Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Over the years I have noticed that when it comes to the recitation of the Shema prayer, most Jews readily chant the first paragraph of the Shema with enthusiasm. The first paragraph reads:

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.  Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates (Deut. 6:4-9).

The recitation of the second and third paragraph of the Shema  generally fails to inspire the same kind of enthusiasm. Here is the passage in question:

“If, then, you truly heed my commandments which I enjoin on you today, loving and serving the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, I will give the seasonal rain to your land, the early rain and the late rain, that you may have your grain, wine and oil to gather in; and I will bring forth grass in your fields for your animals. Thus you may eat your fill. But be careful lest your heart be so lured away that you serve other gods and worship them. For then the wrath of the LORD will flare up against you and he will close up the heavens, so that no rain will fall, and the soil will not yield its crops, and you will soon perish from the good land he is giving you. “Therefore, take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a pendant on your forehead. Teach them to your children, speaking of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. And write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, so that, as long as the heavens are above the earth, you and your children may live on in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers he would give them” (Deut. 11:13-21).

Simply put, actions matter. Actions have consequences. Moderns might feel uncomfortable with the carrot-and-stick approach of Deuteronomy, but its message is still nevertheless compelling.

Our scientific age is certainly far more sophisticated than anything the ancients might have imagined, yet the meaning of the second paragraph of the Shema conveys an idea that is surprisingly modern and contemporary.

An ecological appreciation of the world reveals that all life forms are interconnected. The old paradigm of Newtonian and Cartesian physics conceived of the world through the metaphor of the clock. The universe was once seen as  a set of simple systems that resembled a steady ticking pendulum. These systems, if disturbed, bore minor consequences for their behavior is correspondingly slight. Their movements seemed predictable and manageable in its very nature.

Now we have discovered that there are in a manner of speaking, clocks within clocks—exponentially . The inner workings of our world are so exquisitely sensitive to circumstance that even the smallest disturbance produces large and ever-growing changes in their behavior that are difficult to fully calculate.

The meteorologist Ed Lorenz observed while studying  the earth’s weather systems that the smallest variation in the input to his equations produced exponentially large deviations in the behavior of his solutions.  He referred to this cascade of changes as the “butterfly effect.”  Thus, a butterfly stirring the air with its wings in the African jungle today will generate consequences for the storm systems affecting Boston within three weeks. Since our knowledge about African butterflies is limited, detailed long-term weather forecasting will prove to be difficult to anticipate–but the effects are nevertheless in a perpetual state of causality. (By the way, this same kind movement can also be applied with respect to economics, as seen this past year’s gyrations of the stock market.)

Actions matter–and what applies to the realm of natural events especially applies to the moral events we as individuals make. With the recent BP oil spill disaster, we can see an ecological impact that effects not just the Gulf region, but ultimately the life-forms of the entire planet based on the principle of the butterfly-effect.

The Gulf of Mexico has been the home for tons of marine and aquatic life forms that are going to be drastically affected. According to one article,  the North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, whales, dolphins, pelicans, oysters, shrimp, and blue crab. The Bluefin Tuna, which are famous for sushi, spawn in the Gulf of Mexico around mid-April to mid-June. Since the oil has been spewing into the waters where they hatch all throughout this time, they are now in danger of becoming extinct.

Marine animals like whales and dolphins not only live in the water, but need to surface to breathe. Therefore, the oil within the water is not the only threat to them. As they surface above the water to breathe the fresh air, the toxins that the oil gives off are inhaled.

The Brown Pelican recently came off the endangered species list in 2009 and is in grave danger yet again. Their breeding season is in the spring, during the spill, and their eggs are now incubating. The oil is posing a significant threat to this tropical bird.

When nature is injured and harmed by human greed, it will exert an economic impact on millions of people, whose livelihoods depend upon the ethical and mindful stewardship of their environment. The sea-food industry, for example, produces vast assortments of oysters, shrimp, and crab. Continue Reading

Last night, at my doorstep I discovered the first printed volume of my new Genesis commentary, “Birth and Rebirth Through Genesis: The Timeless Theological Conversation.”  The package came to me as a surprise, I wasn’t quite sure when the new book would actually arrive. Like a proud father, I thanked God for helping me to celebrate this fragment of time in my lifetime. There are still a few corrections I need to make, such as adding the name of my newest grandchild–a baby girl named Zoe! Yes, life is good and even sweet. Amazon will be featuring the book within the next month or so; I am planning on releasing a new soft-covered version of the book as well, which should reduce the price of the book considerably  for consumers.

