Back to the Source - The Age of the Universe, Part 1

B"H

Who doesn't want answers to all his questions ? If possible, G – d Himself should give us the answers, as it is Him knowing everything. And He doesn't err.

One of the greatest mysterious is the universe and its creation; even if Astronomers and Physicians might claim the opposite. What exactly is this mystery ? Didn't especially NASA determine that our universe is 14 billion years old ? In general, science determines the age of the universe of 15 billion years.

15 billion years ? Isn't this figure contradicting the Torah where it says that the entire creation process took place in six days ? And doesn't tell us the Jewish calendar that only after Adam's creation, time started running. This means the six days of the creation process plus 5768 years after Adam was created. How can that be ?

The scientific age of the universe can be proven, thanks to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Thus, scientists found out that our universe has been constantly growing and if one measures the temperature back to its source, he is able to define the age.
After the BIG BANG, endless amounts of heat were released. After millions of years, this heat cooled down and only then, life on earth was possible. Scientists usually claim that the Torah errs when it talks about six days of creation and the amount of additional 5768 years. By the way, I am not planning to explain the opinion of the anti – Zionist umbrella organization Edah HaCharedit on this matter. It is well – known that the Edah takes these six days literally.

On the contrary, I want to quote commentaries of the Rambam (Maimonides), the Ramban (Nachmanides), the religious physician Gerald Schroeder (who is teaching at AISH HaTorah) or Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, who, unfortunately, already passed away. Furthermore, I want to mention teachings from the Talmud and the Torah itself. Everyone interested in the scientific basis of the Torah should read Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's book "Immortality, Resurrection and the Age of the Universe".

Until the sixties and seventies, religious Jews claiming that there could be alien existence on other planets were called heretics. But already Saadia Gaon (approx. 890 – 942) stated that alien life wouldn't contradict our Torah.

Basically there are two general opinions on how the age of the universe could be explained:

1. Every day of creation stands for millions or billions of years. Day one was not a day with 24 hours because time was only added later on. At least, according to our understanding of time. The Torah only mentions human age when Seth (Adam's third son), was born. Before, it didn't tell us the age of Cain and Hevel (Abel).

2. Another opinion claims that the whole universe was created with its history. G – d created the trees with rings indicating the age of the trees. The only problem of this claim is that it doubts the Torah. Why should G – d give us false information ?

The kabbalistic book "Sefer HaTemunah" is quite famous among those who take the Kabbalah study seriously. The great Kabbalsists from the 16th century, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, disapproved of the book and announced that its context is anything but realistic. However, until then, Sefer HaTemunah was greatly honoured and studied. Even after the criticism of the two famous Kabbalists, Sefer HaTemunah was still studied for a while but later on became forgotten.

But what is so special about "Sefer HaTemunah" ?
The author obviously seems to be the Talmudic Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah. Basically the book describes the Shemittah cycles, as mentioned in the Torah. Every seventh year, the land shall rest. Sefer HaTemunah takes the Talmud Sanhedrin as its source and states that our planet is going to exist for 6000 years and after 7000 years, it will be destroyed. The Talmud, on the other hand, gives as its source the six days of creation. G – d created the world in six days and He rested on the seventh day. Thus, according to Sefer HaTemunah, our planet exists 49,000 years (7 x 7000 = 49,000). The only problem is that we don't know in what year we are at the moment.

Furthermore, Sefer HaTemunah raises the theory that there were former worlds already before the creation of Adam. The Midrash Rabbah says: "And it was evening, and it was morning, one day". Hence evening was there before morning. But isn't it usually the other way around ? However, Sefer HaTemunah is not alone with its claim that before Adam, G – d created other universes and destroyed them all (see "Midrash Rabbah" or "Sefer Maarechet Elokut"). Even the Talmudic Rishonim knew about this thesis and it is mentioned in "Sefer HaChinuch" and the Ramban's and Ibn Ezra's commentary on "The Kuzari".

Whoever deals with the subject and has a close look into Torah commentaries or the Talmud (e.g.: Chagigah 11 – 15) knows that there are many opions on the creation. Opinions which, unfortunately, seem to be forgotten or excluded in our times. Today, many rabbis don't know anything about science anymore; biology, physics, astronomy or history. Many things banned today were very much accepted during Talmudic times until the Maharal of Prague. The greatest rabbis didn't consider those opinions as problematic and Avraham would definitely not see any difficulties.

Gerald Schroeder as well as Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan published very interesting statements on the age of the universe and the unusual longevity until the Generation of Noach. Moreover, Rabbi Kaplan also quotes different sources dealing with the resurrection in the times of Meshiach and many other topics. But those issues I am going to explain in Part 2.