Synopsis The narrative of the “stolen blessings” in Parashat Toldot presents a profound moral paradox: How could Rebecca, a righteous prophetess, and Jacob, the archetype
Stars, Sand… and Silence Abraham’s blessings sparkle with cosmic imagery—stars above, dust below. But when God blesses Isaac, the patriarch of gevurah, something extraordinary happens:
The third aliyah of Parshat Toldot presents a profound metaphor through Isaac’s well-digging enterprise. Isaac re-opens his father’s wells, stopped up by the Philistines; then
Dwell in this land. (Genesis 26:3). In famine, with every natural instinct pointing south toward Egypt, Isaac (Yitzḥak) is told to stay. The Midrash notes
In the first aliyah of the Torah portion Toldot, the Torah turns inward: before Jacob and Esau become nations, they are in conflict within one
Chayei Sarah and the Physics of Makifim and Pnimim Synopsis This essay reveals a profound numerical convergence between Torah and quantum physics through the number
Summary This essay examines two consecutive narratives from Parshat Vayeira, each featuring a well and each posing a distinct epistemological challenge. Hagar’s well (Genesis 21:19)
(Parshat Vayeira, Genesis 21:14-21) Hagar and Ishmael are dying of thirst in the desert. In her despair, Hagar places her son under a bush and
There is not a Shabbos in which we do not read the parasha of Lot (Bereshis Rabbah 51:9) The Kabbalistic Dimension: Hidden Unities and Dimensional
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have become worn out, will I have ednah [renewal]?” (Genesis 18:12) Sarah’s laugh is more than skepticism—it
When G‑d promises great wealth to Abram, after Abram refuses the spoils of war offered by the King of Sodom, Abram retorts: What can You
Neither from a thread to a sandal-strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours… (Genesis 14:23) After defeating five kings, Abraham (then called Abram)
When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he mustered his trained men… and went in pursuit. (Genesis 14:14) Abraham just separated from
And the Lord said to Avram, after Lot had separated from him… “I will make your seed like the dust of the earth.” (Genesis 13:14–16)
Yesterday we spoke about traveling into the self; today, Abraham is told to step outside: And He took him outside, and He said, “Please look
And the Lord said to Abram: Lech lecha—go forth from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, to the land that I will show
Two diets framed early humanity. In Eden, humans ate only plants; meat was forbidden. The Talmud teaches: Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Meat was
The Waters Above and Below Introduction At first glance, the Flood narrative reads like a stark morality tale: humanity sins; G‑d decrees destruction; one righteous
Quanta of Thought | Parashat Noach The story of the Tower of Babel seems, at first glance, like a triumph of human unity. All spoke
Cheshvan[1] is a quiet month with no festivals. Chazal call it Marḥeshvan[2] (“Bitter Ḥeshvan,” because mar means “bitter.”[3]). After the high of Tishrei, with High
Everyone marvels at the beauty of a rainbow—its perfect arc, its radiant colors. Yet, in truth, the rainbow doesn’t exist out there. The spectrum of
In the aftermath of the Great Flood, God places a rainbow in the sky as an eternal covenant with humanity. Yet this celestial arc is
When the world was overwhelmed by chaos, Noaḥ found grace in the eyes of G-d (Genesis 6:8). The Zohar explains that “grace” (ḥein) is a
Summary This essay proposes an allegorical (remez) interpretation of Genesis 2, reading the second creation narrative as a prophetic template for humanity’s creation of artificial,
This Simchat Torah was the most joyous I have felt in years. News of the hostages’ release on the eve of the holiday lifted mountains
Today is Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot. Six years ago, I wrote “Chol HaMoed—Days in Superposition,” exploring how these intermediate days
VeZot HaBerachah and the Hoshana Rabbah custom of striking the ground with willow twigs tl;dr Incense (ketoret) means “binding,” which we interpret as entanglement; the
“Ein simchah ke’hatarat ha-sfeikot”—there is no joy like the resolution of doubt. On the eve of Rosh HaShanah, our sages describe a cosmic pause: the
TL;DR: Ha’azinu’s warning about a “no-people” (b’lo-am) finds chilling relevance in the modern “Palestinian” identity—a political construct created in 1964 by the KGB and Arab
This week’s parashah is Ha’azinu—Moses’s final song, a duet between heaven and earth that asks creation itself to listen. “Give ear, O heavens… let the
In many Ashkenazi communities, the day after Yom Kippur is nicknamed Gott’s Nomen, Yiddish for “G-d’s Name.” Chassidic sources associate the four days between Yom