This summer I have been working on a another book, whose title I will not mention at the present; this new book promises that will reflect upon the theme and nature of Judaic wisdom in a manner that is elegant–even simple. Stayed tuned in for more!

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Well, writing a book is a lot like giving birth to a baby. Granted, being a male member of the human species prevents me from ever having such an experience, but true creativity derives from the depths of our being. This topic reminds me about a remarkable topic in Jewish philosophy that I will share with my readers regarding the nature of human and Divine creativity. Are they the same? In what ways do they differ? In Part I of this essay, we will examine one way of approaching the issue.

Sheneir Zalman (1745-1812) attempts to differentiate between human versus Divine creation. Here is one passage from the Tanya that I have recently translated that will hopefully clarify this topic.

 Let this point serve as an answer to the deists, who deny God’s creation. . . .  In their error, they foolishly imagine that creation is akin to the work and design of mortals as when a smith completes fashioning a vessel, that vessel no longer requires the smith to ensure its existence. Even when its maker is physically removed from it, the vessel remains intact—just as it was when he fashioned it. By the same token, these thinkers foolishly imagine that since heaven and earth exist, the cosmos no longer depends upon the Creator for its raison d’être.

 However, their eyes are covered for they do not differentiate between Divine and human creativity; the latter consists of improving upon something that is already in existence; that is to say, human creativity can only change an object’s form and appearance. Returning to our original analogy of the smith, he merely takes a silver ingot and transforms it into a vessel. Human creativity always consists of altering the form of some pre-existing matter. . . .  After finishing his handiwork, the smith leaves it alone to its own device. Similarly, the smith knows that once his work is finished, it no longer requires his attentiveness . . .  

 . . . In contrast, God’s creation is different. He literally wills the cosmos into being from a state of utter non-being. In reality, physical existence is a novelty that occurs each moment of its duration. . . . If this creative flow ceases—even for a single moment—everything that exists would instantaneously return to its original state of non-being. From this perspective, one must say that creatio ex nihilo is a far greater miracle than even the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds (Exod. 14:21-22; 15:8). For in this case, God merely drove back the sea through the force of a strong east wind that blew throughout the night. The waters at the Sea of Reeds stood immediately erect as if they   were a wall. Had God withdrawn the wind, the waters would instantly revert to their natural flowing state. . . . The element of novelty was obvious to all who witnessed the miracle, they recognized how the Divine power kept the water’s temporary structure intact. . . . However, after the last of the Israelites finished crossing, the waters of the Sea of Reeds reverted back to its natural state. What is true with regard to a great biblical miracle applies all the more so when comparing it to a miracle like Creation. The entire cosmic reality depends upon its Creator to provide it with being each moment it exists. . . . Ethereal letters expressed by the Divine Word continue animating and renewing Creation for all time. This would explain why the Psalmist proclaims, “Your Word stands in the Heavens. . . .” (Psa. 33:6) Continue Reading

Today’s topic is one of the great questions philosophers have asked for millennia: Is religion essential for morality? One could certainly argue like the rationalistic philosophers that humankind does not require supernatural reasons in order to make people act kindly toward one’s neighbor. Certainly, the current existing realities of social and political evils arise because people tend to be given over to feelings of hatred, envy, and fear.

Apologists for religion often contend that a belief in God is necessary in order for people to act morally, but an examination of rabbinic texts suggest that the early rabbinic teachers acknowledged that had the Torah never been given to Israel–or by extension, to human kind–primitive man would have had to learn morality from the animal world.

The Sages appear to have understood this truth as well, for they candidly said, “If the Torah had not been given we could have learnt modesty from the cat, honesty from the ant, chastity from the dove, and good manners from the cock who first coaxes and then mates”(BT Eruvin 100b).

