because to me it’s very basic…
That’s one thing. Besides that, I have something else I thought maybe you understand—it’s more related to science. Regarding the round world (in the Torah I know what is written in the Zohar, and I understood that there are interpretations of that too), I was wondering about this: if an airplane travels in a straight line without any change or curvature, shouldn’t it eventually go out into space if the world is a sphere? Isn’t it possible to do an experiment that checks the plane’s height above sea level and at some point see a curve? Say 10,000 feet, 11,000 feet, 12,000 feet, etc…. In places I checked I understood that the plane wouldn’t withstand gravity and would crash, something along those lines, but theoretically it is possible, no?