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Rosh HaShanah—the Beginning of Change I

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 this essay, I suggest an alternative (almost literal) translation that reveals a new meaning. The word "rosh" is cognate with "reishit," meaning “beginning.” The word "shanah" is cognate with "shinui," meaning “change.” Therefore, Rosh HaShanah can be translated as the Beginning of the Change. Aristotle equated time with change (Physics). Change itself is unthinkable outside of time as change can only occur in time—first, there was something, and then, it became something else. So, change and time are essentially synonymous. Thus, we can translate Rosh Hashanah as the Beginning of Time. Moreover, what is the beginning? Any process extended in time has the beginning, the middle, and the end. However, what is the [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-10-31T23:43:24-04:00October 2nd, 2024|Physics, Rosh HaShanah, Science, Symmetry, Time, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Principle of Least Action III — History

Principle of Least Action III — History

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 number of laws, most wisely established, suffice for all movements. Pierre Louis Maupertuis (1744) Among the more or less general laws, the discovery of which characterize the development of physical science during the last century, the principle of Least Action is at present certainly one which, by its form and comprehensiveness, may be said to have approached most closely to the ideal aim of theoretical inquiry. Its significance, properly understood, extends, not only to mechanical processes, but also to thermal and electrodynamic problems. In all the branches of science to which it applies, it gives, not only an explanation of certain characteristics of phenomena at present encountered, but [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-10-13T21:24:17-04:00September 10th, 2023|G‑d, Kabbalah, Mathematics, Mathematics, Physics, Principle of Least Action, Science, Sefirot, Teleology, Time, Tzimtzum, Uncategorized|0 Comments

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

Creation—Destruction—Reconstruction

Structurally identical biblical accounts of creation, destruction, and restoration are viewed as a manifestation of dialectic triad thesis-antithesis-synthesis.

By Alexander Poltorak|2022-11-20T10:39:28-05:00November 11th, 2022|Collapse of the wavefunction, Creation, Genesis, G‑d, Husband and wife, Kabbalah, Noach, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Quantum Theory, Resurrection, Sefirot, Time, Uncategorized|2 Comments

It Is Not Good For Man To Be Alone

It Is Not Good For Man To Be Alone

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) The end of this verse is rather puzzling. Why would the woman designated as a helpmate for Adam be opposite (literally “against”) him? One can perhaps soften things by translating the Hebrew eizer kenegdo as “counterpart.” However, in a literal translation, the question remains. A simple explanation is well known: if a man is worthy, his wife would be his best friend, ally, partner, companion, and helpmate. If the man is not worthy, however, his wife would be his opponent and antagonist. An esoteric interpretation offered by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, in his commentary on this verse in “Torah Ohr,”[1] provides a deeper meaning. He writes [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2020-02-07T13:30:15-05:00February 7th, 2020|Bereishit, Bereshit, Collapse of the wavefunction, Creation, Genesis, G‑d, Isaiah, Kabbalah, Names of G‑d, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Sefirot, Space, Symmetry, Time, Uncategorized, Wavefunction, Zechariah|0 Comments

Three Angels: Past, Present, and Future

Three Angels: Past, Present, and Future

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 day; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood over against him… (Genesis 18:1-2) In the Torah portion Vayeira, three men appeared to Abraham as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent. The Talmud states that these three men were angels: Michael, Gabriel, and Rafael. Michael came to tell that Sarah will give birth to a son; Raphael came to heal Abraham after his circumcision; and Gabriel came to destroy Sodom. However, on a metaphorical level, it appears to me that these three angels personify three aspects of time: past, present, and future. Here are several clues that hint at [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2020-11-03T21:24:36-05:00November 17th, 2019|Bereshit, Genesis, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Time, Uncategorized, Vayeira|1 Comment