While the Talmud delineates the positive traits humankind could have learned from nature, it goes without saying that our ancestors could just as easily have learned many negative character traits from nature, e.g., from the ant we would have derived the principles of totalitarianism; from the cat we would have developed certain predatory traits showing no mercy toward the weak and defenseless such as a male lion’s tendency to destroy his offspring; from the chicken, our ancestors might have learned how to be scavengers who prefer to live in filthy habitats, and so on.

Biologist Lyall Watson sees a mutual affinity between human and animal behavior. Watson once observed a group of young penguins standing on the edge of an ice floe, learning how to swim. Fearful that there might be a leopard seal lurking in the murky waters, the penguins stood their ground and refused to go into the water. As thousands of penguins crowded on the floe, some pushing occurred from the back of the ranks until one of the penguins slipped into the water. After the lone penguin entered the water, a leopard-seal suddenly appeared and ate the small creature.

Reticent, the other penguins backed off until eventually, the group pushed another one of its members into the water. Sure enough, the leopard-seal reappeared and swallowed the second penguin as well. The same process occurred again, and by the fourth time, apparently, the leopard-seal had eaten enough and the fourth penguin was left safe and sound. Afterwards, the entire penguin group jumped in and enjoyed the swimming as if they hadn’t a care in the world. From this incident, Watson deduced that selfishness and cowardice are not just human traits; there are many other species of animals that share these qualities as well.

Yes, nature seems to have a sense of morality that is not much different from our own, but unlike the other denizens of nature, human beings have the ability to reprogram their mental and spiritual orientation toward the existence of other beings. Religion can facilitate this process of ethical transformation, but it is not necessarily a given. Living the religious lifestyle does not guarantee moral development. Continue Reading

Leviticus 13-14 deals with three of the most obtuse passages found anywhere in the Tanakh. Since the time of the Septuagint, the Sages of Alexandria correctly identified the disease of   as λέπρα (lepra), which includes a group of infectious and inflammatory skin diseases. It was only historically much later, the English translator [1]  re-interpreted  λέπρα (lepra), to mean the disease we know today as  leprosy, i.e., Hanson’s Disease. ^[2]

Hanson’s disease is a chronic disease of man caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacillus, a bacterium similar to the tuberculosis bacillus and is characterized by skin lesions and adversely affects the nerves’ ability to sense pain and leads to the loss of sensation. Combined with the loss of sensation, over time, the body experiences progressive tissue degeneration, resulting in the extremities of the body becoming deformed, eroded, and often falling off.  This dreaded disease, according to modern studies is poised to make a comeback within the next hundred years or more particularly in the third-world countries.

Modern historians note that there is no hard evidence that the  phenomena of clinical leprosy existed in the ancient Near East, until 332 B.C.E. and it is believed to have been introduced Alexander the Great’s soldiers after they returned from India.² There are several other reasons why the biblical disease was something other than leprosy:

*  None of the most prominent characteristics of Hansen’s disease are listed in the text, and the symptoms that are listed argue against a relationship to Hansen’s disease.

* Nowhere does the  Biblical depiction suggest that this condition was ever seen as contagious. Nor does the Torah describes this condition as affecting houses and clothes, Hanson’s disease only affects the body and nothing else.

* Leprosy is a slow developing disease takes many years to occur. The Biblical disease of  צָרָעַת  (tsra`at) appears to occur must more quickly and can disspate after a quarantine periods of seven days. ^[3] None of this  fits the modus operandi of leprosy.

*  Leprosy cannot be cured without medical treatment and drugs. The צָרָעַת indicate that a person may recover from the ailment without this kind of treatment.

*  Leprosy is a disease which attacks the nervous system, affecting the ability of the body to sense pain, this condition is nowhere intimated in Lev. 13-14, nor does the text address the physical disfigurement which  is associated with the advanced stages of leprosy.

* The white hairs listed in the biblical verses do not match the characteristics of modern leprosy. A white patch of skin is not characteristic of leprosy, nor is the scalp ordinarily affected. Continue Reading

The book is inching closer toward publication. We are hoping for a late April date.

