EDDIE MARTINIE > Equipping > Bible Studies > Week 1- “In the Beginning”

      • Study and Test the Entire Bible in a Year, Every Year

        – Week 1 –

The books or scroll of the Torah/ Pentateuch is the oldest (other than Job as far as we know) and most sacred of all our Scriptures. Without the TaNaK (Old Testament), there is NOTHING to compare writings to in order to even know whether or not to call it “Scripture”. It is the ONLY Scripture that existed while the “New Testament” was being written and is made up of the “five books of Moses” and the Hebrew Writings and Prophets. The Hebrew name for the first book is B’reisheet (בראשית). It is also the first word of the book in the Hebrew text, as well as the name for the first Bible Study (the first week’s reading). B’reisheet means “in the beginning.” And it is important to understand that this IS the BEGINNING! We are introduced to the first humans, the first soulmates, the first sins, the first Sabbath, etc.

It’s the first book of the Bible, after all and the first chapter. And the Writer of the book has to set the stage for the entire collection of books; to lay the Foundation.  It can also be thought o as the book of origens… of the world, mankind, the nations, the covenants, instructions and more!

How It Works

On the first day of every week (Sunday), I release the next week’s Bible study. It will take you all week to get through it if you even do. All of my subscribers gather on different days to discuss the Bible studies, so after the majority of the subscribers have finished their Sunday services, I update for the next week. All of the resources you need are available in the mobile app for free.

You will also find our study guides by chapter and advanced study of the original languages following the Bible audio/ text and study outline then commentary. While it is our belief that many of the letters of the New Testament were originally written in Aramaic and/ or Hebrew, the Greek texts are used for study even when there are known Hebrew manuscripts (eg. Mathew and Hebrews). Let’s get going!

Quick Bible Audio & Text:

Listen to all the Bible study below or click the link to read them at biblegateway.com in your favorite translation:

Bible Outlines & Chapter Study Guides

TORAH/ PENTATEUCH

  • Genesis 1:1 | Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
  • Genesis 2:4 | Another Account of the Creation
  • Genesis 3:1 | The First Sin and Its Punishment
  • Genesis 4:1 | Cain Murders Abel
  • Genesis 4:17 | Beginnings of Civilization
  • Genesis 5:1 | Adam’s Descendants to Noah and His Sons
  • Genesis 6:1 | The Wickedness of Humankind
  • Genesis 6:9 | Noah Pleases God

PROPHETS

  • Isaiah 42:1 | The Servant, a Light to the Nations
  • Isaiah 42:10 | A Hymn of Praise
  • Isaiah 42:21 | Israel’s Disobedience
  • Isaiah 43:1 | Restoration and Protection Promised

GOSPELS

  •  John 1 | The Word (Torah) Becomes Flesh
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    (Greek Audio) (Interlinear)

Letters

Colossians Chapter 1 Study Guide

Revelation 21 | New Heaven & Earth

  • Revelation 21:1 | New Heaven & Earth.
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    (Greek Audio) (Interlinear)

Revelation Chapter 21 Study Guide

Revelation Outline

Bible Study Commentary

The English name Genesis comes from the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Genesis means “origins.” Therefore, the Greek name for the first book of the Bible means “The Book of Origins.”

Genesis describes the origins of everything. It begins with the origins of the universe, focuses on the origins of man and then explores the origins of the nation of Israel.

As we study the first week’s reading from the book of Genesis, we will learn a great deal about God, but even more about ourselves. After all, this is the story of our origins. When properly understood, the story of our origin helps us find our destination.

Adam and Eve had choices: The tree of life or the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Choosing is an essential part of being human. We can choose good, which is the way of life, or disobedience, which results in death. We choose between the two trees countless times every day.

The mystics say that God made Adam in the image of the Heavenly Adam, the firstborn of all creation, the spiritual image of God. The theology of the heavenly Adam attempts to reconcile the conflict between the idea that God is incorporeal, that is without image and form, and the idea that man is created in the image of God.

The apostles say, “Yeshua is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

Paul also alludes to the same mystical ideas when he states: “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [i.e., Adam], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [i.e., Yeshua]” (1 Corinthians 15:49). Paul calls Adam “the first Adam” and Messiah “the second Adam.” According to Paul, “The first Adam is from the earth, earthy; the second Adam is from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47), “an impression of Him who was to come” (Romans 5:14). That is to say that Adam was made in the image of Messiah.

Tz’nah Ur’enah says, “Just as Adam was created in God’s image, so the Messiah is anointed by God, and God’s Spirit will be upon him.” God created Adam in His image, and the Messiah is the image of God: “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15); “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Luke even refers to Adam as “the son of God” (Luke 3:38).

The Messiah, as the second Adam, provides humanity with a fresh start. In Messiah, the human race can go back to Eden, so to speak, and start over in perfect innocence and righteousness.

Adam’s name means “man.” Sin and death came to humanity as the result of one man’s sin. Through one single act of disobedience, Adam forfeited his right to the tree of life, so human death came through Adam. Death came “even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam” (Romans 5:14), which is to say that everyone dies.

It does seem frightfully unfair that one man’s single transgression consigns all humanity to death, but it is equally unfair that one man’s righteousness also offers all of humanity the reward of righteousness: “The right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14). Those who cast their allegiance with “the last Adam,” the life-giving Spirit, receive that reward.

The Messiah is a second Adam, but unlike the first Adam, He did not transgress. If the first Adam’s sin was sufficient to merit death for all mankind, the righteousness of Messiah—the last Adam—is sufficient to merit life for all of us: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). This is the hope of eternal life through the resurrection of the dead. Resurrection reverses Adam’s bane.

