Category: Cosmology

The short answer seems to be that the Torah is teaching that the Universe had a beginning, but the Torah is not stating the age of the Universe.

The fourth ikar (principle) of Maimonides’s 13 principles states that Hashem preceded the Universe and created it ex-nihilo (from absolutely nothing). So the Universe (or the “multiverse” if a multiverse exists) can only have existed for a finite time. In a later version of the 13 principles Maimonides added that this fourth principle is “a great foundation of the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu”.

Until the early 20th Century, many scientists and philosophers argued that the Universe was eternal. Maimonides argued strongly against this prevailing concept of an eternal Universe as this concept would preclude the existence of prophecy or Torah. An eternal Universe would be subject solely to scientific law.

However it does not appear that Maimonides ever stated the age of the Universe. Maimonides states in the book Guide to the Perplexed 2:13 that the Torah is teaching that the Universe had a beginning, and time itself was created, but we cannot state that the Universe was created at a specific time. This is because a Universe created at a specific time would necessarily invoke a condition of eternal Aristotelian time. Such an eternal Universe precludes the existence of prophecy or Torah. Therefore, according to Maimonides we can’t state that God created the world at a particular time.

Maimonides in the book Guide to the Perplexed seems to be teaching that the six days mentioned in Breisheet are six stages in the creation of the Universe.

In an informative video, Rav David Bar-Hayim explains that the six days mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis do not necessarily correspond to the present periods of time we call days:

“The creation was a process that played out over a period of time, an undefined period of time, clearly the reference in the Torah to six days has to be understood to be six periods or six stages in time…the sun did not exist at the beginning, clearly the day referred to in the Torah is an allegorical or approximation of what is truly meant…we do not know how much time was involved, it may be billions of years…science also understands today that all of reality, the entire Universe came into existence from nothing…” ( Rav David Bar-Hayim, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdvLfJGQYgw )

In the last 100 years, scientists have discovered substantial evidence that this Universe did have a definite beginning. It appears that modern science has actually confirmed some critical Torah concepts that had been challenged in earlier periods of history. “Scientists came to the conclusion that the Universe had a beginning from two separate lines of evidence…” (Interview with Intelligent Design scientist Dr. Stephen Meyer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHcuZsdv6DE )

This viewpoint does not seem to be accepted by Maimonides.

Maimonides does not seem to state anywhere a specific age to the Universe. It seems that according to Maimonides, those who claim the Universe was created at a specific time, such as 5784 years ago, are actually positing the existence of time before Creation, which Maimonides considered to be a heretical idea. According to Maimonides, the Universe was certainly created by Hashem in the finite past, and it did not exist forever, but we cannot say that it was created at any particular time. We must believe that the Universe had a beginning, but we cannot really state when the Universe was created. Maimonides discusses the nature of time and the nature of the Universe in the second section of his great Torah philosophy book “the book Guide to the Perplexed” (The Guide to the Perplexed), written in the 12th century CE. The viewpoint of Maimonides in the book Guide to the Perplexed is that time itself and the matter and energy of the Universe were created ex-nihilo (from absolutely nothing) by Hashem.

Maimonides’s viewpoint implies that the current day “Orthodox fundamentalist” belief in a Universe created at a specific time (such as 5783 years ago) may actually be “heresy”, because it invokes the existence of time before creation of the Universe, implying an eternal Universe. We cannot state a specific time that the Universe was created, as this would contradict the Torah by positing Aristotle’s concept of the eternity of the Universe!