By Alexander Poltorak לע”נ אבי מורי, אברהם שמשון ע”ה בן ראובן Between the jubilation of Rosh HaShanah and the solemnity of Yom Kippur lie ten
The ten days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are called Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Penitence). As the prophet says: Seek G-d while
Dear Readers and Friends, As we enter the new year, I extend to you heartfelt wishes for a שנה טובה וגמר חתימה טובה—may you and
I. Introduction Every year on Rosh HaShanah, the raw, unarticulated cry of the shofar cuts through silence. For Kabbalah, that cry is not mere ritual
My Dear Readers and Friends, It’s hard to believe, but Quantum Torah is turning twenty. When I posted my very first essay back in 2005
Alexander Poltorak Abstract This essay addresses the anigmatic statement of the Jewish Sages, stating that G-d created this world with the letter Heh and the
… mi‑b’sari echezeh Elokah—From my flesh I behold G‑d (Job 19:26) Introduction – “In His Image” The Torah’s initial description of humanity is both profound and enigmatic:
Korach Revolt Korach, the proto‑egalitarian, cried: All the community are holy… so why do you exalt yourselves? (Numbers 16:3). Chassidut explains that holiness is indeed
Introduction The Alter Rebbe once remarked in Yiddish, “Leben mit der tzait” (live with the times), meaning that one should live with the current Torah
By Alexander Poltorak Introduction In the first installment of this essay, “Collapsing the Wave Function of Urim and Thummim,”[1] we discussed the inherent duality of
By Alexander Poltorak Abstract This essay explores the profound connections between the biblical laws of tzaraath (Leviticus 13-14) and modern concepts of entropy and the
By Alexander Poltorak Abstract The Torah portion of Shemini records the climactic eighth day of the Tabernacle’s dedication, the moment when divine fire finally descends.
By Alexander Poltorak Introduction The relationship between the laws of physics and the conditions necessary for life is among the most profound mysteries in both
By Alexander Poltorak I. Introduction Modern physics has revealed a fascinating and perplexing reality at the quantum level, in which particles do not seem to occupy
By Alexander Poltorak “G‑d is a mathematician”Carl Friedrich Gauss I. Can We Prove that G-d created Axioms of mathematics? 1. Introduction A reader challenged me with a
By Alexander Poltorak Dedicated to the refuah shaleimah (a complete and speedy recovery) of David ben Leah And thou shalt put in the breastplate of
By Alexander Poltorak And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubim
By Alexander Poltorak This essay is dedicated to the Upsherenish of our dear grandson, Tzemach Asher Noam, Sheyiḥiyeh, which took place today in Houston. May
By Alexander Poltorak The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge as Metaphors for the Wave Function and Measurement Summary This essay proposes a
By Alexander Poltorak I. Introduction The confrontation between Jacob and an unidentified being in Genesis raises fundamental questions about the nature of consciousness, identity, and
By Alexander Poltorak This essay is a sequel to the earlier installments, “The Binary Universe II: Angels as Microprocessors,” “Binary Universe III: Two Camps of
This post continues the discussion we began in “Bereshit: The Binary Universe I” and continued in “The Binary Universe II: Angels as Microprocessors” and “Binary
This post continues the discussion we began in “Bereshit: The Binary Universe I” and continued in “The Binary Universe II: Angels as Microprocessors.” At the
Introduction This essay is a sequel to “Bereshit: The Binary Universe I.” The first instalment explored the ideal of a binary universe hinted at by
Introduction Building upon our interpretation of the four classical elements as developmental stages in the formation of physical reality, we find a remarkable parallel in
The parallels we have uncovered between the four elements, the letters of the Tetragrammaton, and the worlds of Seder Hishtalshelut suggest that the ancient sages
And G-d said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife: “Behold now, I know
Abstract This essay explores the profound significance of the letter Bet (ב), the first letter of the Torah, and its numerical value of two as
The Guardian, “Israeli football fans attacked after match in Amsterdam” (c) Yesterday, on November 7, 2024, just two days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a
This essay explores a novel parallel between quantum mechanical principles and the biblical creation narrative through etymological analysis of the Hebrew terms “erev” (evening) and
Sukkah: the portal into the Holy Land Sitting with my wife in our sukkah-hut recently, I was struck by a memory from some four decades ago.