Hidden Aleph-Tav’s

In the Hebrew Scriptures there are hidden aleph-tav’s [את] that aren’t usually translated into English. But they are very enlightening when we read them in the Hebrew, especially because Jesus/ Yeshua said He WAS the aleph-tav. The את identifies covenant peoples, persons, places, things and titles pertaining to the ownership of property by יהוה Father through את Yeshua our Messiah. As you move through the Laws of Liberty (Torah) notice where the את is placed and where it is not placed. Paul declares in Romans 7:12 the TORAH (nomos) is Holy and the Commandments are Holy (Set apart), Righteous (Just) and Good (of Benefit). Following are the aleph-tav’s [את] we find in this week’s study:

In the beginning of Genesis take notice where both the את and the ואת are placed during the creation starting with Genesis 1:1 which links the working of יהוה Father with and through את Yeshua as the Creator of the new Heavens and Earth as John states in John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with Elohim and the Word was Elohim. 2 The same was in the beginning with Elohim. 3 All things were made THROUGH Him and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Gen 1:2 gives us a key to understanding Father’s Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit),which is above the surface of the waters and is actually the working of יהוה Father’s Spirit, His presence in conjunction with Jesus/ Yeshua. Notice that on the third day that the Hebrew word “bara” for “create” or “asah” for “made” is not used and implies that the God-head causes the land to appear and then the plants to grow but nothing is actually created or made and consequently there are no Aleph/Tav Symbols!

But on all the other days of creation, when the God-head is actually making or creating, the Aleph/Tav’s are always there. Amazing! The entire Tanakh gives us a perfect picture of the God-head as יהוה Father works His will in conjunction with and through את Jesus/ Yeshua together as ONE, but please understand, it is Father’s will that is predominate and insight into this is every time Jesus/ Yeshua speaks about Father in the Gospels. Case in Point:

Matt 20:23 to sit on My right hand and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father…John 14:10 The Words that I speak unto you I speak NOT of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the Works.

For it is unto יהוה Father that the 24 elders in the throne room bow down and cast their crowns before His feet in Revelation 4:10.

Genesis 3:8 And they heard את voice of יהוה our Elohim walking in the garden in the cool of the day…confirming what we thought all along, that the one walking and speaking to Adam and Eve in the cool of the day was את Jesus/ Yeshua working together as ONE with יהוה Father by the power of His Holy Spirit.

As you will see the Aleph/Tav את Symbols also show the connection of covenant ownership by יהוה Father with and through את Jesus/ Yeshua the Messiah in every aspect of His creation both of whom are Elohim (plural form). The day Adam is created there appears an את in front of Adam’s name (Gen 1:27) and the rib which is taken from Adam to create Eve is marked by the את (Gen 2:22). The first and only time an את appears in front of Eve’s name is after the fall in the Garden, when Adam has intercourse with her perhaps for the first time and she conceives Cain (Gen 4:1). In Genesis 5 there is an את in front of each male’s name recorded from Adam’s generation to Noah. Also the meaning of their names in the order they were born tell the Gospel Story of Jesus/ Yeshua the Messiah just like the meaning of the names of the sons of Jacob (Israel), whose descendants are the 12 tribes also tell the Gospel Story. This is important to note because the את does not appear in front of everyone’s name in the Old Testament (TaNaK) and when it does it is relevant and is either a sign of covenant relationship, ownership or judgment. From this study I believe you will come to understand that יהוה Father and the extension through whom He has created everything and established His everlasting covenants and by whom atones for sin is in conjunction with and through the workings of את Jesus/ Yeshua the Messiah. Insight into this is Psalm 40:7 and Hebrews 10:7

Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the scroll it is written of Me, TO DO THY WILL, O Elohim.

As Isaiah proclaims also in 53:1 Who has believed our report? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF יהוה BEEN REVEALED?

Both יהוה and את Yeshua working together as ONE, as we shall see.

Bible Study for Kids

It’s sometimes hard to make the Old Testament fun for kids. Try these Children’s activities:

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PL01F2197E5238E89B&v=YzjHjXe-2XU[/embedyt]

Days of creation coloring

For Deeper Language Learning

Hebrew “Word of the Week” by Hebrew4Christians.com

Greek “Greek of the Week”

Of the five senses, which sense to do you think is the most spiritual? The five senses are as follows: 1) Sight 2) Hearing 3) Smell 4) Taste and 5) Touch. So which would you choose? And is there a right or wrong answer to such a question? The answer is astonishing.

“Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the King Messiah, actually says something similar:

“A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of YHVH will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YHVH. His delight (וַהֲרִיחֹו) will be in the fear of YHVH. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears…” Isaiah 11:1-3

If the Messiah will not judge by His eyes nor ears, how will He judge?

THE BAR KOKHVA REVOLT

Around the year 132CE, The Talmud recounts a story of the sage Rabbi Akiva and a military leader named Shimon Bar Koziba. After the initial success of Bar Koziba, Rabbi Akiva proclaimed him the Messiah, renaming him “Bar Kochva”, the “son of the star” based on Numbers 24:17,

“I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star כֹּוכָב will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel…” Numbers 24:17

The Rabbis, however, rejected the Messiahship of Bar Koziba as the Jerusalem Talmud states,

‘“R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, “Aqiba, my master, would interpret the following verse: ‘A star (kokhab) shall come forth out of Jacob’ (Num. 24:17) ― ‘A disappointment (Kozeba) shall come forth out of Jacob.’” R. Aqiba: When he saw Bar Kozeba, he said, “This is the King Messiah.” Said to him R. Yohanan ben Toreta, “Aqiba! Grass will grow on your cheeks, and the Messiah will not yet have come!” Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anit 4:5, edited by Jacob Neusner, Hendrickson Publishers

In the story of Bar Koziba, the Babylonian Talmud records an interesting detail regarding the Messiah,

“(Bar Koziba reigned two and a half years, and then said to the Rabbis, “I am the Messiah.” They answered, “Of Messiah it is written that he smells and judges: let us see whether he [Bar Koziba] can do so.” When they saw that he was unable to judge by the scent, they slew him.)” Sanhedrin 93b, Soncino Press Edition

To the untrained eye, this idea of the Messiah judging by smell seems humorous. If the Messiah will not judge by His eyes, nor His ears, He’ll judge by . . . his nose?!

