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Judaism

How the stars can shed new light on the Torah

Space-age science can enrich our religious understanding, says Rabbi David Lister.

June 30, 2011 11:08
M81 galaxy as seen from the Hubble telescope

ByAnonymous, Anonymous

3 min read

Recent scientific advances have transformed our understanding of the universe and our place within it. In the last century, we have discovered that our planet is just one of billions of stars and planets in a galaxy that is itself but one stitch in a wondrous, delicate tapestry of galactic clusters stretching across the vast emptiness of a universe.

Modern science has also uncovered baffling mysteries in the subatomic realm. There are particles that pop out of nothing and annihilate themselves in a fraction of a second. Solid matter has been shown to be just a condensed form of energy, which can be released in a colossal nuclear explosion. There may even be subatomic particles that travel both forwards and backwards in time.

Is there a place for all this cutting-edge discovery within the pages of the Torah?

Judaism affirms that God is all-knowing. Expressing a concept echoed across the Bible, Daniel said that God "reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him" (2:22).