Abstract This essay explores the profound connections between language, philosophy, physics, and spirituality in the context of Rosh HaShanah. By examining the linguistic roots of
It’s All in the Name Rosh HaShanah is usually translated as the New Year. When translated literally, it means the “Head of the Year.” In
Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst swear
Introduction In this essay, I intend to draw a parallel between the singularity in space-time, such as the putative point of origin of the universe
Zealotry and Mercy: Parallels Between Pinchas and the War in Gaza The biblical story of Phinehas (Heb. Pinḥas or Pinchas) presents a complex moral scenario
The Temple Menorah served as a lighthouse, illuminating darkness and providing purpose and direction.
And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Leviticus 12:3 In the Torah portion of Tazria, we are commanded to
The Torah portion Tzav describes a ritual performed by Moses in consecrating Aaron as the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) and his sons as priests (kohanim):
In his commentary on this week’s Torah Portion, Yitro, Rabbi Chayim Vital, writing in the name of his teacher, the Ari-zal, states that Abel was
The current Torah portion Beshalach tells about the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. As I discussed in my essay, “Collapse and Revelation,” the splitting
The story of Joseph and his brothers, described in the Torah portion of Vayeshev, presents many problems. Classical biblical commentators interpret the conflict between Joseph
Like most Jewish families worldwide, last Shabbat, the conversation revolved around the situation in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. The question was,
The October 7th attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel was a double surprise. The brutality and barbarism of the attack, the unspeakable cruelty of the
And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of
I agree, all its elegance notwithstanding, the principle of least action does not prove the existence of an intelligent Creator. In a sense, when it
The spectacle of the universe becomes so much the grander, so much more beautiful, the worthier of its Author, when one knows that a small
The spectacle of the universe becomes so much the grander, so much more beautiful, the worthier of its Author, when one knows that a small
The least action principle is an expression of teleological reasoning where the initial states of the system are determined by the endpoints—the beginning and the
Philosophers struggled with the notion of time from the dawn of human civilization. Physicists of today declared the problem of time the number one problem
A-Series and B-Series as Zman and Seder HaZmanim McTaggart’s series A and series B are two conceptual frameworks proposed by the philosopher J.M.E. McTaggart[1] to
In the first installment of the Standard Model,[1] we uncovered a curious parallel between the arrangement of the elementary particles in the Standard Model (a.k.a.
Today, on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, Jewish people fast to commemorate several tragic events in Jewish history.[1] These tragic events include the breaking of the
Open this link to join my WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HzeLLjGb05THGWBuQzgj87. This Group is dedicated to the discussion of posts on this blog, issues related to the
And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the purification from sin, and running water shall be put thereto
In the first installment on the Standard Model, we uncovered a curious parallel between the arrangement of the elementary particles in the Standard Model (a.k.a.
Introduction What could the Standard Model of particle physics possibly have in common with biblical accounts of the Israelites’ travels in the Sinai Desert, Kabbalistic
Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (STR) is broadly misunderstood by the public. In most popular science books, relativity theory is hailed for introducing relativity to
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. Ludwig Wittgenstein On Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon of the Hebrew month of) Sh’vat,
Cartesian dualism, or mind-body dualism, formulated by the French scientist, mathematician, and philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650), holds that the body and the mind (which he
Structurally identical biblical accounts of creation, destruction, and restoration are viewed as a manifestation of dialectic triad thesis-antithesis-synthesis.
Noah’s flood was a cataclysmic event with no parallels in recorded history. All of humanity (along with flora and fauna)—except for Noah and his family
To Mendel Almost three years ago, in December of 2019, I posted an essay, “The Tree of Knowledge as a Metaphor for Superposition of States
The history of Creation can be expressed in three words (not even words but mere conjunctions): “and,” “or,” and “and/or,” whereas the history of physics
Ki Tavo And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it,
In the proposed allegorical interpretation, the soldier in the war is a metaphor for the Jewish people, who are all “soldiers” in G‑d’s army Tzivot
This week we study the Torah portion of Eikev, which we will be reading this Shabbat in synagogues. This Torah portion contains the second section
Introduction Today, on Tisha B’Av—the ninth day of Av, this year commemorated on the tenth day of Av because the ninth is Shabbat, when mourning
The forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot are called the days of Sefira or the days of counting Omer—Sefirat HaOmer—when Jews count every day as
The renowned Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, in a 1932 letter to his son, the future Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, explained the inner
This is the fourth installment in the series of essays on the nature of the soul. The first three installments can be found here: What
…[H]e who tries to cure the soul, wishing to improve the moral qualities, must have a knowledge of the soul in its totality and
In the biblical story of the creation of Adam, the Torah states: Then the Eternal G‑d formed man of the dust of the ground, and
Introduction Most Americans believe in an immortal soul.[1] Most scientists think the soul does not exist. Why do so many people believe in an immortal
And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass. Geneses 22:3 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all
And G‑d created man in His own image, in the image of G‑d created He him; male and female created He them. And G‑d blessed
Now the earth was unformed and void. Genesis 1:2 We have a big problem in cosmology: the problem of the initial conditions of the universe at
During the Holiday of Sukkot, we celebrate the divine providence that protected Jewish people from the sun and other dangers of the desert during their
Yom Kippur means “The Day of Atonement.” Some view it as a frightening day full of regrets of the past and anxiety for the future.
. . . Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that
The world has lost one of the greatest theoretical physicists of our time—Steven Weinberg (1933–2021). I never met him in person. But I studied his
On this blog, we search for structural parallels between the Torah and science; we look for scientific metaphors that help us to understand the Torah
Now as I beheld the Chayot [living creatures], behold one Ophan [wheel] at the bottom hard by the living creatures, at the four faces thereof. The
A day of joyful festivities turned into a day of tears and mourning. When tragedy strikes, it is not the time for analysis or finger-pointing.
We are quite familiar with space—we move freely in space back and forth; we concur space on land and beyond; we reclaim land from sea;
The collapse of the wave function is the process of revealing hidden possibilities. Reducing uncertainty reveals information. Until the wave function collapse, the system is
And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick… Exodus 1:14 On a literal level, the Egyptian exile (Galut Mitzrayim)
And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his
And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. (Genesis 30:21) In my previous essay, “The Conflict Between Joseph And His Brothers—A Gender
The confrontation between Joseph and his brothers is one of the most troubling stories of the Bible. Joseph and his brother—twelve sons of Jacob—were the
So the present passed over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the camp. And he rose up that night, and took his
Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (Genesis 29:16) Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (the
And these are the chronicles of Isaac… (Genesis 25:19) So Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter
And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob, her son, saying: “Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying: Bring me venison, and make me
And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. (Genesis 25:1) Keturah: This is Hagar. She was called Keturah because her deeds were as
And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. (Genesis 25:1) The Written Torah (Torah shebi-Khtav) tells us only that Abraham took another
And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah (Genesis 25:1) As I discussed in the earlier essay, “Yom Kippur – Disentangling the
This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. And
Michael Frayn’s 1998 play, Copenhagen, concerns a meeting between two great physicists, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, in 1941 in Copenhagen. In this play, the
And He said: “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer
So Abram went, as the Eternal had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him… And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s
A light shalt thou make to the ark…with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. (Genesis 6:16) We mentioned in the previous posts
A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; with rooms shalt thou make the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:14)
And G‑d said: “Let there be light.” And there was light. And G‑d saw the light, that it was good; and G‑d separated between the
Sweeping Infinities Under the Rug—or Renormalization Having dealt with internal contradictions in the previous section (see Physics of Tzimtzum I — The Quantum Leap and
Congratulations to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel, and Andrea Ghez for wining the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for their contributions to establishing the existence of
In the previous post “Physics of Tzimtzum I—The Quantum Leap”, we gave a general overview of the mystical doctrine of tzimtzum—the cornerstone of Lurianic Kabbalah.