THE NOSE KNOWS

Let’s look at the source for this belief again:

וַהֲרִיחֹו בְּיִרְאַת יי
“His delight will be in the fear of the L-RD. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears…” Isaiah 11:1-3

Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg explains,

“The word for “delight” (v’haricho) has the same root as the word “smell,” (rayach). The Sages interpreted this to mean that the Mashiach will be able to judge through the sense of smell. According to tradition, the four senses of sight, hearing, taste and touch were all blemished due to their participation in the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden. Only the sense of smell does not appear in the verses describing the sin, thus retaining its original pristine state. The common expressions “something doesn’t smell right,” and “this stinks” used to illustrate situations that feel intuitively wrong, allude to the association between smell and judgment. Smell is connected to intuition and inspiration, both of which emanate from a superconscious level above logic and reason. Inner.org, Mashiach and Jewish Leadership

THE KETORET

The Ketoret, or Incense, was a powerful aromatic aspect of the Temple service. It must have had an wonderful scent, as there is an explicit command in the Torah not to use it for perfume.

“The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for the L-RD. Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.” Exodus 30:37-38

Consisting of eleven ingredients, its scent was extremely powerful according to ancient accounts,

“The goats in Jericho used to sneeze because of the odour of the incense. The women in Jericho did not have to perfume themselves, because of the odour of the incense. The bride in Jerusalem did not have to perfume herself because of the odour of the incense.” Yoma 39b, Soncino Press Edition

According to Josephus, Jericho was 150 Roman stadioi (about 18 miles) away. The incense quite possibly had a repellent effect to insects also. All of Jerusalem was a fragrant aroma to YHVH affecting the entire atmosphere. Amazingly, the Torah compares the incense to prayer,

“Let my prayer be set before you like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.”3 Psalms 141:2

The Book of Revelation reveals a glimpse of this ketoret of the Heavenly Temple,

“Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.” Revelation 5:8

THE CREATION OF ADAM

וַיִּיצֶר יי אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָֽאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַֽיְהִי הָֽאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃
“YHVH Elohim formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7

Where does the Breath of Life enter? Into the nostrils! In Lamentations, it reveals the secret of the Breath of Life:

רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יי
“The breath of our nostrils, the Messiah of the L-RD, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” Lamentations 4:20

The breath of our nostrils is the Messiah! The Mashiach is the one who resurrects the dead. Chaim Kramer, of the Breslov Research Institute writes,

“Mashiach is represented by the “nose,” our source of life and breath. . . As long as we breathe the breath of hope – the breath of prayer and reliance upon God – there is hope that Mashiach will come and fully purify our lives. The verse states (Lamentations 4:2), “The breath of our nostrils [is] the Mashiach of God.” Mashiach, Who, What Why, How Where, When, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Research Institute, pg. 71

Amazingly, the breath breathed into Adam occurred on Rosh HaShanah, the day of Resurrection:

“Man becomes a living, sentient being when God breathes His breath into him, transforming him from physical matter into a living hybrid of the physical and spiritual. When we blow the shofar on the day of Man’s creation, it serves as a memorial to that first breath, the divine breath of life blown at the dawn of Creation, on Rosh Hashana.” Aish.com, M’oray HaAish, R. Ari Kahn: The Sound of the Shofar

Chaim Kramer then makes an astonishing statement:

“…just as breathing sustains each person, whether one is conscious of it or not, so too, Mashiach, the world’s ultimate rectification, has sustained the world from its inception, whether we are conscious of it or not.” Mashiach, Who, What Why, How Where, When, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Research Institute, pg. 44

Just as prayer links to the incense, Kramer notes,

“Mashiach will “breathe the fear of God,” since his soul is rooted in the place of breathing, the nose. And this “nose,” the source of life of the Mashiach, alludes to prayer. Rebbe Nachman thus taught: Mashiach’s main weapon is prayer…” Thus prayer is represented by the nose. And the nose is breathing, life itself.” Mashiach, Who, What Why, How Where, When, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Research Institute, pg. 42

He continues,

“…[Mashiach’s] “breathing” will have a very positive effect upon mankind. . . The breath that Mashiach will breathe will emanate from the Torah and its 613 mitzvot. This is “The spirit of God [that] hovered over the waters.” The spirit is Mashiach and the waters are the Torah. Mashiach’s spirit is embedded in the Torah and he will draw his breath, the awe of God, from it. With this spirit, he will be able to “breathe into others” filing them with an awe and respect for God.” Mashiach, Who, What, Why, How, Where, When, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Research Institute, pg.63

This links incredibly to the Book of John,

“Yeshua therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit!” John 20:21-22

HAVDALAH

At the end of Sabbath, there is a service called הַבְדָּלָה Havdalah, which means “separation”. It sets the Shabbat apart from the ordinary days of the week. When at least three stars shine in the sky, three elements below are brought out for the special occasion. A braided Candle, a Kiddush Cup, and a box of Spices, called besamim in Hebrew. I remember standing at the Kotel, or Western Wall, when spices were passed around to smell. It was an incredible experience.

“The (subject of) the work of creation (may not be expounded) in the presence of two, nor (the work of) the chariot in the presence of one, unless he is a sage and understands of his own knowledge.” Chagigah 11b, Soncino Press Edition

On September 5, 1977, the Voyager 1 probe was sent into space by NASA. At the request of American astronomer Carl Sagan, eleven years after its launch and having traveled an incredible distance of 3.7 billion miles, the probe was directed to turn around and take a snapshot of earth. The historic photograph, taken on February 14, 1990, was stunning. Named “Pale Blue Dot,” it displayed a small speck in the midst of a beam of light, across a vast, dark ocean of space. This picture inspired Carl Sagan to pen these hauntingly beautiful words, albeit tainted by a hopeless atheism,

Actual photo named “Pale Blue Dot.” Click for Higher Resolution.

“Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there–on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. . . There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot 

While Sagan’s words were incredibly poetic, the question is raised: Is true that it is merely an “illusion” that we have a “privileged position in the universe”? Is it true that there’s “no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves?” We will explore these fundamental questions as they are ground zero in a fierce battleground between believers and skeptics. With the exception of the nihilism inherent in Sagan’s poem, he actually echoes the words of the Psalmist,

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?” Psalms 8:3-4

To be sure, there is a false dichotomy in the fields of Biblical and Scientific understanding: The position of believers and unbelievers that the Torah and Science are contradictory, leading the former to create an alternative “science” which conforms to their erroneous interpretation of the Torah, and the latter to correctly respond that this pseudo-science is incompatible with the facts, but ends up over-correcting to the point of denying the unknown, and minimizing the implications of the evidence.

SCIENCE IN THE MEDIA

“God on the ropes: The brilliant new science that has creationists and the Christian right terrified.” This was the headline of a 2015 Salon.com magazine article about a revolutionary theory by MIT Professor Jeremy England. It was shared by the Richard Dawkins Foundation website, in an attempt to further the atheist cause. Another news article’s headline was entitled, “Has science just disproved God?”

The question arises: Didn’t the media tell us that ‘science’ had God on the ropes years ago? According to this headline, does this mean that God is still in the ring, using an Muhammad Ali-eqsue rope-a-dope technique? There is one massive problem with the media hype regarding this theory. It’s author, Jeremy England, is an Orthodox Jew who prays every day. He states,

“I see God revealed just as much in physics, neurology and cosmology as I do in Scripture and theology and prayer: God is present in all of these places and available if we’re just willing to open our eyes to the wonder and the mystery that is our maker.” Jeremy England, MIT Professor, Interview with Relevant Magazine 

England’s theory is incredibly brilliant showing that, “under the right conditions, a random group of molecules will self-organize in a way that allows them to more efficiently use energy in their environment. Over time, the system could improve its ability to absorb energy, becoming increasingly lifelike. Nor is it an arbitrary process, but an inherent bias of the physical world, to form such self-organized systems.”

Unfortunately, many ‘Bible believers’ may outright reject the theory of England because they have been told by the media that his theory is in conflict with the creation account of Genesis. Nothing could be further from the truth, and this incident highlights a massive problem in the world of popular science reporting: The science itself is not the problem. The problem is that the media are biased. Not to mention that the creation of the US is HEAPED in  REPLACECEMENT THEOLOGY, but not the kind that most people may be familiar with.

As in the world of politics, the popular media attempt to “spin” scientific data in order to support their narrative and worldview. For example, the media has portrayed the Big Bang Theory as a “replacement” for the book of Genesis. As we will see below, the truth is the exact opposite of what has been reported. However, many believers, both Christians and Jews, have been tricked into rejecting it, all the while it is one of the most powerful arguments, if not the most powerful, FOR the veracity of the Biblical account.

Well known tests such as the Miller-Urey experiment, which attempted to simulate the early conditions for life, and test for abiogenesis, the process of life arising from non-living matter, was hailed in the popular media as “creating life” in the absence of a Designer/God. While the experiment had several mistaken factors, it has been repeated successfully in subsequent experiments. However, no actual life was ever created. All that was produced were amino acids, the precursors or building blocks of life.

However, if such an experiment were to be successful and actually create some type of primitive life, would this disprove a Creator? Not according to the Jewish understanding of the Torah. R’ Aryeh Kaplan (1934 – 1983), who was a Torah scholar and physicist, wrote the following,

“I remember years ago when some of the first experiments were conducted making amino acids, the basic building blocks of living matter, out of carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia and water vapor, together with spark discharges or ultra-violet radiation. I remember where further experiments were performed, where Professor Fox was able to combine these amino acids automatically to form simple proteins and micro-spheres, which almost looked like very simple living creatures. When this happened, many religious people were very upset. Many people saw this as a blow to our tradition. Here we saw that the interface between the living and the non-living was not quite as immutable and unbreachable as people thought it was. I recall that around that time, people came to me and asked, “Rabbi Kaplan, what do you think about that?” My reaction was “Mah gadlu ma’asecha HaShem” – “How great are Your deeds O G-d.” R’ Aryeh Kaplan, Kabbalah and the Age of the Universe, pg. 6

Rabbi Kaplan continues,

“All this experiment did was show that inert matter and nonliving elements have the ability to actually crystallize into life, producing the chemicals of life. But what does this mean? It means that Whoever created the basic matter of the Universe, created it to be the building block of life. Whoever created the carbon atom, designed it specifically so that under certain conditions, it would build into amino acid and proteins.” R’ Aryeh Kaplan, Kabbalah and the Age of the Universe, pg. 6

YHVH designed the universe to support life. England’s theory, and the Miller-Urey experiment, only verify that that design of the universe is structured to inherently support life. Imagine the media reacting in surprise that Legos just happen to fit together, and then claim that they were not designed. It is surprising that the media and believers see this as a blow to the Biblical account, when that is exactly what the Biblical account says. Rephrasing the question, we may ask, does Evolution disprove Creation?

In truth, Evolution only asks the question of HOW, not WHO. Therefore, most believers actually do not reject evolution per se, but rather the assertion that it is RANDOM, without a guided design or purpose. The method of how YHVH created the universe and life is a not problem, as we have a dictum ‘dibberah Torah k’lashon bnei adam’, “The Torah speaks in the language of man.” In other words, God could have used evolution (with punctuated equilibrium) all He wanted to. The real issue is that it is impossible to test whether something is random or guided. Because it is not testable, the idea of random chance, without guidance, is not scientific. It is a nihilistic philosophy, which is what believers in the Bible truly reject. Therefore, evolution in and of itself presents no problem for a believer.

Evolution says that life began in the oceans, and through a gradual process of natural selection, life made it to land, with the apex being the human being. The Genesis account says that life began in the oceans, and through a guided process of increasingly complexity made it to land, and culminating in the human being. In truth, the real problem for these two accounts to mesh is the time frame.

The subject that we are about to explore is complex, and it is challenging to know exactly where or how to begin. Therefore, let us begin in the Beginning.

