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| Dr. Roni Grosz, head of the Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University |
A billion light-years. That is a phrase I would never expect
a Charedi magazine to use. Unless it was to dispute the very concept of
something being a billion Light years away from the planet Earth. That phrase was used matter of factly in a Mishpacha Magazine article about scientist Roni Grosz, a Kopycznitzer
Chosid who is in charge of the Albert Einstein Archives at Israel’s Hebrew
University. It described newly discovered evidence of gravitational waves - a key component of
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. A theory that challenged previous widely
accepted understandings of the nature of gravity. Dr. Grosz described it as ‘music to his ears’ calling it
a ‘smile from heaven’.
The article goes on to describe Dr. Grosz’s unlikely trek to his
current position as well as how he came to be observant as a Kopycznitzer Chasid.
An interesting read, but not the focus of this post. Which is how the Charedi
world sees scientific evidence about the age of the universe.
Until the controversy over Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s
books broke, there were two legitimate schools of thought about that. One was
that the universe was less than 6000 years old. And that all evidence to the
contrary was just planted in order to test our beliefs. A second and more
rational approach was that the first verses in the Torah that describes a six
days of creation are not literal days. And that therefore the actual age of the
universe is much older, but that time was measured after the 6 day creation process.
After Rabbi Slifkin’s books were banned for espousing such
notions, that belief was deemed to be heretical in some circles. I remember speaking
to one of the Roshei Kollel of the Chicago Community Kolllel (Lakewood) about
this sudden turn of events. He shrugged and said he sympathized. He said he was surprised at the ban. Mentioning that Rabbi Sholom
Kamenetsky had recently spoken at the Kollel about the legitimacy of an ‘ancient
universe’ approach.
That ban caused a change in how some of the Charedi rabbinic leadership viewed an ancient universe - having once accepted it as a legitimate Orthodox view. Rabbi Aharon Feldman was among those who now repudiated the idea.
At first incredulous about the ban he flew to Israel to
consult with the respected Gadol in whose name the ban was issued - to see if
it was so. He came back convinced that it was, and then proceeded to try and
explain why we must follow the ban, to no one’s satisfaction, least of all my
own. This was followed by a variety of American rabbinic leaders who fell in
lockstep with that view - severely criticizing dissenters both past and present.
One of the more famous past dissenters was Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. Who
died well before the ban. He was a brilliant physicist who was very popular in
the Charedi world. He had once addressed a meeting of the Association of Orthodox Jewish
Scientists and presented an argument in favor of an ancient universe – using sources
in the Gemarah, Kabbalah, Rishonim, and Achronim to make the case that the
universe was approximately 15 billion years old. Which is what scientists
have determined based on evidence. I recall reading a published version of that presentation wherein he ridiculed those who in ignorance tried to deny it.
There was at least one attempt to refute all the evidence of
an ancient universe. Telshe Rosh Hayehiva,
Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller wrote an article in the now defunct Jewish
Observer on the subject. What struck me is how he addressed the comments made
by the Tifferes Yisrael, an Achron whose commentary is prominently featured in standard editions of the Mishnayos.
The Tifferes Yisrael said that
the 6 days of creation were not counted in human days but in Godly days where
one day equals a 1000 years (If I recall correctly). While Rabbi Keller was
correct in saying that the Tifferes Yisroel’s timeline did not prove anywhere
near 15 billion years, I think he missed the primary point. That a
highly respected Achron did not believe that the 6 days of creation were
literal days as we understand them. Once you admit that the opening verses in Genesis are not to be taken literally, you open up the possibility of an ancient universe.
He did not succeed in refuting that at all.
One of the things that has always convinced me that the
universe is ancient is the idea of ‘light years’. That is the distance it takes
light to travel over the period of a year.
Which means we can measure how far a star is from earth. A few years ago
scientists announced that they saw an exploding star. But in measuring the distance of that star from earth they determined that it actually
exploded over a million years ago. We only saw it now because now is when
the light of that explosion finally reached earth.
How is that possible if the
universe is under 6000 years old? One cannot say (as some who deny an ancient
universe do) that the light from that explosion was created ‘midstream’ so to
speak. That makes absolutely no sense to me. It’s like saying that dinosaur bones
were created as bones buried in earth to test our faith - and that dinosaurs never really existed. Really?
It seems that there has now been a quiet reversal of policy
about the age of the universe in the Charedi world. A well respected Charedi
Magazine that has a rabbinic board censoring what they consider objectionable material
– has allowed a reference to a universe existing a billion years ago. Without any
disclaimer. If this continues to go unchallenged, I think we have made
progress.
Science may not be the ultimate arbiter of truth. But one
cannot deny evidence found that supports its theories. Some of that evidence might strongly support one scientific theory while evidence about other scientific theories might not support those theories as much. But evidence
it is - and should never be discarded just because it doesn’t fit neatly into
one’s preconceived notions. In my view only a scientist who believes in the truth
of Judaism as well as the truth of science (like Roni Grosz or Rabbi Aryeh
Kaplan) can ever begin to reconcile these two truths.
