Big Bang

Big Bang Theory

New information which has arrived Lately
from a sophisticated telescope in Antarctica
confirms the Big Bang Theory which occurred 14 billion years ago.
What! The world was not created by the Creator of the Universe??
Several hundred years ago, when
Copernicus came up with the theory that
the earth is not the center of the universe,
it was the Christian Church that strongly
objected to this way of thinking.
In those days there was a tight connection between the
Thought of religion and the thought of belief.
Whoever believed in religion, could not accept the
notion that our world was not the center of the universe.
This seemingly contradicts the Bible,
the source of our understanding that
man is the center of everything!

How can we live with this sort of contradiction?

There is no doubt that Copernicus’ words were heresy! 
That’s the way they thought in the ancient world.
There was an inextricable link between
the world of science and the world of religion.

Since then, the world has slightly matured.
Today we realize there is not necessarily a connection
between these two disciplines. Each area specializes
in completely different questions, and,
even ostensibly opposing insights
can “occupy the same house…”

Truth be told, 400 years preceding Copernicus,
the Rambam had already written in his book,
Moreh Hanevochim (The Guide for the Perplexed)
that there is no connection between these two worlds.

Science examines nature’s data mentally,
as we know –while the Bible is the word of the Creator
as it was revealed to us through the true prophets of Israel,
and deals with moral questions regarding
how we are to relate to one another.

Furthermore, the minute we allow ourselves
to “loosen up” between these two areas of thought,
not only have we reached amazing achievements in science
(which does not contradict the Bible at all,
and we will deal with this at length in our next lesson!),
but we are also heading towards great achievements
in our connection with the Creator of the Universe.
We are able to return to the much larger and deeper
way of thinking than that which is
accomplished through the brain. We will return
to the direct connection with G-d;
prophecy will again make its appearance,
as we explained here, in this free course.