THE BIG BANG

“In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

In contrast to the Torah, which states the universe had a beginning, the scientific community believed in the Steady-State Theory until relatively recent history. Steady State Theory states that universe is static, unchanging, having neither beginning nor end. In 1915, Einstein published his theory of General Relativity. His equations predicted something that no one in mainstream science accepted: The universe was expanding. To correct this “error” and restrain gravity, Einstein added the cosmological constant (Λ). This arbitrary ‘control’ was abandoned after Edwin Hubble’s discovery that other galaxies were moving away from other (called recessional velocity, indicated by a red shift of light), implying expansion.

In 1954, Jewish radio American radio astronomer Arno Penzias, along with fellow astronomer Robert Woodrow Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation. In simplified terms, this was the “echo” of the Big Bang, which signaled the death of the Steady-State Theory. They received the Nobel Prize for Physics for this discovery in 1978. The universe was indeed expanding. Therefore if we “rewound” the history of the Cosmos, so to speak, this would result in a collapse of all the planets, stars, galaxies and energy in the universe into a singularity, a “point” of near-infinite energy, where the laws of physics breakdown, and time and space cease to exist. The landscape of science changed forever – the Universe had a beginning. It turns out, that the Torah, written 3500 years ago, was correct after all.

The British theoretical physicist John D. Barrow and cosmologist Frank J. Tipler write,

“A number of quantum gravity models of creation ex nihlo of the entire Universe, including space and time, have been constructed. The idea common to all of them is that the Universe is envisaged as originated out of a ‘point’ in the past.” The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, Frank Tipler & John Barrow, Oxford University Press, pg. 443

The British cosmologist and astrophysicist Sir Martin Rees states,

“The often-used analogy with an explosion is misleading inasmuch as it conveys the image that the Big Bang was triggered at some particular centre. But as far as we can tell, any observer – whether on Earth, on Andromeda, or even on the galaxies remotes from us – would see the same pattern of expansion. The universe may once have been squeezed to a single point, but everyone had an equal claim to have started from that point: we can’t identify the origin of the expansion with any particular location in our present universe.” Sir Martin Rees, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe, pgs. 74-75

It may be hard to conceive of the entire universe fitting in the palm of your hand, however theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku explains, that the entire universe’s net matter may be incredibly small,

“The total matter/energy content of a universe may actually be very small. The matter content of the universe, including all the stars, planets and galaxies, is huge and positive. However, the energy stored within gravity may be negative. If you add the positive energy due to matter to the negative energy due to gravity, the sum may be close to zero!…to create a universe like ours may require a ridiculously small net amount of matter, perhaps as little as an ounce.” Michio Kaku, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, pg. 94

From this singularity, the entire universe came into being. In his incredible commentary on the Torah, R’ Moshe ben Nachman (1194 CE -1270 CE), made the astonishing observation,

וְהִנֵה בַבְרִיאָה הזֹאת שֶהִיא כִנְקֻדָה קְטַנָה דַקָה וְאֵין”
בַּהּ מַמָש נִבְרָאוּ הַנִבְרָאִים
“בַשָמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ
פירוש הרמב״ן על התורה, בראשית א
“Now, with this creation… which was like a small fine speck and had no substance were created…all the creations in the heavens and on the earth.” Artscroll, Ramban’s Commentary on Genesis, Vol I, Mesorah Publishing Ltd., pg. 26

The word translated as “small fine speck” in Hebrew is “kin’kudah qatanah” (like a small point). The Maharal of Prague, R’ Judah Loew ben Betzalel (1520 CE – 1609 CE) comments,

“In the way the six days are fit for work, the seventh is inherently fit for rest. That is because the world is physical. Anything physical is bounded by six sides [North, East, South, West, up, down]. There is another “boundary” separate unto itself – the center – an infinitely small dot occupying no space, which does not relate to anything physical, as six sides do. Having no dimension, it relates to the non-physical – the spiritual. . . ” Maharal, Gur Aryeh, The Lion Cub of Prague, Book One, pgs. 19-20

Psalm 104 says,

“He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.” Psalms 104:2

A parallel verse in Job states,

“It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” Isaiah 40:22

These verses describe the heavens being “stretched out” or expanded “like a curtain.” In ancient times, and today, curtains are made of fabric. How is it possible that the Bible, written thousands of years ago, describes the universe expanding like fabric?

THE AGE OF THE UNIVERSE

Levi ben Gershon (1288CE to 1344 CE), also known as the Ralbag or Gershonides, wrote a treatise named Ma’aseh Hoshev (Work of Calculation) in the year 1321. It covered the extraction of square of cube roots and other mathematical concepts. His studies in Torah and science were revolutionary. In fact, he is the only ancient astronomer to have accurately calculated stellar distances (on the order of 100 light-years). He refuted Ptolemy’s model, in what physicist Yuval Ne’eman says is,

“…one of the most important insights in the history of science, generally missed in telling the story of the transition from epicyclic corrections to the geocentric model to Copernicus’ heliocentric model.” Astronomy in Sefarad, Yuval Ne’eman 

Like the size of the universe, the Rabbis also had astonishing insights into the age of the universe. Before we discuss the details of age, we must understand the concept of time. Albert Einstein discovered that time is relative. When Albert Einstein’s close friend, Michele Besso passed away, he stated,

“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” Albert Einstein

A century before Einstein’s discovery, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (April 4, 1772 – October 16, 1810) stated the following,

“In reality there is no such thing as time. Time is only an illusion…Our notions of time are pure illusion. Someone who thinks about this carefully will certainly put all his strength into abandoning the vanities of this time-bound existence and putting all his hope in that which is beyond time. You should have faith in the One who is beyond time. Then nothing in this world can throw you down. Wherever you are, you will always be able to remind yourself, “This day have I given birth to you” (Ps. 2:7). These words refer to Mashiach who is in a realm beyond time. There everything finds healing. Time past is annulled completely.. . There is only today. Today you were born. Literally! All that is wrong with the world is a part of the “Evil work that is done beneath the sun” in the time-bound world. . . what remedy is there for all the days and years, all the time that [one] wasted in wrongdoing? His only hope is in the realm beyond time. From there comes all healing. It will be as if he were born again today. So long as you have faith – in God, in the World to Come, and in the Messiah who is beyond time – you have eternal hope.” Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Meshivat Nefesh, Restore My Soul, Translated by Avraham Greenbaum, Breslov Research Institute, pg. 88-89