Introduction “In the beginning G‑d created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning G‑d created the heavens and the earth,” the Torah
A Study in Form and Matter And Moses prayed for the people. And the Eternal said unto Moses: “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the
In the beginning, G‑d created the heaven and the earth…[1] (Genesis 1:1) Classical biblical commentators have given the first words of the Torah many
Шавуот Праздник Дарования Торы Aлександр Полторак Закончился праздник Песах. Все евреи поспешно убрали пасхальную посуду в особые шкафы или на чердаки до следующего Песаха.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11) The word translated here as “life” in the Hebrew original is nefesh, i.e.,
There is a Biblical Commandment to count the days between the Passover and Shavuot, the “Feast of Weeks” (a.k.a. Pentecost). We start counting on the
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange
And every meal-offering of thine shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy G‑d to be lacking
The Torah portion Vayakhel deals with the construction of the Mishkan, i.e., the “Tabernacle.” In Kabbalah, the Mishkan is viewed as a microcosm that represents
It is related that on the day that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died, the Sages decreed a fast, and begged for divine mercy so that he
On the Eve of Shabbat, we received a government mailing containing documents that we were required to fill out and send back to the Census
In the beginning G‑d created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) The first verse in the Torah is key to understanding the fundamentals
…And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain
Now the Serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Eternal G‑d had made. (Genesis 3:1) When G‑d placed Adam
And the Eternal G‑d said: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate opposite him.” (Genesis 2:18)
As we discussed in the previous post “Singularity and Paradise,” Paradise offers a beautiful metaphor for modern cosmology wherein Eden is the initial singularity preceding
These are the chronicles of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Eternal G‑d made earth and
As we discussed in the earlier post, The Tree of Knowledge as a Metaphor for Superposition of States and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, the Heisenberg uncertainty
As always in science, every answered question breeds new questions. Now that we understand that the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are
And out of the ground made the Lord G‑d to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; and the
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: “We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of the tent in the heat of the
And Abraham drew near, and said: ‘Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt
Time is a storm in which we are all lost. ” (William Carlos Williams, Introduction to “Selected Essays”) I always had a hard time relating
Strings vibrate, Souls tremble, Angels are running and returning, G‑d is touching and not touching – The rhythms of the universe… Nothing stays still… all
At the end of the first chapter of the Torah, Genesis (Bereshit), G‑d regrets, as it were, creating humanity that became depraved: And the Lord
Jews have a very strange custom to take four species (Heb. arba’a minim)—a fruit of a citron tree (etrog), a branch of a date palm (lulav), boughs from the myrtle tree (chadassim),
Today is Chol Hamo’ed Sukkot – the intermediate days between the first and the last days of the holiday of Sukkot. These days are not
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land of Canaan, this
Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad …. of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters:
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes
Meditations on the Maaseh Merkavah – IV This is the fourth and the final installment in the series of posts related to Ezekiel’s prophesy, Ma’aseh
(A popular summary of the paper “Towards Futuristic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics” by Alexander Poltorak being currently prepared for publication) Quantum mechanics (QM) is one
Meditations on the Maaseh Merkavah – III This is the third installment in the series of posts related to the Ezekiel’s prophesy, Maaseh Merkava, “The
Meditations on the Maaseh Merkavah – II This post is a sequel to my previous post, “Space – Between Future and Past.” For background information,
Meditations on the Maaseh Merkavah – I We do science by studying nature. We study physics in a lab, peering into space or working out
The Special Theory of Relativity, published by Albert Einstein in 1905, was a game changer. It ushered the era of new physics dubbed by some
And all the tithe of the herd or the flock, whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.” (Leviticus 27:32)
And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of
It’s easy to blame anti-vaxxers. But should we? They come from a good place – they want to protect their children. As parents, we make
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, designated for a man, and not at all redeemed, nor was freedom given her;
In my post, “Ye Shall be Disentangled,” I suggested that the verse: “Ye shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your G‑d, am holy” (Levit.
Amicus est Socrates, magister meus, sed magis est amica veritas. “Socrates is my friend but a greater friend is truth” – Plato c. 428-348 BCE.
March 14 is celebrated by nerds around the world as the Pi Day. When written in digits, 3/14 represents first three digits of the number
Welcome to the premiere of our first film, Quantum Torah. You can watch the film here: Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel here:
I am excited to announce that the premiere of our film “Quantum Torah” is scheduled for this Friday, March 1st. You can see the trailer
