blogs/rabbi-huberman

Creation or Evolution

When it comes to the Torah’s account of how the earth was created, one important question often comes to mind: Was the earth created in six “days,” and if so, how do we incorporate the idea of evolution into the narrative?

In the Jewish calendar, we have just entered the year 5786. Where did we get that number? And do we believe that the earth predates the Bible’s narrative?

First of all, what is the origin of 5786?

If we work backward from historical events, we can measure in the Bible the reigns of kings, wars, and other major events. And if we backtrack from the Torah’s account of the lives and deaths of Moses, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Noah, and Adam, the number comes to 5786—more or less.

I remember as a youth asking a rabbi, “But how do we account for fossils, and species, which scientists tell us have developed over millions of years?” And he answered, “Just as an artist can create a painting with items which existed before he lifted his brush, so too was the earth created—including fossils.”

I was not impressed. As I worked my way through high school and college, the ideas of science and evolution were presented. But somehow, that explanation seemed hollow. 

When I look at the intricacy of the human body, the complexity of a symphony—or the power of love—I cannot write it off to trial and error.

I recall reading a book that posed this question: “What requires more faith—that our entire world was created by evolution or that a ‘divine creator’ designed our universe?”

As we examine the first of 54 Torah portions we will read during the coming year, perhaps there is space for both interpretations. It is known as B’reshit or Genesis.

The Torah opens with the words, “In the beginning” and continues with an account of a six-day creation, which remarkably, follows the evolutionary path from nothingness to humanity.

Yet, a few years ago, I noticed in the Torah’s Hebrew wording that the sun was not created until the fourth day.

And if this is so, what is the true meaning of the biblical “yom” or “day?” Before the sun was created, what absolute measure did we use to define a day? There was no concept of 24 hours.

Is it possible that the original word “yom” is beyond the sun’s daily journey? And if so, how can we limit the creation of the world to six days, as we define it today?

Was the world created in six flashes or six periods? I’ll leave that to your interpretation, but how wonderful that Judaism provides latitude for two points of view.

It is why the Talmud teaches Shivim Panim LaTorah. Every story and description in the Torah can be interpreted in 70 ways or “faces.”

Dinosaurs in the Torah?

For any rabbi, the best questions come from our youngest congregants. It is no secret that children love dinosaurs. They are big, sometimes scary, and often cute.

So, I was not surprised when one of our six-year-olds once posed, “Did God create dinosaurs too?” To which I replied, “Yes, many rabbis think so.” The eyes of many adults in the room widened and one asked, “Really, Rabbi?”

A mysterious creature is described in the Torah. In Hebrew it is called in plural “HaTaninim.” The Bible translates it as “great sea monsters.” Ancient myths refer to it as the Leviathan.

Our greatest Sages have suggested that these creatures were huge and could navigate both earth and sea. Sea monsters? Dragons? Serpents? Dinosaurs? Whatever they were, they captured the curiosity and imagination of our Sages.

As the great Sage, Ibn Ezra, noted, “These creatures were singled out for special mention because they were so enormous.”

In a world where we strive to place the Torah within reach of our children, it often presents us with tales that inspire our imagination. Were the Tanimim actually dinosaurs? I like to think so.

Protecting the Environment

It came with a whisper when we unfurled the 242 columns of the Torah during our Simchat Torah celebration last Tuesday night.

As is our custom, we unraveled the Torah, revealing—at one large glance—the Torah’s 79,976 words; a group of children followed me as we read the highlights. 

When we reached the portion describing the 10 Commandments, I asked the children to name some of God’s most important laws.

“Do not hurt anyone” and “Do not take other people’s things,” came easy. Then the youngest of the group raised her hand, and with a whisper, offered her commandment: “Take care of the earth.”

Although her commandment did not rank in the top ten 3,300 years ago, perhaps it should today. Indeed, after God completes creation, a commandment is issued to humanity. 

“The Lord God took the human and placed him into the Garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.”

How relevant to our world in 5786.

For within this commandment is a statement of responsibility: While it is a privilege to partake in what the earth has to offer, we must also tend to and respect the source.

The Kabbalah, our mystic tradition, teaches that there were six worlds before this one. This is the last earth we will inherit, therefore we must protect it. We live in a world where our lust for immediate profit and gratification have caused near irreparable damage to the environment.

A First Nations chief once shared with me, “We do not inherit the world from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children.”

For the sake of our precious children and generations to come, we must—as a country and as citizens of the world—slow our thirst for immediately gratification, and remember what was top of mind for that child earlier this week as she expressed her—and perhaps humanity’s—most current and important commandment:

“Take care of the earth.” Not only does that make good sense, but it was included at the dawn of creation, as God commanded us to both till and tend to the earth.

What kind of job have we been doing?

Since I maintain that God did not create the earth in a few short hours, I also believe it remains within our power over the next decades to reverse the damage we have done.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to follow one of God’s earliest commandments, as we answer, perhaps, the most important question of our time that is as true now as it was at the dawn of creation:

What kind of earth will our children inherit?

Shabbat shalom, V’kol tuv.

Rabbi Irwin Huberman