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Birth and Rebirth Through Genesis. . . adroitly moderates a virtual conversation between traditions and thinkers. This book is a wondrous springboard into a rewarding dialogue between  biblical scholarship and the philosophical perspective.

Micah D. Halpern, author of THUGS, The Micah Report, and Jewish Legal Writings by Women

“A fascinating, learned, and wide-ranging commentary that creatively blends the  insights of ancients, medievals, moderns, and post-moderns. . .Readers will enjoy this book.”

Prof. Warren Zev Harvey, [Chair, Department of Jewish Thought], The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ,

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I believe that all who carefully read this book are in for a deeply rewarding experience. A study of the text and commentary of Birth and Rebirth through Genesis: The Timeless Theological Commentary will contribute greatly to an understanding of the rich and diverse fabric of biblical narrative and provide an appreciation for its creative application to the problems of the modern world . . . Birth and Rebirth through Genesis is a book for Jews and Christians.

Prof. Marvin R. Wilson, Author of Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

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The book is a profound exploration of the important metaphors, symbols and archetypal structures of Genesis. . . Most remarkable about this stunning array of insights is that it leaves space for personal discovery, and time to hear the beat of heart-thoughts behind the words.

Paul Pines, author of My Brother’s Madness. Continue Reading

This thread continues our earlier discussion regarding the possible existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life and its implications for the faith community in general, and with respect to Judaism in particular.

Over the last decade, scientist discovered the presence of microbial life living within the plumbing of deep-sea mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico where conditions may resemble those in extraterrestrial environments as well as an early Earth; this finding has excited scientists about the resiliency of life and its ability to thrive even in the most hostile environment. Could such a phenomena exist also on other worlds as well? Professor Paul Davies, a physicist from Arizona State University, asserts that instead of scanning the skies, we  should probe inhospitable areas such as deserts for signs of ‘weird’ microbes that might belong to a ‘shadow biosphere. Pretty interesting stuff, no?

It gets even better–space missions there have shown all of Saturn’s major moons are active worlds filled with even water, liquid water, water vapor, organics and ammonia in these huge plumes extending more than 250 miles into space.

Earlier Discussions

The universe is a mysterious place, and the wisdom of Epicurus (340-270 B.C.E.) still makes considerable sense when he wrote, “There are infinite world both like and unlike this world of ours. For the atoms out of which a world might arise, or by which a world might be formed, have not all been expended on one world or a finite number of worlds, whether like or unlike this one. Hence there will be nothing to hinder an infinity of worlds. . . .We must believe that in all worlds there are living creatures and plants and other things we see in this world.” [1]

Centuries before the discovery of extrasolar planets, Giordano Bruno (ca. 16th century) exclaimed, “There are countless suns and countless earths all rotating around their suns in exactly the same way as the seven planets of our system.  We see only the suns because they are the largest bodies and are luminous, but their planets remain invisible to us because they are smaller and non-luminous. The countless worlds in the universe are no worse and no less inhabited than our Earth.” [2] He was burnt at the stake for espousing this and other controversial “heresies.”

Well, as they say, “Better late, than never!” A year ago the Vatican had a convention of theologians and scientists to discuss the very issue Bruno was burned at the stake for, and guess what? Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the commission governing Vatican City, told the participants that “truth from research cannot make us afraid; what is to be feared is error. “Science opens up the human mind to new knowledge and contributes toward the fulfillment of humankind,” the cardinal said, according to Father Funes.[3] The soul of Bruno must be saying, “See, I TOLD you so!”

Early Judaic Reflections on Parallel Earths

But what are the theological implications of sentient and intelligent life? Would such life-forms invalidate the commonly held biblical notion that humankind and this world are the most important creation in the cosmos?

