Beshalach

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Parshat Beshalach, Exodus 13:17-17:16. בְּשַׁלַּח

Time and Space as Emergent Phenomena — Abstract

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 of the sea is a metaphor for the collapse of the wave function in quantum mechanics. The Alter Rebbe, the Baal HaTanya, taught us to leiben min hatzait (“to live with the time,” that is, to leave with the current reading of the Torah). Maybe this is why, this week, when we read in the Torah portion Beshalach about the splitting of the sea, I finally understood where time comes from. This question haunted me for more than forty years. Finally, this week, I got it—time emerges through the interaction of consciousness with the universal wave function, causing the sequence of wave function collapses that we perceive as [...]

By |2024-01-25T23:30:32-05:00January 25th, 2024|Beshalach, Collapse of the wavefunction, Creation, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Physics, Quantum Theory, Science, Shemot, Space, Time, Uncategorized, Wavefunction|3 Comments
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Collapse and Revelation

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 in an uncertain state—the state of superposition. The measurement that causes the collapse of the wave function eliminates this uncertainty revealing the state of the system. The collapse occurs as the result of an experiment or observation. It is the discovery of the state of the system. The process of discovery—revelation—in the terminology of Kabbalah—is the process of revealing Alma d’Isgalya (Revealed World) from Alma d’Iskasya (Hidden World). This is why the splitting of the sea can be seen as an allegory of the collapse of the wave function.

By |2024-01-25T22:44:15-05:00January 29th, 2021|Beshalach, Collapse of the wavefunction, Exodus (Shemot), Kabbalah, Passover (Pesach), Pentateuch (Chumash), Quantum Theory, Sefirot, Superposition, Uncategorized, Wavefunction, Zohar|4 Comments
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Relativity of Manna

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 the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent.' And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. (Exodus 16-18) In the desert, Jewish people were given manna—one omer[1] (Biblical measure) per member of the household. Rashi explains: Some gathered [too] much [manna] and some gathered [too] little, but when they came home, they measured with an omer, each one what he had [...]

By |2021-01-26T21:52:05-05:00January 24th, 2016|Beshalach, Exodus (Shemot), Holidays (Yomim Tovim), Parshah, Shemot, Uncategorized|1 Comment
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Manna – Superposition of All Tastes

While traveling in the Sinai desert, Israelites were fed by the heavenly bread – the manna. The Torah portions – parshat Beshalach – states that raw manna tasted like wafers that had been made with honey: וַיִּקְרְאוּ בֵית-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-שְׁמוֹ, מָן; וְהוּא, כְּזֶרַע גַּד לָבָן, וְטַעְמוֹ, כְּצַפִּיחִת בִּדְבָשׁ. 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 made with honey. (Ex. 16:31): However, in Numbers, it says that it tasted like cakes baked with oil: כְּטַעַם לְשַׁד הַשָּׁמֶן The taste of it was as the taste of a cake baked with oil. (Num. 11:8)  The Talmud (Yoma 75b) reconciles this discrepancy by explaining that the tastes varied depending who ate the manna – to small children it tasted [...]

By |2017-02-10T17:47:09-05:00January 13th, 2014|Beshalach, Collapse of the wavefunction, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Quantum Theory, Shemot, Superposition|0 Comments
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Splitting of the Sea

Do you like riddles?  Here is a riddle – what do these two figures represent in the context of Exodus?   No Idea?  How about a hint? Still no idea? Okay, here is the answer: Yes, the first figure represents two doorposts and the lintel marked with the blood of Passover sacrifice, as it says: וְלָקְחוּ, מִן-הַדָּם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל-שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת, וְעַל-הַמַּשְׁקוֹף--עַל, הַבָּתִּים, אֲשֶׁר-יֹאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, בָּהֶם And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it.  (Ex. 12:7) The second picture is of the splitting of the sea, as it says: וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, בַּיַּבָּשָׁה; וְהַמַּיִם לָהֶם חוֹמָה, מִימִינָם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָם And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the [...]

By |2019-01-16T05:59:50-05:00January 12th, 2014|Beshalach, Collapse of the wavefunction, Dreams, Entanglement, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Quantum Theory, Shemot, Superposition, Time, Uncategorized, Uncertainty Principle|0 Comments
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Riddle — the answer

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 is says:  וְלָקְחוּ, מִן-הַדָּם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל-שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת, וְעַל-הַמַּשְׁקוֹף--עַל, הַבָּתִּים, אֲשֶׁר-יֹאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, בָּהֶם And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. (Ex. 12:7) The second picture is of the splitting of the sea, as it says:  וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, בַּיַּבָּשָׁה; וְהַמַּיִם לָהֶם חוֹמָה, מִימִינָם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָם And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. (Ex. 14:22) And both have to do with time. But this is a [...]

By |2014-01-11T23:39:35-05:00January 10th, 2014|Beshalach, Bo, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Shemot, Time, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Riddle — a hint

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 ideas described in the current and the previous sidrot (weekly Torah portions); 2. Don't focus on the differences in these pictures, focus on similarities. 3. The answer has to be expressed in two psukim (verses) -- one from the last parshah and the other from the current parshah describing each respective picture. 4. Last but not least, here are these pictures again with some details:

By |2014-01-10T11:57:37-05:00January 10th, 2014|Beshalach, Bo, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Shemot, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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