PART 2
Faith and Science
"The
righteous shall live through his Emunah - faith!" (Habakuk 2:4)
"All Your
commandments are Emunah - faith!" (Psalms 119:86)
"There are
many searching questions about God. But it is only fitting and proper that this
should be so. Indeed, such questions enhance the greatness of God and show His
exaltedness. God is so great and exalted that He is beyond our ability to
understand Him. It is obviously impossible for us, with our limited human
intelligence, to understand His ways. Inevitably there are things that baffle
us, and this is only fitting. If God's ways were in accordance with the limits
of our meager understanding, there would be no difference between His
understanding and ours, and this is inconceivable."
-- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan II:52
"Science
Works!"
The amazing
achievements of modern science have given it unparalleled prestige in people's
minds across the world. "Science works"!!!
Modern-day
wonders like jet travel, space exploration, instant global communications,
sophisticated medical procedures, nanotechnology and hosts of others were once
inconceivable but today they are part of our everyday lives. They have been
made possible only through careful research, experimentation and ingenious
exploitation of the laws of nature.
In earlier times
people could only hope and pray for divine help to provide them with their most
basic food and other needs. But today many seem to believe that science and
technology can accomplish almost anything, leaving no place for prayer, faith
or belief in a Higher Power.
The truth is that
there is no contradiction between science and faith in G-d. Many of the
greatest scientists of all times came to the inescapable conclusion that behind
the order, symmetry, harmony and beauty of the Universe lies the hand of G-d.
Sir Isaac Newton
(1642-1726), one of the most influential scientists that ever lived, wrote:
"This most
beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the
counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being....This Being governs
all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all... Lord God or
Universal Ruler" (Principia Mathematica Book III).
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955), considered the outstanding scientific genius of the modern age,
did not practice traditional religion yet he said:
"A knowledge
of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the
profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it is this knowledge and this
emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in
this alone, I am a deeply religious man."
"My
religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit
that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding,
can comprehend of reality." (Albert Einstein, "The Human Side"
Princeton University Press)
"The most
beautiful and most profound experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is
the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can
no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what
is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom
and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in
their primitive forms - this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true
religiousness." (Albert Einstein, "The Merging of Spirit and
Science")
Numerous great
rabbis throughout the generations were great scientists, such as Rabbi Moshe
ben Maimon (also known as RaMBaM or Maimonides, c. 1135-1204), the outstanding
codifier of Torah law, who was also a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer,
physician and pharmacologist whose medical works are studied until today. In
recent times, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, (the Lubavitcher Rebbe
1902-1994), not only had mastery over the entire range of Torah literature but
also gained university degrees in mathematics and engineering and astounded
scientists, professional academics and medical doctors with his profound grasp
of the sciences.
The War Against
Faith
Starting in the
west in the 1700's, a rapidly-expanding movement of thinkers, philosophers and
scientists became so enthused with mankind's accelerating scientific knowledge
and seeming control over nature that they convinced themselves the modern world
has no more need of G-d.
Not only did they
rebel against antiquated religious establishments that clung to outdated dogmas
and superstitions while resisting all new approaches. In the name of
"modernity" and "enlightenment", these self-proclaimed
atheists rejected the very idea of G-d, embarking on an unremitting, aggressive
war of refutation, mockery and scorn directed against any kind of traditional
Faith. Their influence has today become dominant in schools and universities,
popular culture and the mass media across much of the world.
In the words of
the Bible depicting ancient civilizations that came to similar conclusions:
"And they said to God: Turn away from us, we do not desire knowledge of
Your ways!" (Job 21:14, see also Job 22:17)
It is true that
modern science and technology have given us unparalleled knowledge and mastery
over nature in many areas. Some claim that scientists will soon be able to
bring the dead back to life! Yet even if this becomes possible, the conclusion
that science therefore gives us control over the entire Universe simply defies
logic and flies in the face of the realities of our existence.
It is mere
arrogance to believe that because we know much, we can therefore know
everything. This is not true science at all, because genuine science deals not
in wild hypotheses but in meticulous enquiry and independently verifiable
experimentation. True scientists have the humility to recognize that the more
we know about the Universe, the more mysterious it becomes. The
pseudo-scientific ideology that denies faith in a Higher Power is actually more
prevalent among popular pundits whose scientific knowledge is second-hand than
it is among those who are at the cutting edge of scientific research. This ideology
is itself a kind of unprovable faith where humans serve and worship the works
of their own hands.