Long before Einstein, the Bible stated that time is relative, as Psalm 90:4, said,

“For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night.” Psalms 90:4

Peter rephrases the words,

“But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The Book of Isaiah says,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says HaShem. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher (1255 to 1340 CE) states,

“…we find in the Midrash, in Bresheet Rabbah, “It does not say, “Let there be evening’ but ‘And there was evening’; we see from here that there was a system of time beforehand.” Even though time is a creation, and before creation there was no time, it refers to time in regard to those two thousand years. For those days were not as human days, but rather a day from those years was of the days about which there is no comprehension. This is as it is written, (Job 36:26) “Are Your years as those of men?
Rabbeinu Bachya, Commentary on Genesis 1:3, cited in the Challenge of Creation, Rabbi Natan Slifkin, Gefen Publishing, pg. 170

The Bible specifically that the first six days were observed from G-d’s perspective,

“G-d saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:18

It then shows the flow of human time,

“Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son . . . and named him Seth.” Genesis 5:3

Pesikta Rabbati says of the “Day of YHVH (the LORD),”

“And there was evening, and there was morning, one day.” This is a thousand years, which is the day of G-d, as it says, “For a thousand years are in Your eyes as a day” (Psalm 90:4).” Pesikta Rabbati, Hosafah 2:1, cited in Challenge of Creation, Rabbi Natan Slifkin, Gefen Publishing, pg. 180

R’ Dovid Tzvi Hoffman also clarifies that this doesn’t necessary mean that 24 hours exactly equals 1000 years, but that the principle is relative,

“In many places, and especially in the Zohar, it is proven that the expression “day” as it appears in the account of Creation, is not to be understood as an ordinary human day of 24 hours, but rather the intent is to the day of G-d, which last 1000 years – that is to say, a day that lasts for an undefined length of time.” Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Hoffman, Commentary to Genesis, pg. 48, cited in Challenge of Creation, Rabbi Natan Slifkin, Gefen Publishing, pg. 181

This verse states that humanity perceives the flow of time differently than YHVH does. R’ Yitzhak of Akko (13th – 14th century), a disciple of the Ramban, comments on Psalm 90:4, which is the key to unlocking the puzzle,

“I, the insignificant Yitzchak of Akko, have seen fit to write a great mystery that should be kept very well hidden. One of G-d’s days is a thousand years, as it says, “For a thousand years are in Your eyes as a fleeting yesterday.” Since one of our years is 365 ¼ days, a year on High is 365,250 our years.” Otzar HaChaim, pg. 86b-87b, cited in The Challenge of Creation: Judaism’s Encounter with Science, Cosmology, and Evolution. Yashar Books; Assumed First edition. p. 171

MIT Physicist and Torah scholar Dr. Gerald Schroeder explains,

“We have a clock that begins with Adam, and the six days are separate from this clock. The Bible has two clocks. That might seem like a modern rationalization, if it were not for the fact that Talmudic commentaries 1500 years ago . . .(where) all the Sages agree that Rosh Hashana commemorates the soul of Adam, and that the Six Days of Genesis are separate. Once you come from Adam, the flow of time is totally in human terms. Adam and Eve live 130 years before having children! Seth lives 105 years before having children, etc. From Adam forward, the flow of time is totally human in concept.” Gerald Schroeder, The Age of the Universe, Aish.com

Like space, time can bend and stretch. In fact, this “stretching of time” is called in science, time dilation. It has been experimentally verified with Cesium clocks, and forms an important part of Einstein’s theory of Relativity. According to Schroeder, this is exactly what happened during the massive expansion of the universe after the Big Bang.

Figure 1 demonstrates the popular, yet erroneous, belief that the Bible teaches that the earth (and universe) is 6000 years old. Figure 2 illustrates the age of the universe as understood by the latest data, at 13.8 billion years old, divided into the 6 days from HaShem’s perspective, with human history represented in grey.  Figure 3 represents the Torah perspective, the harmonization of both ideas, that the Six Days of Creation and 6000 years from the creation of the Soul of Adam are two distinct clocks, as described by the Rabbis. Sefer HaTemunah. Click for higher resolution.

According to Schroeder’s interpretation of Genesis, the six days of Creation (from YHVH’s perspective) would have appeared as 13.8 billion years from our perspective, because of time dilation, caused by the rapid expansion of space during the Big Bang. Therefore, the six days may “stretch out” as follows,

Enter the Sefer HaTemunah, “a Kabbalistic work attributed to the first-century Talmudic sage, Nechunya ben ha-Kanah.” This text takes the cyclical nature and patterns of the Torah, from the Shmitta periods of 7 years to the Yovel, (the 50 year cycle), and applies them in an exponential form to the universe. According to R’ Slifkin, the Sefer HaTemunah teaches that,

“…this seven thousand year cycle is merely one Sabbatical cycle amidst a larger cycle of seven Sabbatical cycles and a Jubilee. Hence, the total duration of the universe is forty-nine thousand years (seven times seven thousand). Some authorities state that we are currently in the second Sabbatical cycle (Derush Ohr HaChaym), whereas others maintain that we are in the seventh. Still others understand that the world is in its sixth Sabbatical cycle, which would mean that the world is 42,000 years old.” Challenge of Creation, Rabbi Natan Slifkin, Gefen Publishing, pg. 170

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan was extremely knowledgeable in physics and Kabbalah considered if we took the opinion of the universe being 42,000 years old, we would have to use the key provided by R’ Yitzhak of Akko that these years are not from a viewpoint of human observation. In other words, this would need to be calculated in Divine Years, i.e. 365,250 years x 42,000. This would equal 15.3 billion years old, remarkably close to the modern understanding of 13.82 billion years, a difference of only 1.48 billion years. Moreover, the uncertainty of where we actually are in the larger cosmic shemittah cycle may eliminate the relatively minor discrepancy [6]. Regardless, the point is that the Six Days of Creation are on a much higher level that regular 24 hour days. In fact, the sun and the moon did not exist until day 4, so it is highly unusual to insist on a literal 24 hour time frame (as observed by a human point of view).