“The first opinion is that of all who believe in the Torah (teaching) of Moshe Rabbeinu. It is that the entire world, that is everything which exists other than God, was brought by God into existence after absolute nothingness…The correct position, in accordance with our opinion, is that time was created ex-nihilo along with all other objects and their accidental properties. Therefore, God’s creation of the world did not take place at any specific time, for time itself is included in the creation. Reflect upon this deeply in order that you will not bring upon yourself counter arguments which you will not be able to answer. Any positing of time before creation requires belief in the eternity of the world. For time itself is an accidental property (mikreh) and must therefore be a property of some other object. As a consequence, (for the world to have been created at a specific time) something must have existed before the world which we know of now. One must therefore free oneself from this viewpoint (i.e. that time was not created).” (the book Guide to the Perplexed II:13)

Maimonides explains in the book Guide to the Perplexed II:25 that a belief in a finite age of the Universe allows the Torah and miracles to become possible. In contrast to the Torah viewpoint, an eternal Universe or eternal Multiverse, as taught by Aristotle, philosophers, and/or certain modern Multiverse scientists, would be controlled only by scientific law, without the possibility of any Torah, any prophecy, or any miracles. This is because a Torah, prophecy, and miracles require the Creator’s free will, which does not exist in an eternal Universe/Multiverse.

Modern science is consistent with Maimonides to a large extent on this. I have seen in a modern astrophysics textbook that time itself began (at the “Big Bang” singularity) so that we cannot state when the Universe began.

In a modern astrophysics textbook, it states an idea that is quite consistent with what Maimonides wrote in the 12th Century CE! “it (the Big Bang) couldn’t have occurred at a particular time, because time itself was created at the moment the Big Bang occurred.” (“Astrophysics is Easy”, p. 273)

The scientific evidence in modern times of a finite age of the Universe has profound implications for the existence of a Creator. Any beginning in time to the Universe and a beginning to the Laws of Nature requires a non-physical supernatural Creator who exists and operates outside the Laws of Nature.

“In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

As mentioned previously, in Guide to the Perplexed II:13 Maimonides explains that God brought the Universe into existence after the Universe had been purely and absolutely nonexistent.

In Guide to the Perplexed II:19, Maimonides explains that, according to Aristotle, the Universe is eternal and proceeds from the Creator in a cause and effect manner. Thus the Universe exists solely by necessity and not by purpose. Since exists out of necessity can have no purpose, and according to Aristotle, the Universe can have no purpose.

In contrast to Aristotle’s belief in an eternal Universe, the Biblical viewpoint is that the Universe does not exist out of necessity, but was created in the finite past by God for a purpose. As mentioned earlier in a reference from Chovot HaLevavot, Shaar HaYichud, Chapter Six, the great wisdom, complexity and order of the Universe demonstrates that it must be the result of an Intelligence that created the Universe with intention. We thus cannot entertain the notion that the Universe came into existence from any random, natural forces.

Likewise, Maimonides in the book Guide to the Perplexed also explained how the existence of plan and purpose within the natural order of the Universe demonstrates the existence of a beginning to the Universe that did not occur within nature.

Modern theories espoused by atheist “scientism”, such as Neo-Darwinism and Multiverse theories, clearly have a goal to provide purely natural, material explanations for the origins of the Universe and the origins of the natural order. These materialist explanations also attempt to explain the origins of biological creatures and Man. However, it has become clear to intellectually honest people that “scientism” in no way can explain Man’s existence in this world.

We have seen clearly that Multiverse is purely unproven speculation that atheist scientists developed in desperation when massive scientific evidence developed that the Universe had a beginning. In a similar way, Neo-Darwinism cannot explain the origins of life on Earth and it cannot explain the origins of the many complex animal phyla that have appeared. Neo-Darwinism certainly cannot explain the existence of an advanced being such as Man who has the ability of intellectual apprehension, and the ability of speech.

As Man becomes more aware of his rather unique and unusual existence within the Universe, it is inevitable that Man will begin to recognize more clearly his unique role and purpose within the Universe.

” there exists nothing except God, may He be exalted, and this existent world…it necessarily behooves one to consider this existent as it is…” (Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed 1:71)

“the foundation of the whole Law is the view that God has brought the world into being out of nothing…” (Guide to the Perplexed 2:30)

It is clear that Maimonides is teaching that the Universe exists and that we may not associate it with God.