The life-style to
which this modern secular ideology leads is none other than the neo-pagan
materialism rampant in the so-called "most advanced" and "developed"
countries in the world today, where people spend their entire lives devoted to
the pursuit of wealth, power, status, pleasure, excitement and every
conceivable kind of physical gratification.
Evolution vs.
Creationism
A leading example
of such pseudo-science is the so-called "Theory of Evolution", which
claims that humanity simply evolved gradually from more primitive life-forms
through chance developmental "leaps" over the course of millions of
years, and which today is accepted dogma in mainstream universities, colleges,
schools, science textbooks and popular culture across much of the world.
Accordingly, many people evidently believe that humans are nothing more than a
highly-developed species of animals who are therefore justified in devoting
their entire lives to material self-gratification.
None of the
scientists who promote this theory were around all those millions of years ago.
They are simply hypothesizing on the basis of limited and often dubious
"evidence" with no decisive proofs. Nobody has yet found any
explanation as to how the great genetic "leaps" which this theory
postulates actually took place or why.
On the other
hand, "Creationism" is the faith-based approach that even if the
development of different species took place over lengthy timespans, it
was directed by the unseen, unknown power that we call G-d. Creationism
admits that our minds are too limited to comprehend how this took place and
does not purport to explain it. Rather, Creationism gives a name to the mystery
that any reasonable mind is compelled to acknowledge: that the unfathomably
complex, subtle, diverse yet unified, harmonious, beautiful system we see
before our eyes in this Universe cannot have come about by mere random chance.
The name that Faith gives to the source of this mystery is G-d - by whatever
name we call Him.
Limitations of Science
Science cannot
explain how the Universe came into being or why, what is its purpose and what
is the goal and purpose of our mortal human lives. As humans, we constantly set
ourselves short- and long-term goals and strive to attain them. Since this is
how our minds work, it is only natural that we ask what is the overall goal and
purpose of life. Why is all this here?
Science has
scored impressive successes in observing, measuring, understanding and
exploiting the workings of the physical world. Yet science has no
universally-accepted methods for defining, measuring, assessing and evaluating
human goals and intentions. Science is at a loss to explain the complexity and
subtlety of human motivation, ambition, vision, will-power, determination,
self-discipline and the pursuit of excellence.
Technology is
likewise value-neutral. Any technique can be used for good purposes or bad, but
science and technology in themselves cannot evaluate the relative worth of
these different purposes or prescribe how technology should be used. They
cannot preach which values people should embrace or teach them what to pursue
in life, and they cannot evaluate the relative merits of pursuing wealth, power,
prestige, pleasure, physical gratification, entertainment, culture,
intellectual stimulation, love, romance, family life or anything else.
Each person is
entirely free to choose his or her own values. The challenge is to know what
best to choose. Any self-proclaimed "scientist" who claims there is
no purpose in life and that all that matters is self-gratification is in fact a
pseudo-scientist who is using his "science" as a camouflage to
justify a neo-pagan secular materialism.
Science can deal
only with the observable material world, yet no honest, person can deny that
the human mind has access to other, non-physical dimensions of existence which
science cannot explain or measure. This is evident in the extensive
documentation of paranormal phenomena, extra-sensory perception, telepathy,
precognition, clinical death experiences and many more.
Did we exist
before we were born, and if so, in what form? What will happen to us after we
die? Why do we dream? Why do people have visions? Intuitions? Creative bursts
in which they imagine and invent things never before thought of? What makes
people want to go beyond normal human self-centeredness to help others, show
kindness, demonstrate self-discipline, practice self-denial, take on
obligations and duties of their own free will, develop themselves spiritually
and seek prophecy, holy spirit and joy?
Science can often
explain causes and effects and interrelationships but is unable to quantify
purposeful action or evaluate between different purposes. Yet what distinguishes
us as humans is precisely our free will and our ability to choose our own
goals.
What is most
important to us in our lives is what we want to attain and how we try to do so.
If so, science has nothing to say in the most important area of our lives:
purposeful action and where to direct it.