Just Six Numbers

It is well known in science that our universe is fine tuned for life. This is called the Anthropic Principle, and forms one of the most powerful arguments for Design. Theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson stated,

“As we look out into the Universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it almost seems as if the Universe must in some sense have known that we were coming.”
Freeman Dyson, cited in The Anthropic Cosmological Principle (1986) by John D. Barrow and Frank J. Tipler, p. 318

After highlighting the differences between the two extremes between the Copernican Principle and the Anthropic Principle, Michio Kaku states,

“…at the other extreme, we have the Anthropic principle, which makes us realize that a miraculous set of “accidents” makes consciousness possible in this three-dimensional universe of ours. There is a ridiculously narrow band of parameters that makes intelligent life a reality, and we happen to thrive in this band. The stability of the proton, the size of the stars, the existence of higher elements, and so on, all seem to be finely tuned to allow for complex forms of life and consciousness. One can debate whether this fortuitous circumstance is one of design or accident, but no one can dispute the intricate tuning necessary to make us possible.” Michio Kaku, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, pg. 348

Kaku continues,

“Sir Martin Rees of Cambridge University, think that these cosmic accidents give evidence for the existence of the multiverse. Rees believes that the only way to resolve the fact that we live within an incredibly tiny band of hundreds of “coincidences” is to postulate the existence of millions of parallel universes. . . it is no accident, he believes, that the universe is fine-tuned to allow life to exist. There are simply too many accidents for the universe to be in such a narrow band that allows for life. “The apparent fine tuning on which our existence depends could be a coincidence,” writes Rees. “I once thought so. But that view now seems to narrow…Once we accept this, various apparently special features of the universe – those that some theologians one adduced as evidence for Providence or design – occasion no surprise.” Michio Kaku, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, pg. 250

British Cosmologist Sir Martin Rees describes how the universe is governed by six numbers, which are as follows,

Sir Martin Rees states,

“These six numbers constitute a ‘recipe’ for a universe. Moreover, the outcome is sensitive to their values: If any one of them were to be ‘untuned’ there would be no stars and no life. Is this tuning just a brute fact, a coincidence? Or is it the providence of a benign Creator? I take that view that it is neither. An infinity of universes may well exist where the numbers are different.” Sir Martin Rees, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe, pg. 4

He comments,

“There are various ways of reacting to the apparent fine tuning of our six numbers. One hard-headed response is that we couldn’t exist if these numbers weren’t adjusted in the appropriate ‘special’ way: we manifestly are here, so there is nothing to be surprised about. Many scientists take this line, but it certainly leaves me unsatisfied. I’m impressed by a metaphor e by the Canadian philosopher John Leslie. Suppose you are facing a firing squad. Fifty marksmen take aim, but they all miss. If they hadn’t missed, you wouldn’t have survived to ponder the matter. But you wouldn’t just leave it at that – you’d be baffled, and would seek some further reason for your good fortune.”
Sir Martin Rees, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe, pg. 166

All of science points to the existence of a “Creator” of some sort, and there is only one escape hatch: The idea of the multiverse. In truth, this only pushes the question back a step, and creates another problem: If all possibilities are realized, then a Creator exists somewhere. The other problem is that the idea of a Multiverse rests on pure speculation. Here is an excerpt from a Discover Magazine article on this issue:

“We have a lot of really, really strange coincidences, and all of these coincidences are such that they make life possible,” [Andrei] Linde says. Physicists don’t like coincidences. They like even less the notion that life is somehow central to the universe, and yet recent discoveries are forcing them to confront that very idea. Life, it seems, is not an incidental component of the universe, burped up out of a random chemical brew on a lonely planet to endure for a few fleeting ticks of the cosmic clock. In some strange sense, it appears that we are not adapted to the universe; the universe is adapted to us. Call it a fluke, a mystery, a miracle. Or call it the biggest problem in physics. Short of invoking a benevolent creator, many physicists see only one possible explanation: Our universe may be but one of perhaps infinitely many universes in an inconceivably vast multiverse. Most of those universes are barren, but some, like ours, have conditions suitable for life. The idea is controversial. Critics say it doesn’t even qualify as a scientific theory because the existence of other universes cannot be proved or disproved. Advocates argue that, like it or not, the multiverse may well be the only viable nonreligious explanation for what is often called the “fine-tuning problem”—the baffling observation that the laws of the universe seem custom-tailored to favor the emergence of life.” Science’s Alternative to an Intelligent Creator: The Multiverse Theory, Discover Magazine

There is one massive problem with the multiverse idea. Because our universe is so fine tuned, it is statistically impossible for this to have happened without guidance from a Higher Power. It would be more probable that someone could throw a dart from earth and hit a bulls-eye on the opposite side of the Moon. However, if there are infinite universes, each having their own set of laws, and every single possibility realized, then the chances of us being here are now 100%. The problem is that this idea is not verifiable, and is in the realm of philosophy. Its implications could also border on the ridiculous. While atheists who claim to believe in science mock believers for believing in fairy tales, if they hold to a belief in infinite parallel universes, they are literally saying they believe in aliens, fairies, and leprechauns. And if every possibility is realized, then there must also be a YHVH.