In some radical Kabbalistice circles, there seems to be a belief that “In reality we don’t exist”. However, this blatantly contradicts the first verse in the Bible that states that God did create the Universe.

If one truly believes “In reality we don’t exist”, then how can one believe in the first verse of the Bible?

The term “creation Ex Nihilo” refers to the concept that the Universe was created by God from absolutely nothing.

“In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

In Maimonides’s the book Guide to the Perplexed II:13, Maimonides explains that “the opinion of all who believe in the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu is that Hashem brought the Universe into existence after the Universe had been purely and absolutely nonexistent.”

As explained earlier, if the Universe was created from any existing material or existing “being”, great doubts would be created as to the validity of monotheism, or else doubts about Hashem’s control over the Universe.

Maimonides also explains in the book Guide to the Perplexed II:19 that Aristotle’s opinion on the creation of the Universe in a cause and effect manner means that the Universe exists solely by necessity and not by purpose. What exists out of necessity can have no purpose, and thus according to Aristotle, the Universe can have no purpose.

In contrast to Aristotle, the Torah viewpoint is that the Universe does not exist out of necessity, but was created in the finite past by Hashem for a purpose.

There appear to be serious conflicts (about fundamental issues) between what the Rishonim (medieval rabbinic authorities) taught and what the later Kabbalists taught.

A few years ago I had a long, interesting discussion with a senior Chareidi rabbi in Lakewood about apparent inconsistencies between certain popularly accepted Kabbalistic concepts and the opinions of earlier rabbinic authorities. This rabbi requested that I not mention his name publicly for various reasons.

One such apparent inconsistency involves the concept of beriyah yesh mi-ayin (creation ex nihilo). The concept that Hashem created the Universe ex-nihilo seems to be widely accepted by various rabbinic sources such as Maimonides, the book Chovot HaLevavot, the Ramchal’s Daat Tevunot book, and other sources.

The Lakewood rabbi explained to me that the Kabbalists are really teaching that Hashem created the Universe from “part” of Himself, a process that cannot be considered beriyah yesh mi-ayin as Maimonides and many other great rabbis had taught.

Since Chabad’s Sefer Tanya is a popular explanation of Kabbalistic principles, I decided to consult it as to the issue of beriyah yesh mi-ayin. In several places in the Shaar HaYichud section of the Tanya, the Tanya does state that the heaven and earth were created yesh mi-ayin. However, the Tanya also explains that as a result of the contraction process the Kabbalists refer to as “tzimtzum”, a concealed chiyus (life force) from Hashem enables the continued existence of the Universe.

The Lakewood rabbi I spoke with seems to have a valid point on this problematic issue of beriyah yesh mi-ayin. The concept of beriyah yesh mi-ayin taught by Tanya would seem to be a Universe that Hashem created from “part” of Himself, but it is not a Universe that had been absolutely non-existent before its creation as taught by Maimonides.

The implications of Tanya’s concepts may be quite serious. At least some Chabad Chassidim I have spoken to consider the Universe to be an “illusion” as they believe the only thing that exists is Hashem. It is rather questionable as to whether certain radical Kabbalistic concepts can be considered consistent with many non-Kabbalistic rabbinic concepts.

From the viewpoint of Jewish tradition, the Bible was delivered from God to the Jewish prophets and was intended as a book of ethics and law, not as a scientific treatise. The Bible is teaching that the Universe has a purpose, and Man has role and purpose within the Universe. However, science cannot provide any ethics or meaning or purpose to the Universe. The Bible picks up where science leaves off.

The “work of creation” was described obscurely in the first few chapters in Genesis. Those chapters were not read literally by the ancient rabbis. The “work of creation” was considered a great secret. In fact the rabbis prohibited the public teaching of the secrets of the “work of creation”. Therefore, a literal reading of the Bible will not reveal the secrets of the “work of creation”. The medieval rabbis did teach that space and time were created from nothing in the finite past, and the Universe is not eternal. But the creation ex-nihilo process cannot be understood by man.