Emunah
"Taste and
see that G-d is good, happy is the person that takes strength in Him!"
(Psalms 34:9).
Answers to our
questions about the purpose of our lives and where to direct them cannot be
derived from science. They come into the realm of EMUNAH, a Hebrew word that is
usually translated into English with the words FAITH or BELIEF, although these
do not express the full, true meaning of EMUNAH.
EMUNAH derives
from the Hebrew root AMEN with which we affirm what is firm, reliable, dependable and certain.
EMUNAH is faith in what we believe to be
ultimately true, certain and completely trustworthy.
EMUNAH cannot be proven by logic or science. With EMUNAH we just feel and know
the truth in our hearts and in the very depths of our being.
Many people seem
to be born with an instinctive, basic faith in the Divine, but if it is not
affirmed and strengthened by their upbringing and education, it can easily be
weakened or even destroyed by surrounding influences and worldly temptations,
leaving them with many doubts and questions.
EMUNAH is not
based on science or logic though they may strengthen it. Nor is EMUNAH an
irrational stab in the dark with no basis whatever. EMUNAH, the Faith of
Israel, is based on our innate, inborn faith strengthened and developed through
teachings and traditions that we have received from our parents, teachers and
spiritual guides, who in turn received them from those who went before them
going all the way back to the ancient prophets and sages.
The faith of
Israel is enshrined in the written Torah - the Bible - and in the literature of
the "Oral" Torah found in the Talmud, Midrash, Halachah, Kabbalah and
Chassidut. With EMUNAH we accept and submit to the wisdom we have received from
our sages and elders.
EMUNAH teaches us
the true nature and purpose of world and our lives in it. EMUNAH is an attitude
of mind that humbly admits that we have been placed in a world we did not
create and that, whether we like it or not, we will have to leave here, and
that our lives are surrounded by mysteries that are beyond our comprehension.
Through EMUNAH we accept that despite its endless complexity, this Universe is
not a random system with no meaning and purpose, but that all things happen for
a purpose.
The essence of
the faith of Israel is that despite the endless variety in the Creation, it is
not a chance assembly of multiple powers but a single, unified Realm or Kingdom
that is ruled and governed by a Ruler or King: the mysterious, unknown One that
we call G-d. Since He is our King and Master, we are obliged to revere and obey
him for our own good, because He is loving and compassionate and desires our
good.
EMUNAH guides and
teaches us about the meaning and purpose of our lives. With an attitude of
faith, we can accept that even if we are unable to understand it, there must be
some purpose in the "accidents" of birth, health or illness,
intelligence or the lack of it, wealth or poverty, beauty or ugliness,
happiness or pain and grief that define and influence the lives of different
people.
With EMUNAH we
can accept that within our limitations, we have been granted free will and room
for maneuver, independent action and a degree of control over our lives, even
though we cannot escape death. With faith, we can accept that despite our
mortality, life is not futile because there is a meaning and purpose in our
very struggles and efforts. With EMUNAH we believe that G-d hears our prayers
and responds to them for good.
EMUNAH guides us
how to evaluate the different and contradictory paths and goals we may choose
in in this world and how to distinguish between what is truly good and what is
actually evil, since this is not always obvious from surface appearances.
EMUNAH enables to see the priceless value of life-paths that lead beyond human
selfishness and greed to self-control, self-discipline, justice, kindness,
charity and the pursuit of truth.
You cannot prove
EMUNAH. You must take the "leap of faith" and try it, taste it!
COURSE SEGMENTS
Torah for the Nations: Judaism 101
Ongoing course on the basics of Torah faith and
practice for the burgeoning numbers across Africa, Asia and many other places
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order to make informed choices about their pathway as Jews or Noahides in the
face of widespread confusion and disinformation.
JUDAISM 101 is not a Jewish conversion
course but may serve as a guide for students, teachers, community leaders,
prospective converts, returnees to the Torah and people of all faiths and
backgrounds who seek true understanding of the mission of the People of Israel.
Elijah the Prophet said: I call heaven and earth to
witness for me, whether it is a Jew or a gentile, a man or a woman, a slave or
a maid-servant, everything depends on the person's deeds: according to what the
person does, so Holy Spirit rests upon them."
(Tanna d'vei
Eliyahu 9:1)
By: Azamra Institute, Israel.