Vectors, Spins, and Gender Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him
Coming soon to a theater near you. Watch a trailer:
When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by
And Moses said: “Thus saith the Lord: About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the first-born in the land of
In a Kabbalistic meditation on lighting Chanukah Menorah, the Arizal links the menorah lights with a supernal river (see Candle on the River). The Arizal’s
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: “We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with
November 19, 2018 And he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold! a ladder set up on the ground and its top reached to heaven; and behold, angels
…and he [Jacob] took some of the stones of the place and placed [them] at his head, and he lay down in that place (Gen. 28:11)
And he [Avraham] spoke with them, saying, “…Listen to me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar. That he may give me
And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years… (Gen. 23:1) Why did Esther merit to rule over 127
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month… all the fountains of the great
And G‑d saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
In the last post, Tishrei—Past, Present, and Future, we discussed how all Tishrei holidays – Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah – are
The months of Tishrei is full of holidays, and they all share a common theme—the unification of time—past, present, and future. It all starts with
Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth! (Deut. 32:1) In this Torah portion Haazinu, Moses
Sefer Yetzira speaks of three dimensions: Olam, Shanah, and Nefesh (Sefer Yetzirah, 6:4.) Olam means “world” and signifies space. Shanah means “year” and signifies the dimension of
The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz (a.k.a. the Fridriker Rebbe) told the story about his father, the Rebbe Rashab. Once the brother of Rebbe
If a bird’s nest chances before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother sitting
The Torah portion, Re’eh, talks about the Sabbatical Year—in Hebrew, Shemitah—the Seventh year. When the Sabbatical year comes, all loans are forgiven, and Jewish servants
The Torah portion Re’eh, begins with the verse: Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. (Deut. 11:26) The first word
In my last post, Tisha B’Av on Shabbat – A Relativistic Perspective, I wrote that G‑d created His sanctuary in four dimensions — Bet HaMikdash
Yesterday was the 9th day of the month of Av or, in Hebrew, Tisha B’Av. Usually, Tisha B’Av is marked by mourning and fasting. Yesterday,
The Passover Seder is called seder, i.e., “order” not without a reason. It is a highly structured and orchestrated ceremony that follows the ancient script—Passover
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both
This is what Haman did not understand. Even at the highest level, where there is a complete symmetry between Jacob and Esau, G‑d chooses Jacob—a
In physics, we seek Grand Unification, also known as the Theory of Everything. The Standard Model describes three out of the four fundamental forces: the
In the Torah portion Miketz, Pharaoh has two dreams. He wakes up agitated and calls on all the wise men of Egypt to interpret his
The story of Joseph’s incarceration ends with his successful interpretation of the dreams of the Pharaoh’s chief butler and the chief baker. He ingeniously interpreted ordinary
And he [Abraham] lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him… (Genesis 18:2) On this blog, we often discuss
Why is this night different from all other nights, asks a child on the Seder night. On this Simchat Torah I asked a different question—why
According to the tradition passed down to us from the Baal Shem Tov, the day after Yom Kippur is called the Holiday of G‑d’s Name.
In memory of my father, Abraham Shamshin ben Reuven, ע”ה For those of us who can’t get enough of Schrödinger cat, comes a new
Ye are standing this day all of you before the Lord your G‑d: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the
…Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the Lord thy
And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the testimony; and at even there
Continuing the theme of my last post, Mishkan – a Metaphor for Quantum Reality, the analogy between the Tabernacle (“Mishkan”) and quantum reality goes even
And when the Tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it
And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Eternal and died. (Leviticus
This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of
At the end of the weekly portion, Tetzaveh, the Torah speaks of the burnt offerings (Heb. qorbanot) and the incense offerings (Heb. qetoret). The Lubavitcher
Ultimately, I suppose Einstein was right—G‑d does not play dice. So when Haman reached that spiritual level through casting the lots, he discovered the true
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the ark-cover. And make one
Today, Yud Shvat, is the yartzeit (anniversary of passing) of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, a.k.a. the Rebbe Rayatz, or the Frierdiker
And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim
The Talmud (tr. Shabbat) discusses two opinions about the manner in which we are to light Chanukah menorah. According to Hillel, we light the first
As I wrote in my post, Schrödinger Menorah: Burning And Not Burning, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, explains the miracle of Chanukah as
The miracle of Chanukah revolves around a single-day-supply of olive oil burning for eight days during the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (Bet
And he arrived upon the place and lodged there all night, because the sun was set; and he took from the stones of the place,
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred years and thirty years and seven years (Gen. 25,17) You might say the