Ten Dimensions

The opening of the Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Creation, says,

“Ten Sefirot of Nothingness,
ten and not nine,
ten and not eleven,
Understand with Wisdom,
Be wise with Understanding,
Examine with them,
and probe from them…”
Sefer Yetzirah 1:4, translated by R’ Aryeh Kaplan, pg. 38

The Sefirot are YHVH’s attributes, however all of Creation is a reflection of the true Reality above. Michio Kaku writes in his book Hyperspace,

“There was only one period of time when energy on this enormous scale was readily available, and that was at the instant of Creation. In fact, the hyperspace theory cannot be tested by our largest atom smashers because the theory is really a theory of Creation. Only at the instant of the Big Bang do we see the full power of the hyperspace theory coming into play. This raises the exciting possibility that the hyperspace theory may unlock the secret of the origin of the universe. Introducing higher dimensions may be essential for prying loose the secrets of Creation. According to this theory, before the Big Bang, our cosmos was actually a perfect ten-dimensional universe. . . However, this ten-dimensional world was unstable, and eventually it “cracked” in two, creating two separate universes: a four- and six-dimensional universe. . . This six dimensional universe, far from being a useless appendage to our world, may ultimately be our salvation.” Michio Kaku, Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension, Anchor Books, pg. 27

Michio Kaku later stated on video,

“I’m a theoretical physicist, and I like to say that I walk in the footsteps of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, I’m not a philosopher, however I am rather dazzled by the fact that many of the basic mysteries that we find in String Theory and the Theory of Everything seem to be mirrored in the Zohar…” Michio Kaku

Kaku poetically writes in his book Parallel Worlds,

“String theory allows us to view the subatomic particles as notes on a vibrating string; the laws of chemistry correspond to the melodies one can play on these strings;  the laws of physics correspond to the laws of harmony that govern these strings; the universe is a symphony of strings; and the mind of G-d can be viewed as cosmic music vibrating through hyperspace.” Michio Kaku, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, pg. 356

Design

It is well known that music and math are two sides of the same coin. Where does math come from? What is the origin of this universal code language of Creation? In science, this is not a small question.

According to the Rabbis, the Torah is the Instrument and Blueprint of Creation. The Torah is written in Hebrew, and each of its 600,000 letters is equivalent to a number. This concept is called gematria in Hebrew. It is universally recognized that Creation’s foundation is written in the language of mathematics, which is comprised of numbers cloaking the Hebrew letters like garments upon a human being. The Torah’s words reveal formulas, and its sentences are equations that encode the fabric of Hyperspace. The physical world that we perceive is merely its shadow. The Zohar says,

“The Torah proclaims: I was by Him an architect, through me He created the world!” Zohar II:161a, Soncino Press Edition

The book of John says,

“In the beginning (בְּרֵאשִׁית) was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d. The same was in the beginning with G-d. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:1

Pale Blue Dot

At a distance of 135 AU (2.02×1010 km) from the Sun as of June 2016, Voyager 1, is the farthest spacecraft from Earth. If it were to turn around and take a photo today, earth would not be visible as a pale blue dot. Returning to the words of Carl Sagan, who said that “there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves, ” and that we are under a “delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe.”

We actually do have a privileged position on this ‘lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.’ We not only have a fine tuned universe with innumerable coincidences allowing our existence, but we live in a position where we can view and understand this. We live on a planet whose sun and moon line up perfectly, like a hand in glove, during an eclipse. Discover Magazine writes,

“The beautiful symmetry of a total solar eclipse happens because—by pure chance—the sun is 400 times larger than the moon but is also 400 times farther from Earth, making the two bodies appear the exact same size in the sky.” Discover Magazine, 20 Things You Didn’t Know About… Eclipses, LeeAundra Temescu, July-Aug Issue

We are in the optimal position to view the universe, with front row seats in a grand theater. Someone wants us to view the universe. All of the evidence points to a Creator, who is not a distant Deity disinterested in the everyday lives of humanity, but a Hyper-Intelligent Being, focused on every event from the subatomic level to the macro scale of the Cosmic Web. We have every hint of “help” coming from above, to “save us from ourselves.” Since Adam’s sin, all of the universe has fallen, but it is Yeshua, who guaranteed before the sin that he would repair it,

“…the main guarantor is the soul of Mashiach, which is the collective soul of all tzaddikim throughout the generations. Mashiach will complete all rectifications (tikkunim) and fix all the damage that was incurred throughout history. This is why Mashiach suffers on behalf of all Israel—because he serves as guarantor for them all. Therefore, Dovid HaMelekh, who was the Mashiach, entreats G-d, “Be surety for Your servant for good…” (Psalms 119:122). That is, [he declares before G-d,] “Behold, I have been made a guarantor on behalf of all [at the beginning of the Divine plan, prior to creation]. And no one can stand up to help me fulfill my obligation but You alone!” Thus, he entreats, “Be surety for Your servant for good…” (ibid.) (L”H, Arev 4:3, 4).” Breslov Teachings About Mashiach, Breslov Center

R’ Yitzhak Breiter  (1886 – 1943 CE) wrote the following in his Seven Pillars of Faith,

“The soul of Mashiach preceded the world. It is the root of the souls of Israel, and the entire Creation, for “The entire universe was only created to attend him” (Berakhot 6b) and “The Tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10:25). 2. The Holy One, blessed-be-He, took counsel with this soul in the creation of His Universe, as it is written: “With whom did He take counsel, who gave Him understanding and guided Him in the way of judgment?” (Isaiah 40:14). He gave G-d a guarantee that he will repair the Universe.” R’ Yitzhak Breiter, The Seven Pillars of Faith, 7th Pillar: The Tzaddik, Breslov.org

The Mashiach will repair the universe. However, Yeshua taught us that his return is not an excuse for us to reject the responsibility that our Creator has endowed and tasked us with: The Reparation of the World. We are to be his extensions, his emissaries, his representatives in its repair, becoming active agents in the Redemption of this Small Blue Dot. On July 19th 2013, the NASA Cassini spacecraft captured a new updated photo (below) of a bright blue dot against a backdrop of a vast dark ocean of space, full of hope, waiting for her Redeemer.

אָמֵן בֹּאָה־נָּא הָאָדוֹן יֵשׁוּעַ
“Amen! Yes, come, L-rd Yeshua.”
Revelation 22:20