Not an ape in the bunch!

HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, has authored a most marvelous letter (which you can read in its entirety here: http://www.zootorah.com/controversy/RavSternbuchEnglish.pdf) in which he seems to argue that scientists have tried to hold their science up to the Torah, that science has failed the PROOF of Torah, and that science is therefore incorrect.


What an utterly refreshing point of view!

Many people have been irritated for a long time that their dearly held beliefs were demonstrably scientifically wrong.
Now they may celebrate, because it is actually the OTHER WAY AROUND: science is religiously wrong.
And scientists have desperately been trying to find proofs of their scientific "theories" in the Torah.


To quote: "Scientists (...) rush to find isolated statements of our sages, rabbis, and commentaries that seem consistent with contemporary scientific view". These same scientists "are fully aware of the astounding details of G-d's wisdom in creating the world".

But, according to Rav Chaim Brisker, as quoted by HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, "G-d knew that there would always be heretics who would cite verses in the Torah to try and prove the validity of their deviant thoughts", and therefore He "wrote the Torah without concern whether the verses would be misused to justify heresy".

Further on, HaRav Moshe states, based on a decision by the Sanhedrion and the affirmation of the Rambam (Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon), that "surely the accepted view of the age of the universe can not be disregarded. This required acceptance of the traditional age of the universe is all the more obvious since every man and woman and child knows that the world was created 5765 years ago. An additional reason why we must accept the traditional age of the universe is that the calendar system is based on this fact. Consequently, a person who casts doubts on this accepted tradition -- even if he is (a) widely respected person by the Jewish people -- must be carefully investigated. This is because (it) is possible that he might have doubts concerning the foundation principles of faith -- like the academic scholars."


Well now.Accepted views are often wrong - truth is not a matter of acceptance or a vote (where it so, minority opinions would be anathema).

In Maimonides day, every man, woman, and child knew that the world was flat, and several other things that have since been proven to be utter balderdash. Even today men, women, and children know things that are patently false.

The calendar system is based on a postulated date - that does not mean that the date in question was the beginning of the calendar system, and accepting a calendar does not mean necessarily accepting the beginning date of that calendar as having a significance beyond it's being day or year one.
The Roman calendar was based on a mythological event - surely one can accept that such and such are the dates in the Roman calendar when Caesar was killed, Gaul was conquered, Nero died - without accepting that Romulus and Remus ever existed?
I accept the common era calendar, yet I refuse to accept one iota of the claptrap on which it is based.
A calendar is a tool, not an article of faith, nor a basis for a system of belief.

And as for academic scholars, there are plenty of them who accept, without any other basis than what their parents taught them and their faith tells them, any number of religious ideas. Just like there are religious authorities who accept no science whatsoever. None of this proves or disproves science, academic studies, or faith, though it does suggest that ignorance affects critical thinking.


HaRav Sternbuch also states"the obvious truth is that the order and nature of creation is concealed."

Which means exactly what, as far as proving any statement about the origins of the universe?
Though the assertion that it is concealed is tantamount to admitting that what is revealed is unacceptable. Including the very first parsha in Bereishis, and much subsequent material in the five books.

[The obvious is concealed - I like that; 'that which is clear is hidden, that which is incomprehensible is universally known, and so, clearly, the universe is six thousand years old.' Omeyn.]


There's much more in the letter, yet also very little else. In essence, the letter argues that science is wrong when it contradicts scripture, and often wrong in any case, evolution is impossible, we share no common ancestry or biology with other creatures (and certainly not with monkeys!), the world is only 6000 years old, scientists are desperate heretics, and anybody who believes otherwise is an apikoros if not an outright heathen. And should be looked at with extreme disfavour, at the very best.


He concludes with what amounts to a psak against scientific literature, saying that "having scientific writings in your house that are incompatible with the Torah, violates the prohibition (Deuteronomy 4:26): "Do not bring disgusting things in your house.", and "having such heretical scientific books in the home causes much troubles to those who possess them and it is obligated to get rid of them. Furthermore the author of such unacceptable scientific writings must retract such views and subordinate himself to the authority of contemporary rabbinical authorities".


If one were to strip this letter of identifying Judaic markings, and all other clues that the author is a rabbi, then one would have something that, except for the fact that it uses difficult words, might very well have been written by a fundamentalist Southern preacher.
Or a moron from Texas.


It reminds me of a decision made years ago by Hindu fundamentalist politicians to cease teaching algebra in a province where they had won an election, because all worthwhile knowledge was in the Vedas, and goodness gracious, something invented by Muslims couldn't possibly be of any use to anybody, and would probably poison precious little Hindu minds!


The problem with stuff like this is that it cherrypicks among the ideas the author wants to accept, and the scientific facts and proofs that the author is willing to trust, and discards everything else, irrespective of whether the author actually understands, or is even familiar with the field of learning in question. Archeology, geology, biology, physics - all of these, if they do not prove every word of scripture right, are to be seen as wrong and dangerous.


With all due respect for his learning (and his ability to turn the Rambam into a dunce), I would hope that HaRav Sternbuch would realize that science may not be his field of expertise. Adding to the sum total of ignorance in the world is also heresy.


So please, tayere rav, shut up!

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PS. I gratefully acknowledge 'Not The Godol HaDor', at http://godolhador.blogspot.com/ for leading me to this letter ("Relationship of Science to Torah") by HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita. I have printed out a copy of the letter, and shall read and reread it many times.
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