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא Genesis 1:1 The Torah starts with two words—Bereshit bara—“In the beginning, G‑d created…” (or, as Rashi translates it, “At the beginning of creation
Albert Einstein had a lifelong quest—to develop a unified field theory—the theory that would describe as a single field gravity and electromagnetism (just as Maxwell
This post is a continuation and the conclusion of the previous post, THE FIFTH FORCE. Aside from the connection with the last week’s Torah portion,
Now, therefore, write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel.” (Deut. 31:19) The four known fundamental forces are: gravitational
According to the Saadia Gaon, these two Torah portions – Nitzavim and Vayelech – are really one portion, which sometimes is split into two. In the
In the Torah portion Emor (Leviticus 21:1–24:23), we are instructed to abstain from work every seventh day on Shabbat. Next week’s Torah portion, Behar, continues
Last week Torah portion, Emor, speaks about the prohibition of working on Shabbat. In fact, the Talmud enumerates precisely 39 categories of labor forbidden on
Gravitational waves discovered last year and announced last week are converted into sound waves giving the astronomers the ear into the cosmos. Characteristic sounds of
A hole in Kabbalah is called “rah” (evil). The reason for that is, as content is lost due to a leakage through the hole, forces of
This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to
This week, we read in the Torah portion Vayigash (Gen. 44:18–47:27) about Joseph revealing himself to his brothers and Jacob coming to Egypt with his family. This
Synopsis This essay reads Jacob’s agreement with Laban over the streaked, speckled, and spotted sheep as far more than an odd detail in an ancient
And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other… And it came to pass, that,
Dedicated to the memory of Professor Yaakob David Bekenstein The Torah opens with the word “Bereshit” – in the Beginning – whose first letter, Bet,
Sitting this Yom Kippur at the Synagogue I was thinking about Passover Seder. No, not because I was so hungry that I was dreaming about
When G‑d created the first humans, Adam and Eve (Chavah), He created them as one. And G‑d created man in His own image, in the
Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and
What came first, the Schrödinger cat or the fig of Rabbi Akiva? You be the judge. Today we present a guest post by Rabbi Dr. David
Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments,
Numbers 8:1-12:16 In the wisdom of the Kabbalah, the Jewish people are seen as a single body. This body has different organs. For example, a
We all know that we leave in a three-dimensional world. Up-down, right-left, forward-backward – these are well-familiar to us directions in three dimensions of space
We frequently discuss on this blog the state of superposition – the mixed state unique to quantum mechanics, in which the system can be in
This post is a continuation of the earlier post, The End of Days I. In this Torah Portion, Shemot, we read about the encounter between
In this Torah portion, Vayechi, Jacob, gathers his children to reveal to them “Ketz HaYamim”–“the End of Days.” Rashi explains that Jacob’s intention was to
Today is the eighth day of the month of Tevet. On the 8th of Tevet of the Jewish year 3515 (246 BCE), the Torah was
I grew up in Russia and was raised on the metric system based on decimal arithmetic. When we immigrated to the U.S., I had to
Today is Yud Tes Kislev — Rosh HaShanah of Chasidut. Today I received two gifts, which I’d like to share. Lately, while learning Samach Vov,
The mezuzah is one of the few miẓvot ([divine] “commandments”) for which the Torah states its reward. In this case, the reward is a long
A man once came to a rabbi with said news – his cat just died. Rabbi politely expressed his sympathy to the owner of the
In this Torah portion, Devarim (Deuteronomy 1-3), Moses recalls the travels through the Sinai desert when G‑d told him: Be not at enmity with Moab,
These are the journeys of the children of Israel… (Numbers 33:1) When G-d brought the Jews out from Egypt, He brought them out with the mystery of
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Lyadi (the first Rebbe of Chabad and the author of Tanya), known as the Alter Rebbe once said, we must leiben min hatzait – live with the time,
In my essay “Secrets of the Talking Ass,” I discussed the phenomenon of Bein HaShmashot (twilight or dusk), which is neither day, nor night, nor
A strange episode at the end of the last Torah portion, Balak, where Phinehas (Pinchas) slain a Jewish prince caught in the act with a
And G‑d opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Bilam: “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these
…And they prophesied in the camp. (Num. 11:27) In the Torah portion Behaalotecha, there is an interesting narrative: And the Lord said unto Moses: ‘Gather
Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: “When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.” (Num. 8:1)
Passover has ended. All Jews hastily return their Passover dishes to storage in special cabinets or the attic until the next Passover. After an eight-day
The story of Sotah, a suspected adulteress, is very troubling on the first blush. Why would a woman be subjected to such humiliation? The Lubavitcher
In quantum mechanics, the state of a physical system is described by the so-called wave function (or the “wavefunction”). All attempts by Schrödinger, who first
As we began this Shabbat reading the Fourth Book of Torah—Numbers, I thought, it would be appropriate to post on this blog an excerpt from
Ye shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your G‑d, am holy. Leviticus 19:2 This Torah portion begins with an astonishing statement: Speak unto all
On Seder night we drink four cups of wine and eat three matzoth. Why four cups and not three? Why three matzoth and not four?