L. Ginzberg cites a number of early medieval views from midrashic sources, which bear witness to the early rabbinic discussions on the subject:

“Corresponding to the seven heavens, God created seven earths, each separated from the next by five layers. Over the lowest earth, the seventh, called Ereẓ, lie in succession the abyss, the Tohu, the Bohu, a sea, and waters. Then the sixth earth is reached, the Adamah, the scene of the magnificence of God. In the same way the Adamah is separated from the fifth earth, the Arḳa, which contains Gehenna, and Shaʿare Mawet, and Shaʿare Ẓalmawet, and Beër Shaḥat, and Ṭiy ha-Yawen, and Abaddon, and Sheol, and there the souls of the wicked are guarded by the Angels of Destruction. In the same way Arḳa is followed by Ḥarabah, the dry, the place of brooks and streams in spite of its name, as the next, called Yabbashah, the mainland, contains the rivers and the springs. Tebel, the second earth, is the first mainland inhabited by living creatures, three hundred and sixty-five species, all essentially different from those of our own earth. Some have human heads set on the body of a lion, or a serpent, or an ox; others have human bodies topped by the head of one of these animals. Besides, Tebel is inhabited by human beings with two heads and four hands and feet, in fact with all their organs doubled excepting only the trunk. It happens sometimes that the parts of these double persons quarrel with each other, especially while eating and drinking, when each claims the best and largest portions for himself. This species of mankind is distinguished for great piety, another difference between it and the inhabitants of our earth.” [4]

Needless to say, Jay Leno could do some great parodies on this midrash, but if nothing else, the ancients truly wondered whether this world is truly unique in all the universe, evidently their fantasies about extraterrestrial life were not much different from our own.

Early Judaic  Theological Discussions on the Uniqueness of the Earth

Jewish tradition has already wrestled with this inquiry in the past. Following in the footsteps of Ptolemaic science, the great 10th Century Jewish philosopher Saadia Gaon was convinced that entire universe revolved around the earth. Humankind was seen as THE goal of ALL creation—without him the universe could NOT exist—everything would be devoid of meaning. Just as the kernel is lodged in the center of the fruit, just as the yolk is at the center of the egg, so too this planet earth is at the center of the universe. God created the entire  universe existed for the benefit of humankind. Continue Reading

This past week, the subject of UFOs and the Bible came up in conversation. The recent British declassification of its UFO archives in 2008 marks one of the more important events in the history of British journalism.The U.S. government’s reluctance to release these files for Americans might suggest a conspiracy to cover up the case studies.

I have often wondered whether the US government’s silence might in part be due to the fear and shock this disclosure would have in virtually every area of American social life–especially in the faith community. It is easy to imagine scenarios resulting in widespread psychological disintegration and social chaos. On the other hand, it would prove to be the greatest discovery of human history.

Have There Been Past UFO Encounters in Antiquity?

One must wonder: Let us assume (1) the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life is real  and (2) the presence of UFOs does have a scientific basis in fact, then two questions arise: Have such visitations occurred in the past? If they have occurred, then is there any literary or physical evidence that UFOs have  been here long before?

When Erich von Däniken wrote a best-selling book, “Chariots of the Gods,” in 1968, he tried to argue that many of the ancient mythologies of the world contain primitive records of extraterrestrial visitations from space travelers who were welcomed as gods. Historians and scientists have pointed out the numerous weaknesses of the book, but Hollywood’s Stargate SG1 and Marvel Comic’s “The Eternals,” carry out the modern mythologizations of von Däniken. X-Files and Fringe are two more popular cinematic shows that explore this kind of question. Even Carl Sagan, in one of his most memorable books, “Contact,” makes the argument that it is nearly impossible for other intelligent life not to exist in the universe.

Did Ezekiel Have a Close Encounter?

Among von Däniken’s more novel theories is the idea that Ezekiel had a close encounter with an alien spaceship. Yes, the story is quite interesting from a modern perspective. Of course, altered states of consciousness such as visionary experiences, dreams, and so on, cannot be logically ruled out–especially since prophecy in general is usually related to dream-like trances and experiences (Maimonides).  Nevertheless, Ezekiel 1 is fascinating and invites speculation. On the surface, this theory would seem to have some merit, or at the very least, it could generate some interesting conversations about the biblical text that could last for hours.

