Guest Post: On The Difficulty of "Paskening" Science

Copyright 2014 by David Ohsie. All rights reserved

A couple of years ago, Rabbi Slifkin published a post on the difficulties of "Paskening" scientific matters.   I'd like to share what seem to me to be some interesting examples that I found in a recently published book.  First I'll bring isolated examples of deriving conclusions about science from Torah, without describing the subject matter or personalities involved, by substituting [...] in the appropriate places.  I also put in bold arguments that strike me as parallels to contemporary arguments.
Quotation #1:

All the early philosophers were in agreement that [...]  As a result, many [scientists] have made fools themselves when they declare that [...]. They have left us with a lie, and the truth will bear witness that [...]  Rather they claim that [...] and because of this they mock our sages of blessed memory who stated that [...]

Quotation #2:

Woe to our generation who would question why [...] For one who believe in the Torah of Moses our teacher, may he rest in peace, and who believes that God has allowed his Divine Presence to shine in the lower world and [believes in God] who came in a great showing on Mount Sinai, who revealed himself to humanity...such a person would have no trouble in understanding why [...].   My teacher, the great [...] always had this reply at the ready.  He would say that the entire enterprise of [...] was to study the stars and the like...and as a result [...] found no purpose for the [...] and could not understand why [...]. But this is not so for us, the children of Israel who study the Torah that is even greater than [...] The proofs of [...] are in no way convincing for he has no say in this matter at all. We must follow the path of our Torah, which is followed by all the statements of the Rabbis and books of kabbalah...God forbid that any wise Jew would accept a lie...

Quotation #3:

"This system is absolutely false, do not believe it and do not listen to them in any way, for this is rejected by the Scriptures and by the holy prophets. for it states [...] All of these verses must be interpreted according to their plain meaning, namely that [...]"

Here are the full quotations.  I don't bring this to denigrate any of these authorities, God forbid.   We are no more intelligent or knowledgeable that they are; we just have better information available to us due to an accident of birth.  [Update: I'll add that even some of the greatest scientists in history sometimes were sometimes very mistaken about science.  Isaac Newton spent a lot of time on alchemy, and Linus Pauling on an odd obsession with vitamin C.  Albert Einstein never came to terms with the quantum theory that he helped to invent.]  My purpose is to show that even great Talmidei Chachamim can face great difficulties in deriving science from Torah.  I think that this should give pause to others trying to go down a similar path.

Rav Yonasan Eybeschutz:

"All the early philosophers were in agreement that the stars orbit [the earth] in order to obtain [spiritual] perfection, and this is how they worship God, just as we worship God through the performance of his mitzvot in order to obtain perfection for our souls. They reach perfection for their intellectual souls through their movements and continued orbiting...just as God ordered them to be quick and orbit the Earth each and every day.
...
As a result, many astronomers, including Copernicus and his supporters, have made fools of themselves when they declare that the Earth orbits [the Sun]. They have left us with a lie, and the truth will bear witness that the Earth stands still for ever... Since the reason that the stars orbit is to become [spiritually] perfect, being endowed with both a soul and intelligence, any challenges raised by Copernicus can be answered. They asked, could it be that the Sun and all the planets move simply to illuminate the tiny Earth? But this is not an objection, for they orbit to obtain spiritual perfection and to receive Divine influence, for this is the service that they have been commanded to perform. Now, some later Christians maintain that not all the planets are intellectual or spiritual beings, and that they lack an intellect that drives them. Rather they claim that the planets are inanimate material, just like, the Earth itself... and because of this they mock our sages of blessed memory who stated that the planets rejoice and are happy in their performance of the will of their creator.

Rav Israel David Schlesinger, student of Chasam Sofer:

Woe to our generation who would question why the Sun would orbit the Earth.  For one who believe in the Torah of Moses our teacher, may he rest in peace, and who believes that God has allowed his Divine Presence to shine in the lower world and [believes in God] who came in a great showing on Mount Sinai, who revealed himself to humanity...such a person would have no trouble in understanding why the Earth would be more important than the Sun.  He will believe what is clearly stated: "and God put them [the Sun and the Moon] in the skies to light up the Earth" [Gen 1:17].  My teacher, the great Rabbi Moses Sofer always had this reply at the ready.  He would say that the entire enterprise of Copernicus was to study the stars and the like...and as a result [Copernicus] found no purpose for the Earth and could not understand why the Sun would orbit it.  But this is not so for us, the children of Israel who study the Torah that is even greater than the Sun.  It is indeed fitting that the Sun should shine on the Earth, not for the sake of the planet, but for the sake of those who dwell on it and who study that which is even greater than the Sun...  The proofs of Copernicus are in no way convincing for he has no say in this matter at all. We must follow the path of our Torah, which is followed by all the statements of the rabbis and books of kabbalah... God forbid that any wise Jew would accept a lie...".

R. Reuven Landau:

This system is absolutely false, do not believe it and do not listen to them in any way, for this is rejected by the Scriptures and by the holy prophets. For it states in Kohelet that "the Sun rises and the Sun comes" and in the tenth chapter of the book of Joshua it states "...the Sun stood motionless in Givon" and in the thirty-eighth chapter of Isaiah it states "..The sun returned ten degrees, the number of degrees that it has moved."  All of these verses must be interpreted according to their plain meaning, namely that the Earth rests in its place, and that the Sun, the Moon, and all the planets orbit it.

Quotations and translation taken from Dr. Jeremy Brown's New Heavens and a New Earth: The Jewish Reception of Copernican Thought.  Dr. Brown posted here previously on Rabbinic Responses to the Transit of Venus.  See also יחסה של הספרות היהודית לקופרניקוס במשך הדורות by Rabbi Eliezer Brodt.

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