Noah’s Ark — Sailing through the Flood of Time

Noah’s Ark — Sailing through the Flood of Time

Time is a storm in which we are all lost. " (William Carlos Williams, Introduction to "Selected Essays") I always had a hard time relating to the story of the Flood on a literal level. Why would G‑d want to wipe out all people He created in full knowledge that they would sin? Like it was a surprise for G‑d! G‑d, who exists above time, which He created, cannot be surprised—He knows the future. Then why to create humanity, just to destroy it later? And animals. . . what was their fault? They have no freedom of choice. They act on instincts hardwired in their genome as they were created. Why punish them? Lots of questions, few answers. If the Torah says the flood happened, it must have happened. However, the Torah is [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2020-11-03T18:03:07-05:00November 2nd, 2019|Bereshit, Genesis, Isaiah, Noach, Pentateuch (Chumash), Sefirot, Time, Uncategorized, Zohar|12 Comments

Fitting Pieces of the Puzzle Together

Fitting Pieces of the Puzzle Together

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 Merkava, “The Making of the Chariot.” For background information, refer to the previous posts, “Space – Between Future and Past,” “Relational Space,” and “Collapse of the Wave Function.” Regular readers of my blog may be wondering about my last post “Futurist Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics,” which was about my new interpretation of quantum mechanics. This is not a physics blog, however; the Quantum Torah blog is about Torah and physics (or, more broadly, Torah and science). What did the last post have to do with Torah? Hopefully, it will all now become clear. Last Shavuot I had a very unusual experience. Sitting in shul listening to the reading [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2019-06-21T13:21:11-04:00June 21st, 2019|Collapse of the wavefunction, Ezekiel, Freedom, G‑d, Holidays (Yomim Tovim), Kabbalah, Names of G‑d, Physics, Quantum Theory, Relativity, Science, Sefirot, Shavuot, Spirituality, Superposition, Time, Topology, Uncategorized, Wavefunction|2 Comments

Futurist Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

(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 of the most successful theories of physics that withstood the test of time. Indeed, it is one of the best-tested theories known to science. Yet, we hardly advanced in our understanding of the meaning of QM since its inception almost a century ago. The indeterministic nature of the theory puts it at odds with both classical physics and our intuition, and continues to perplex physicists and philosophers of science today as it perplexed Einstein, who famously said, “G‑d does not play dice with the universe!” Superposition and entanglement seem to defy common sense and, yet, they have been confirmed experimentally time and again. The phenomenon known as the [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2019-06-21T07:41:52-04:00June 19th, 2019|Collapse of the wavefunction, Physics, Quantum Theory, Randomness, Relativity, Science, Superposition, Time, Uncategorized, Wavefunction|5 Comments

Space – Between Future and Past

Space – Between Future and Past

Meditations on the Maaseh Merkavah – I We do science by studying nature. We study physics in a lab, peering into space or working out mathematical models with pencil and paper to see if they fit experimental data. However, great mystics of the past were able to see how this world operates by gazing into spiritual worlds above. On Shavuot, the holiday when we celebrate the revelation on Mount Sinai, we read the prophecy of Ezekiel (the First Vision of Ezekiel) called Maaseh Merkavah (or Ma'aseh Merkabah)—Work of the Chariot. Masters of Kabbalah have taught us that understanding the Work of the Chariot gives the initiated an understanding of the works of nature. This Shavuot, studying and thinking about Maaseh Merkavah, I came to understand some profound insights about the physics of space [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-06-09T17:14:43-04:00June 13th, 2019|Ezekiel, Fractals, G‑d, Holidays (Yomim Tovim), Kabbalah, Names of G‑d, Physics, Relativity, Science, Sefirot, Sefirot, Shavuot, Space, Spirituality, Tanakh, Time, Topology, Uncategorized|7 Comments

Shabbat Bereshit – Past, Present, and Future

Shabbat Bereshit – Past, Present, and Future

In the last post, Tishrei—Past, Present, and Future, we discussed how all Tishrei holidays – Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah – are connected by the same thread of time and, more specifically, the unification of past, present, and future. This cluster of Tishrei holidays is culminated and concluded with Shabbat Bereshit, when we start the new annual cycle of reading the Torah. Not surprisingly, Shabbat Bereshit follows the same pattern of unification of past, present, and future. The Torah starts with the creation of the world. The story of Creation, obviously, relates to the past. The word “bereshit,” means, in the beginning. The root of “bereshit" is “reshit” – beginning. Beginning, however, points into the future – to something that will follow the beginning in the future. The Lubavitcher [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2018-10-07T17:42:31-04:00October 7th, 2018|Bereishit, Bereshit, Creation, Holidays (Yomim Tovim), Parshah, Rosh HaShanah, Simchat Torah, Sukkot, Time, Uncategorized, Yom Kippur|0 Comments