Just imagine how an ancient Israelite would have viewed a modern day space ship. How would he describe it? In the beginning of Ezekiel’s prophecy, he has what could be described as a “close encounter” with a spacecraft. Though this too is not the simple meaning of the text, it is nevertheless an intriguing interpretation ‑‑especially if we were to imagine how an ancient person might write about a visitation with an extraterrestrial space ship. Here is a partial description from Ezekiel 1:

“As I looked, a stormy wind came from the North, a huge cloud with flashing fire (enveloped in brightness), from the midst of which (the midst of the fire) something gleamed like electrum. Within it were figures resembling four living creatures that looked like this: their form was human,  but each had four faces and four wings. . . . . In among the living creatures something like burning coals of fire could be seen; they seemed like torches, moving to and fro among the living creatures. The fire gleamed, and from it came forth flashes of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one beside each of the four living creatures. The wheels had the sparkling appearance of chrysolite, and all four of them looked the same: they were constructed as though one wheel were within another. They could move in any of the four directions they faced, without veering as they moved.  The four of them had rims, and I saw that their rims were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them; and when the living creatures were raised from the ground, the wheels also were raised. Wherever the spirit wished to go, there the wheels went, and they were raised together with the living creatures; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels . . . .” Continue Reading

The ancient biblical writers believed that the kidneys were the seat of desire and emotions. For this reason, the kidneys are frequently mentioned in conjunction with the heart (Psa. 7:9; 26:2; 139:13; Jer. 11:20; 17:10). The kidneys were also regarded as the center of  the rational and moral faculties (Psa. 16:7; Jer. 12:2).

The reason the kidneys are associated with the person’s innermost being is probably because when an animal is dismembered, the kidneys are the last organ to be reached.  Hence, kidneys are a symbol of the innermost being and self-consciousness. Parallels to the biblical references may be found in the Ras Shamra texts, “his kidneys instruct him,” which incidentally has a parallel in the Talmudic concept that “one kidney prompts a man to do good and the other prompts him to do evil.” [1]

Did the rabbis really believe the kidneys “instruct,” a person  in a literal or metaphorical sense? This question is unclear. Based on their lack of scientific knowledge, the rabbis probably thought that the kidneys functioned like the brain—at least to some degree. On the other hand, a case could be made that they were speaking merely metaphorically. Most people have what is commonly called, “a gut feeling,” or a “gut reaction,” whenever one is confronted by a situation requiring a quick judgment and decision.

While we typically associate these traits with the brain, it is important to bear in mind that Biblical Hebrew is a visceral kind of language; abstract words like “theology,” or. “theory,”  “philosophy,” or even “religion” do not exist, unlike Koine Greek.  Rather, there is a concreteness that characterizes the language. A living faith impacts the total person.

In terms of a biblical psychology, the human mind is more often associated with the heart, while judgment is associated also with the kidneys; emotions are associated with one’s bowels (cf. Isa. 63:15). Physical strength is associated with the term “horn,” while the “bones,” represent the self. In fact, the medieval Hebrew term atzmut means essence, for once the body is removed of all its guts, all that remains are the bones (atsamut)–the essence of the once viable person.  These expressions are visceral and primal because the human being acts not just on the cerebral level, but also with one’s entire body.

Modern science seems to suggest that a person’s gut feelings are actually connected to the brain via a complex network of neurons derived from the lining of the guts. In fact, scientists refer to this network as a “second brain.” These neural tissues are filled with important neurotransmitters that perform more than just biological functions such as digestion or produce anxiety. A deeper understanding of this mass of neural tissue, filled with important neurotransmitters, is revealing that it does much more than merely handle digestion or inflict the occasional nervous pang. The little brain in our innards, in connection with the big one in our skulls, partly determines our mental state and plays key roles in certain diseases throughout the body, influencing a person’s moods and stress level. Continue Reading

Although I have been critical in the past about several of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe’s policies, he did express at least one memorable thought that has remained with me for many years, “The scientific mind tends to see the natural in the Supernatural, while the religious minded person tends to see the Supernatural within the natural.” In fact, one could say that the Rebbe’s comment might even be used to help explain the theory of evolution–from a theological perspective. However, as we all know, Rabbi Schneersohn was hardly a fan of evolution (a doctrine he definitely did not subscribe to).