The Shulchan Aruch – the Code of Jewish Law – states that 30 days before Pesach (Passover) one needs to start learning the laws of
The holiday of Passover – Pesach – is called zman cheruteinu– time of our freedom. As we have discussed many times on this blog (see
Today is Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet – the New Moon and the beginning of the second month of Adar. If we ever to have a month
Reading the Haftorah this Shabbat brought to mind scenes from the 2004 Republican National Convention in Madison Square Garden in New York City where attendees where
And let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them (Ex. 25:8) In modern physics, there are two paradigms usually expressed as locality
The Torah portion of Yitro (Ex. 18), is the high point of the story of Exodus—the giving of the Decalogue on Mount Sinai. In a strange
And the house of Israel called the name thereof manna; and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers
Do you like riddles? Here is a riddle – what do these two figures represent in the context of Exodus? No Idea? How about
And the answer is… (drum roll, please) Yes, the first figure represents two doorposts and the lintel marked with blood of Passover sacrifice and circumcisions as
There were some good ideas expressed in the comments. Close, but no cigars. Here are some hints for you folks: 1. These two pictures express
I’ve never done this before on this blog, so this a first — a riddle: What do these two figures represent? Please post your answers in the Comment
Bo: Exodus 10:1 – 14:16 The Erev Shabbat parshat Bo (the Eve of Sabbath of the week when we read the Torah section Bo) 2014
As we have discussed in the post, It’s the time, stupid, Pharaoh never got the message that it’s all about mastery of time. To make
There is a continuous thread about the mastery of time that weaves through the last chapters of the book of Genesis (Bereshit) and continues through
It is unsurprising, then, that spiritual phenomena have never been experimentally detected in a laboratory setting. Spirituality, by definition, is non-physical. Consequently, no physical laboratory
…And behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed.” (Ex. 3:2) Every theologian worth his salt along
And the angel of the Eternal appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and,
In the Torah portion Vayeishev (Gen. 37:1–40:23), we read about Joseph interpreting dreams of the Pharaoh’s chief butler and the chief baker: And the chief butler told
Reading the Torah, sometimes, can give a false impression of reading a story, albeit the greatest story ever written. This Divine drama involves colorful characters,
The story of entangled twins is continuing in the Torah portion Vayeitzei (Genesis 28:10–32:3.) Structurally, it is very similar to the story in the previous Torah
Entanglement is often called the most baffling and quintessential phenomenon in quantum mechanics. What is entanglement, in a nutshell? Two particles born from one reaction
Give me the Machpelah (double) Cave Genesis 23:9 The first legal acquisition of land in Israel takes place in this Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, when Abraham
Some people may be fooled by randomness but, when we realize that randomness opens the door to the Divine, we are saved by randomness. It
This Rosh HaShanah I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that I was giving a lecture in cosmology at a university when I suddenly realized
By the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall the one liable to death be put to death; he shall not be put to
Massei — Bamidbar-Numbers 35 Whoever kills a person, based on the testimony of witnesses, he shall slay the murderer. A single witness may not testify
Pinchas You shall apportion the Land among these as an inheritance, in accordance with the number of names. To the large [tribe] you shall give a
Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid… The cow
The Hebrew words taharah and tumah, which are the subjects of the Torah portion of Chukat (Numbers 19:1–22:1), are usually translated as ritual purity and
Koraḥ the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kehos, the son of Levi took [himself to one side] along with Dasan and Aviram, the sons
And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln…
And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln…
Acharei Mot 1. And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, when they drew near before the Lord, and they
Vaikra-Leviticus 14:35-36 (Metzora) 35. and the one to whom the house belongs comes and tells the kohen, saying, “Something like a plague has appeared to
On the penultimate day of the Passover Holidays (which is called Shvii shel Pesach – the Sevenths Day of Passover), we read in the
There is hardly a Jewish holiday more widely celebrated than Passover (Pesach). Jews of all denominations, affiliations, and levels of religious observance, if any at
I came across a post by Rabbi Herzl Hefter on Mekom Torah that I found so profound, I felt compelled to repost it here. The
And he dreamed, and behold! a ladder set up on the ground and its top reached to heaven; and behold, angels of G‑d were ascending
B’reshit bara Elokim et hashamaim v’et haaretz… In the beginning, G‑d created heaven and earth… Alternative translation: With two beginnings G‑d created heaven and earth…
On the Age of the Universe in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics[*] Alexander Poltorak Abstract The present paper addresses the apparent discrepancy
Presented at the International Torah and Science Conference in Miami International University on December 18, 2005 Alexander Poltorak Introduction. This is the third in
Towards Reconciliation of Biblical and Cosmological Ages of the Universe[1] Alexander Poltorak Abstract Two opposite views of the age of the universe are considered.
A story is told about a bachur (an unmarried young man) who came in the 60s to the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the yechidus (private audience)
And he shall take the two he goats, and place them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And Aaron shall
In the Torah portion Tazriah (Leviticus 13), the Schrödinger cat[1] gets leprosy. Well, it’s not really leprosy, it’s a mysterious supernatural disease called tzara’as, nowadays translated