Tishrei — Past, Present, and Future

Tishrei — Past, Present, and Future

The months of Tishrei is full of holidays, and they all share a common theme—the unification of time—past, present, and future. Picart, Blowing of the Shofars on Rosh Hashanah It all starts with Rosh HaShanah. Traditionally translated as the New Year, it literally means the Head of the Year. The word shanah has the same letters as the word shinui — “change.” As Aristotle famously wrote, time is change. The sages of Kabbalah agree—time, in its essence, is change. Thus, Rosh HaShanah can be translated as the Head of Time, or the Beginning of Time (since a related Hebrew word, reshit means the “beginning”). Indeed, it is all about time. Rosh HaShanah has three main themes—Ziḥronot (remembrances), Shofrot (Sounds of the Shofar), and Malkhiot or Kabalat Ol Malkhut Shamayim (acceptance of [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2023-10-17T22:54:50-04:00September 29th, 2018|Bereishit, Holidays (Yomim Tovim), Kabbalah, Names of G‑d, Pentateuch (Chumash), Rosh HaShanah, Simchat Torah, Sukkot, Sukkot, Time, Uncategorized, V'Zot HaBerachah, Yom Kippur|0 Comments

Passover Seder—The Arrow of Time

Passover Seder—The Arrow of Time

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 Haggadah. The Seders is a play in four acts: Kiddush (sanctification), Magid (telling the story of the Exodus), Shulchan Orech (the festive meal), and Nirtzah (Hallel—the prayer for the Messianic redemption). This sequence sets the natural arrow of time past-present-future. The Past. During the Magid part of the Seder, we retell the story of the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt—the narrative of our history. Eating of the matzah, drinking four cups of wine and other "simonim" (symbols) of the Seder table—bitter herbs, an egg, a bone, charoset, etc.—are all symbols that have historical significance. This part of the Seder clearly represents the past. The Present. During [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2019-04-14T16:45:56-04:00March 30th, 2018|Passover (Pesach), Time, Uncategorized|1 Comment

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 Alexander Poltorak|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

It’s the Time, Stupid!

It’s the Time, Stupid!

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 the beginning of the book of Exodus (Shemot). The story of Joseph’s incarceration ends with his successful interpretation of the dreams of the Pharaoh’s chief butler and the chief baker. Joseph's genius was not only in interpreting ordinary objects (tendrils of grapes and baskets of bread) as symbols of the units of time but in understanding that the engagement in time (manifested in the chief butler’s personally squeezing the grapes into the cup and placing the cup in Pharaoh’s hand) symbolized life for the chief butler and the passivity of the chief baker (who dreamt of baskets of bread sitting on his head, with birds eating from the baskets) [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2021-01-14T23:27:27-05:00December 31st, 2013|Dreams, Exodus (Shemot), Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Time, Uncategorized, Vayeira|0 Comments

On the Nature of Time and the Age of the Universe

Presented at the International Torah and Science Conference in Miami International University on December 18, 2005 Alexander Poltorak Introduction. This is the third in a series of articles, in which I attempt to sketch various approaches to reconciling a cosmological age of the universe currently estimated at 13.75 billion years with the Jewish tradition setting this age at less than six thousand years (5770 as of the day of this writing, to be exact). The first article [1] tackled this problem from the point of view of Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics suggesting that there were two distinct forms of existence—physical and proto-physical—and that the first conscious observers, Adam and Eve, collapsed the universal wavefunction, bringing the world from amorphous proto-physical existence into tangible physical existence. This approach leads to two distinct [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2020-10-15T23:00:27-04:00August 15th, 2012|Age of the Universe, Cosmology, Spirituality, Time, Uncategorized, Wavefunction, Witnesses|8 Comments