Science versus Scriptures

As with many subjects that I have written about, I have many books that try to unravel controversies that have existed for thousands of years.  One of the most controversial which is a personal favorite of mine is the subject of the correctness of science as opposed to what scriptures tell us.  I have worked as an Electronics Engineer or within some other capacity in the technical realm for about 38 years.  I have been surrounded with very science minded individuals of the belief that science has the answers, not scriptures.  In the 55 years that I have been studying science, many major changes have come about as new information is derived.  There is not too much information that I recall from my studies in the 1950's and 1960's that exists today.  However, in the past 3324 years, the Torah hasn't changed one iota (actually even long before that since I discussed recently that the Torah was actually conceived by Hashem 2000 years before the creation). 

I have already stated that the laws of Physics, Chemistry and Biology were created by the same One Who wrote the Torah.  All of science and mathematics is in the Torah and the rest of scriptures.  If science has the correct answer to a question, then there is agreement with scriptures – where there is disagreement, science hasn’t caught up with reality, yet.  There are some major problems with science that negates total truth being told.  One is "science is a business."  I hate to be harsh about it but scientists are always fighting each other for whatever grant money is available or whatever employment opportunities exist.  To that end, scientists have always attempted to look worthy by coming up with new theories about the universe and the world we live in.  It is important that they are correct; after all there is money and their reputation riding on it.  This has caused a very dishonest approach to discovering what the reality of everything is.  In many, if not most cases, scientists of all types have come up with good sounding theories (guesses) and tweaked reality to fit their theories.  Take Darwin, for instance, please take Darwin.  He was able to succeed because he came up with guesses that the ignorant atheist community can embrace.  I'll talk more about evolution in the coming days (as my thoughts evolve on the subject).  Competition is fierce but once one develops a reputation for being a good guesser, people believe almost anything they say.  Take Darwin for instance – oh, I already said that.

This cynicism has changed my approach over the years in determining what is true and what is the work of a desperate person trying hard to keep employed.  The key to my finding the absolute truth came from discovering on any subject the answer to the question: "what is Hashem's opinion?"  I have books covering a myriad of scientific subjects that show discoveries made by brilliant scientists over the past 20, 50, 100 years and then seeing that the subjects have been known for 1000's of years by our great sages.  I could write for months on topic after topic proving my theory that scriptures has all the right answers and that scientists are catching up.

I'm reminded of the story of the guy that gets a new computer.  This is probably about the tenth upgrade he has purchased after all he has been a computer whiz for decades.  He takes it home, takes it out of the box, sets it up, downloads his software package and even though he is not familiar with all the new bells and whistles, after about an hour or two he is getting this thing hummin'.  After all he is experienced and knows all about this stuff.  Then there is the individual who buys the same computer, looks at the operators manual and within 15 minutes sets it up and gets it hummin'.  What's the big difference?  One guy is a scientist who by trial and error eventual gains some truth (maybe).  The other is the Torah scholar who opens the handbook of the universe to see the detailed instructions from the Manufacturer of the universe.  Of course, one is interested in truth the other one is in business.

I would like to give you some examples over the ensuing days of subjects that we can compare.  When we see what scientists have accidently discovered and then see what the Creator of science verifies as the correct answer, it does not take long to gain confidence in the Real Source.

A good way to start is by showing numbers (quantitative analysis) that scientists have discovered in modern times and show more accurate readings that Moses was told on Mount Sinai.  The age of the universe, as an example, is perhaps the most misunderstood.  I have already discussed the topic in my post of 3 April 2012 conveniently entitled "The Age of the Universe." The important thing to grasp from this subject is that until the 1980's and probably even the 1990's the most prevalent theory about the universe was the Steady State Theory.  It was not until the Hubble Space Telescope was able to see and verify the background radiation of the big bang that scientist officially changed their thinking from the "universe has always been here" to "there was a beginning."  In the 1960's when I personally was studying theories of the universe, science was totally opposed to the idea that there even was a beginning as the Torah states.  But now there is no conflict.  Wow! The Torah was correct after all and it took many millions of dollars and a space telescope to change the minds of scientists -- they just didn't want to open the owner's manual of the universe. 

