Arnie,
This is in response to your article, The Biological Shabbos Clock . Some time ago I posited that Shabbat was one of the most influential elements in life. At its most basic, it created a workable time frame (a month is too long and fluctuates too much). It is the engine behind economics since one has only six days in which to amass enough wealth to afford the Shabbat meal and the mandatory non-working day. Historically, Shabbat is what influenced the pagans in proximity to Jews to emulate the Jews and their family lives. This was especially true in the days of the Temples when there were "semi-Jews", somewhat equivalent of Noachides. Once again, the genius of Torah and the wisdom of Judaism becomes apparent which is why I say that the Jewish people is the paradigm of civilization and "normalcy" in a world that has demonstrated so much savagery in the names of other religions.
Marshall Shapiro
Vineland, Ontario |
Days, months and years are not only Torah facts, but cycles in nature, too. But what about weeks? Does nature have a seven-day rhythm as well? Next week's Torah portion, Vayakhel, highlights the importance of keeping Shabbos, even compared to building the Mikdash. In honor of that, we cite some recent correspondence that explores biorhythms that show how all life is primed to recognize Shabbos.
Dear Dr. Gotfryd,
I'm wondering why the concept of seven days figures so importantly in religion. To me, the other traditional timeframes make more sense. Years, months, days, even hours, are based on natural changes, whether it's the seasons or the moon's phases or the sun's daily cycle. I know that the idea of the Sabbath has to do with the story of creation, but how does a seven-day cycle manifest itself in nature? Or does it?
Ben Morris
Cambridge, UK |
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Dear Dr. Gotfryd, If you recall, I introduced myself to you some months ago as "an agnostic Darwinian who would like to believe but has trouble doing so." We left our correspondence with some of my doubts and questions. |
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Aryeh, The 25th word in the Torah is "ohr" and the 25th stop in the desert was "Hashmonah". Furthermore, Parshas Miketz almost always comes on Shabbos Chanuka. This Parsha has 2025 words. To what do these numbers allude? The gematria of ner (candle) is 250. Eight neros X 250 + 2000. Add 25 (for the 25th of Kislev), and that equals 2025. Harold M. Thornhill ON |
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Here are some reactions to my last week's commentary on "Climategate," he massive scandal that erupted when a hacker leaked thousands of verified emails and documents proving that the bulk of the "data" in support of Man Made Global Warming is in fact "cooked", i.e., fraudulent. Looks like eco-billionaire Al Gore has his own "Inconvenient Truth" to stand up to. |
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Last week's newsletter, criticizing Big Bang cosmology and heliocentric physics as inappropriate for a Chabad high school, proved to be a lightning rod for feedback. Comments ranged from absolute agreement to shock and dismay. Following are a few excerpts and responses. |
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Hello Dr. Gotfryd,
I generally like your newsletters but there seems to be an inconsistency in your last email, "A New Beginning." To answer one question about the origin of species, you negate Darwin, arguing that the fossil record shows that species hardly change and transitional forms are virtually absent.
Then to refute the next challenge, about man's descent from apes, you cite the new discovery of Ardi, an ancient fossil that seems to indicate that apes descended from a human-like creature rather than the other way around. |
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Dear Dr. Gotfryd,
There are countless things I like about Judaism, Torah and Chabad but I am totally rankled by literalists like you who seem to demand that all the narratives in the torah actually happened exactly as described. I'd prefer to think that they are parables with timeless lessons. Why do you take such a fundamentalist approach when so many others are more flexible? Now we are reading the first portion of Genesis and if you had your way, I would have to buy into pipedreams such as these: |
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Dear Dr. Gotfryd, I gave a talk about teaching intelligent design in the schools to the Jewish Community Relations Council of M-------- some time ago. Their response was very interesting. They say that presenting scientific evidence for a creator is an attempt to exert power -- a typical post-modern view. Yours sincerely, Ross Olson MD |
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Dear Dr. Gotfryd,
Thank you for agreeing to review my daughter's high school textbook and to evaluate its suitability for use in a Chabad school. As we discussed, I am mainly concerned about the way they treat the age of the world, the solar system, the big bang and evolution.
Rabbi L. |
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