It is a pity he did not apply this principle to a theological perspective on evolution as articulated by the 20th century Jewish mystic, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who was persona non grata in most of the Haredi or Hassidic (especially in Lubavitch) communities precisely because of his receptivity to modern science. Personally, I think Abraham Joshua Heschel expressed the same thought even better, when he exclaimed that the religious consciousness begins with our capacity to wonder, “Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge.” Science–can certainly inspire this sense of wonderment, whenever we probe the mysteries of life in the universe.

Modern cosmology has developed a remarkable approach to the origin of the universe that has very profound religious implications. This cosmological approach has been called by some as the “Anthropic Principle.” The Anthropic Principle suggests that there may be many regions of a single universe, each with its own structure and laws; only a few might have conditions that exist on this world for the emergence of consciousness and intelligent life. Even more amazing and miraculous is how our conscious sense of personhood could ever have emerged out of the cosmic processes that began eons ago with the Big Bang. As remarkable the appearance of life is even on the most pristine level, it is even more astounding that human consciousness has the ability to contemplate itself in relation to the universe. The Anthropic Principle shows that the organization of matter in the universe is not a slipshod or haphazard affair  the universe reflects symmetry and order. British physicist Paul Davies observes that there are seven essential prerequisites that must be satisfied if life is to exist on the earth:

1. There must be an adequate supply of the elements which comprise our bodies, e.g., carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus and calcium.

2. There must be little or no risk of contamination by other poisonous chemicals such as would be found in an atmosphere containing methane or ammonia.

3. The climatic temperature must remain within a narrow range of 5 to 40 degrees Celsius, which is a mere 2% of the temperature range from within the solar system as a whole.

4. A stable supply of free energy must exist, which in our case is provided by the Sun.

5. Gravity must be strong enough to keep the atmosphere from escaping into space, but it must be weak enough to allow us to move freely about on the Earth’s surface.

6. A protective screen must exist to filter out the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which in our case is provided by a layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

7. A magnetic field must exist in order to prevent cosmic subatomic particles from raining on the Earth. Were the Earth’s circular orbit (a 3% variance) were like the elliptical orbit of the planet Mars, which varies from 50 million kilometers to 4.5 kilometers, the Earth would incinerate once a year when the Earth is closest to the Sun. [1]

Thus if the force of gravity were pushed upward a bit, stars would burn out faster, leaving little time for life to evolve on the planets circling them. If the relative masses of protons and neutrons were changed by a hair, stars might never be born, since the hydrogen they eat wouldn’t exist. If, at the Big Bang, some basic numbers  the “initial conditions”  had been shaken, matter and energy would never have formed into galaxies, stars, planets or any other platforms stable enough for life as we know it. And so on. At a 1981 symposium, Sir Fred Hoyle is reported to have said:

“The chance that higher life forms might have emerged in this way (through evolutionary processes) is comparable with the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein.” Hoyle further said that “he was at a loss to understand” the compulsion of evolutionary biologists “to deny what seems to me to be obvious (i.e., that evolution is not tenable)–unless God utilized it as a means of creating the world we now know.”[2] Continue Reading

The just man knows the soul of his beast, but the heart of the wicked is merciless.

—Proverbs 12:10

The author of Proverbs stresses an important ethical lesson: a humane person considers the needs of his animals and acts kindly towards them.^[1] The world of Creation is full of sentient beings, which also experience many of the joys and blessings that people commonly enjoy: like humankind, these creatures also experience pain. Suffering is a common language that links humanity with other species of animal life.

Therefore, Jewish ethics take sharp issue with French philosopher Rene Descartes (ca. 1596–1650), who compares animals to machines that service people, stating that their suffering “means nothing more than the creaking of a wheel.”[2] In physiological terms, according to Descartes, what human beings and animals share is that their bodies function by the laws of mechanics. One might respond: How then do human beings differ from animals? Descartes argues that the Creator endows human beings with a divine soul and a moral conscience—qualities that are lacking in animals.

In addition, unlike animals, human beings possess the ability to conceptualize and verbalize ideas. Most importantly, only human beings are capable of conscious and rational thought since they are uniquely endowed with the ability to be self-reflective. Only a human being is capable of exclaiming, “Cogito ergo sum.” Continue Reading