As recently as the late 1990's, there was a popular belief that the universe was expanding and would reach a point of equilibrium where gravity would start to collapse the universe.  This was called the Big Crunch.  After all, if the universe started with a big bang, it should end with a big crunch.  They also believed that this scenario may have happened countless times – a big bang then crunch followed by another bang, crunch, bang, crunch, etc, etc, etc.  Well, this idea disagreed with the Torah since we know that in the beginning Hashem created a universe that would be here forever.  So what was the big revelation of the late 1990's?  The universe is expanding at an accelerated rate – meaning it won't slow down, reach equilibrium and eventually crunch.  That was one small step for man, one giant leap for the Torah.  Go get um Torah – correct again.  I am a saver of articles when I see these startling headlines in the news.  Here was the CNN item in December 1998 of the discovery of the expanding universe:

Another number to ponder.  How many stars are in the universe?  Science calculates anywhere from a few to hundreds of sextillion stars.  They overdid it since the Talmud tells one how to calculate the number and it comes to only1.06434 quintillion.  Science is obviously drawing straws since I have reviewed various methods of calculation that they use and found them to be very strange and inaccurate.  The only thought is maybe they are including TV and movie stars – there are many of them.   One thing they did get correct.  The Talmud gives the calculations by stating that space is divided into 12 sectors each being represented by a constellation (the Zodiac which is of Jewish origin).  Behind each constellation are divisions and subdivisions and more.  By multiplying all that is behind each constellation we get the total for the universe.  Science in 2003 discovered that the universe is shaped like a soccer ball with 12 spherical pentagons tiled together on a sphere.  This divides the universe into 12 sectors with all the stars being behind them.  Where did I hear that one before?  Once again an October 2003 CNN news article:

You may think that I am pointing out comparisons that I have no way of knowing the real numbers, even though if the Torah is correct about everything else, I gain tremendous confidence in what Hashem is telling us.  But, let's give another example of something we do have as an accurate measurement.  Since the first mitzvah in the Torah is to celebrate Rosh Chodesh, the head of the new month, it was imperative that the Torah tells us a way to calculate the average length of the lunar month.  If we don't know exactly when the new moon appears, we cannot accurately know when to celebrate.  Science in the 1960's went to the moon.  Because their spacecraft was to head to a moon over several days that was continuing in orbit around the Earth, NASA needed to accurately calculate the exact position of the moon and in turn the length of the lunar month.  They spent millions of dollars on what was at the time the most sophisticated method of measuring and came up with a calculation that was 6 millionth of a month difference from what the Talmud (Rosh HaShanah 25a) has as a calculation (which was told to Moses on Mount Sinai and put down in the Talmud thousands of years ago).  What is even more exiting is that in the 1990's NASA sent a satellite to the moon and needed to recalculate the length of the lunar month.  State of the art measuring methods had improved greatly and gave NASA a calculation that was within 2 tens of a second from the Talmud calculations.  Science obviously is getting much closer to what the Talmud calculated for nothing (a much better price – as a taxpayer I object to NASA wasting my money).  Once again, trial and error versus opening the handbook of the universe.     

One last caveat to the information in scriptures.  After Rosh Chodesh each month we say a blessing of the moon's reappearance after about 3 days of the moon getting larger.  One of the blessings says "Just as I leap toward you and cannot touch you, so may all my enemies be unable to touch me with evil intent."  It's a beautiful thought but I once heard a story that the wording was changed.  At one time is read just as it is impossible for me to touch you (the moon that is)…  About 250 years ago, the Vilna Goen who knew the Talmud by heart, made the change offering insight from the Talmud that we someday will travel outside the Earth and will go to the moon.  The impossibility of touching the moon was removed.  How did he surmise such a conclusion?  The Talmud talks about flying towers that will allow people to fly.   The Vilna Goen's genius expanded the concept of flying towers to mean flight on Earth and beyond.  There is nothing missing from scriptures.

This is an endless topic that as long as someone can suggest a new idea scientific or otherwise, information can be found in scriptures.  Letting us know that the great sages and Rabbis of thousands of years ago were aware of what our modern day scientist has discovered and has yet to discover, gives great validity to scriptures and absolute validation to the Source of the information.

I have thoughts of continuing this subject this week with some very fascinating facts that further solidify the absolute truth from Hashem.  Tomorrow, my hopes are to cover a subject that nobody will believe.  I plan to present what scriptures says about the reality of this universe and also to present scientific verification of the information.  I am not going to tell you what the subject is since I wish to keep you in suspenders (I've used that expression for years).  I guarantee, you will emerge from tomorrows post in awe of Hashem or believing that men in the white coats are coming for me.  It will not be believable but will get you thinking (maybe a headache).  Even I am excited and can't wait to read what I am going to write.