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Time as a Combination of Past and Future

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 in theoretical physics. Jewish mysticism has much to say about time.[1] Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital, in the name of the Arizal, quotes a verse: בִּטְחוּ בַיהוָה עֲדֵי-עַד, כִּי בְּיָה יְהוָה צוּר עוֹלָמִים Isaiah 26:4 The standard English translation of this verse, by JPS is: Trust ye in the LORD for ever, for the LORD is GOD, an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:4 This is not a very good translation because it doesn't tell you what specific names of G-d are used in the pasuk. Let us spell out the names in this pasuk to see what is going on: Trust ye in Havyah (Y-H-W-H) for ever, for Kah (Y-H) is [...]

By |2023-07-31T17:43:04-04:00July 30th, 2023|Isaiah, Time, Uncategorized, Vaetchanan|1 Comment

Metaphysics of Time in the Eyes of Philosophy and Kabbalah

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 analyze the nature of time and its relationship to temporal properties such as past, present, and future. J. M. E. McTaggart, by Walter Stoneman, 1917 In McTaggart’s series A, also known as the “A-series” or the “temporal series,” time is understood in terms of the temporal properties of past, present, and future. The A-series categorizes events based on their temporal relations, such as past, present, and future, which are considered essential aspects of events. The A-series views time as a succession of moments where events move from the future, through the present, and into the past. It emphasizes the dynamic and changing nature of time, with events shifting their [...]

By |2023-07-24T10:13:23-04:00July 21st, 2023|Time, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Tetragrammaton and the Standard Model

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. quantum field theory) and Seder Hishtalshelut—the chainlike ontological order of creation—a central doctrine of the Lurianic Kabbalah.[2] In this third installment, we will discover how the proper name of G‑d, the Tetragrammaton, is hard-wired in the standard model. In the Standard Model, all elementary particles are arranged in a four-by-four grid (with the addition of the Higgs Boson in some representations).[3] It is axiomatic in the Kabbalah that all things that are four are rooted in the four letters of the Tetragrammaton: yud (Y), heh (H), waw (W), and heh (H). In the first installment of the Standard Model, we showed that all elementary particles of the Standard [...]

By |2023-07-17T00:30:23-04:00July 17th, 2023|Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz as a Manifestation of Breaking of the Vessels of Tohu

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 Tablets (Luchot) and the breach of the walls of Jerusalem twice—during the First and the Second Temple.[2] It seems that the confluence of these destructive events is not coincidental—all three are manifestations of the spiritual process called in Lurianic Kabbalah, Shevirat HaKelim (the “Breaking of the Vessels”).[3] Many readers may be surprised by the juxtaposition of historical events that happened in this physical world with primordial events that took place in another universe—Olam HaTohu (the “universe of Chaos”)[4] that preceded the creation of our universe—Olam HaTikkun (the “universe of Rectification”)[5] Indeed, how can something that happened before the creation of our universe can affect historical events in this [...]

Quantum Torah WhatsApp Discussion Group

‎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 Faith-Science interface, and all questions related to Torah and science. (Although the primary focus is on Torah and physics, discussions of all natural sciences, philosophy, and mathematics are welcome.) On this blog, I speak to you, my esteemed readers. In the new WhatsApp chat, you can speak to me and to each other. All questions are welcome. Please join, and feel free to invite others with similar interests to join. Spread the word! Here is the link to join my WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HzeLLjGb05THGWBuQzgj87 See you there!Alex Poltorak

By |2023-07-04T21:55:16-04:00July 4th, 2023|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Entrainment by the Red Heifer

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 a vessel. Numbers 19:17 In my essay “Paradox of the Red Heifer,” I proposed a mechanism by which the ashes of the red heifer remove the impurity of death, where I analogized the procedure with resuscitation using a defibrillator.[1] In this essay, I propose an additional mechanism based on the phenomenon of entrainment, which I will explain below. Entrainment In physics and biology, entrainment refers to the synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles.[2] This concept can apply to various systems, from physical phenomena to biological rhythms. Here are a few examples: Physics. In mechanical systems, entrainment refers to the process whereby two interacting oscillating systems assume the [...]

The Standard Model II

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. quantum field theory) and the biblical description of the encampment of the Jewish people in the wilderness of the Sinai Desert. We further demonstrated an even more surprising parallel between the standard model and Seder Hishtalshelut—the chainlike ontological order of creation—a central doctrine of the Lurianic Kabbalah. In this second installment, we will explore the difference between leptons (particles of matter) and bosons (quanta of fields) and discover an intuition for why bosons (except for Higgs) transcend space and time. Finally, we will find a spiritual parallel for the antimatter in the words of Ecclesiastes. Bosons vs Leptons—Transcending Space and Time The parallel between the four worlds on [...]

By |2023-06-28T14:22:04-04:00June 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|1 Comment

The Standard Model

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 doctrines related to the unfolding of spiritual worlds, or the arrangement of the letters in the Name of G‑d? To make connections or parallels between such unrelated concepts may sound farfetched. However, this is exactly what we are going to do in this essay. Remember that in structural analysis, we do not concern ourselves with the specifics or the nature of the objects at hand—we are interested only in the interrelationships among the objects, the high-level structure, or the storyline. So, let us not worry that particle physics speaks of subatomic particles, whereas the Torah speaks of the arrangement of Jewish tribes around the Tabernacle in the desert—topics [...]

Light Above and Light Below

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 physics. Whereas Newtonian physics embraces absolute space and time—the narrative goes—Einstein proved that space and time are relative. Fair enough. However, the relativity of space and time is the consequence of STR, not its first principle. The cornerstone of STR is the absolute nature of light or, more precisely, the invariance of the speed of light, which is the same (in a vacuum) in all inertial frames of reference.[1] As Tim Maudlin, a leading contemporary philosopher of physics, writes: The fundamental feature of the Special Theory is not what it makes relative but what it makes absolute. The speed of light is an invariant quantity under the transformation [...]

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