Torah

Tzaraath, Black Holes, and Holographic Principle

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 holographic principle in physics. Tzaraath, often misunderstood as mere leprosy, is interpreted as a physical manifestation of underlying spiritual and social disorder and discord, particularly linked to destructive speech (lashon hara). The essay argues that the elaborate rituals of diagnosis, isolation, and purification for tzaraath function to contain and reduce this spiritual/social entropy, restoring social order and inner harmony. Parallels are drawn to Jacob Bekenstein’s discovery that black hole entropy is proportional to its surface area, and the subsequent idea that the information content of a spatial volume might be encoded on its boundary—the holographic principle. It is suggested that a spiritual analog of Beckenstein-Hawking entropy expressing the [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-04T18:59:15-04:00May 2nd, 2025|Cosmology, Entropy, Information, Leviticus, Metzora, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Tazria, Tazria u’Metzora, Thermodynamics, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Shemini,Phase Space,Hamiltonian Mechanics: Kabbalah and Physics of Seven and Eight

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. Classical commentators see in the contrast between the first seven days and the eighth the difference between the natural and the supra‑natural. This essay revisits that symbolism from the standpoint of contemporary physics. First, it reassesses the traditional link between seven and the “natural order.” Second, it proposes that the six spatial–momentum coordinates of classical phase space, together with time, provide a more precise physical analogue for the seven midot than the usual six directions of space plus a temporal axis. Finally, it explores an unexpected resonance between the Hamiltonian action integral and the Tetragrammaton, suggesting that the principle of stationary action mirrors the scriptural affirmation, “For I Y‑H‑W‑H do [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-04T18:42:44-04:00April 28th, 2025|Freedom, Kabbalah, Leviticus, Malachi, Mathematics, Mathematics, Names of G‑d, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Principle of Least Action, Science, Sefirot, Shemini, Space, Time, Uncategorized, Vayikra|0 Comments

Divine Fine-Tuning and the Evolution of Physical Laws

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 science and theology. Physicists have long wrestled with the so-called “fine-tuning problem,” which highlights that even minute deviations in the fundamental constants could render the universe barren. Some interpret this precision as mere happenstance or the product of countless alternate universes—a multiverse; others envision an evolutionary process acting on cosmic laws themselves. Traditional Jewish sources offer yet another perspective, suggesting that G‑d created and destroyed multiple universes—each with distinct configurations—before settling on the life-supporting cosmos we inhabit. In this essay, we examine the fine-tuning problem alongside theories of evolving physical laws, as well as classical and mystical teachings on the Tabernacle (Mishkan) as a microcosm of creation. By [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-11T13:51:40-04:00March 30th, 2025|Bereishit, Bereshit, Cosmology, Creation, Exodus (Shemot), Genesis, Kabbalah, Metaphysics, Parshah, Pekudei, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Physics, Shemot, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Eternity Between the Cherubs

Eternity Between the Cherubs

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 which are on the ark of the testimony, of all that I will command you concerning the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:22) Introduction The Torah section Terumah contains instructions given to Moses by G‑d about several important elements of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), such as the Ark of the Testimony (Aron), the cherubs (cherubim), menorah, and the altar. After concluding the instructions concerning the making of the Cherubim, G‑d tells Moses that it is from between the Cherubim that He will speak to Moses. Midrash Tanchuma explains: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “From between these two figures—these cherubim—shall I converse with you; there will [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-04T18:37:48-04:00March 2nd, 2025|Exodus (Shemot), Kabbalah, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Sefirot, Shemot, Space, Terumah, Time, Uncategorized|2 Comments

The Paradise: A Metaphor for Quantum Mechanics I

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 novel interpretation of the Edenic narrative through the conceptual framework of quantum mechanics, establishing systematic correspondences between biblical symbols and quantum-mechanical constructs. Through careful analysis of biblical texts and their mystical interpretations in Kabbalistic and Chassidic sources, combined with precise physical and mathematical formulations, I demonstrate how the Garden of Eden can be understood as a metaphorical representation of Hilbert space—the mathematical foundation of quantum mechanics. The essay develops four primary correspondences: (1) the Tree of Life as the quantum-mechanical wave function—representing superposition of all possible states; (2) the Tree of Knowledge as measurement—causing the collapse of the wave function to a single definite state; (3) Paradise as [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-04T18:36:25-04:00January 25th, 2025|Bereishit, Bereshit, Collapse of the wavefunction, Creation, Genesis, Metaphysics, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Quantum Theory, Superposition, Superposition, Uncategorized, Wavefunction|2 Comments

Human, Angel, or Machine: The Challenge of Consciousness

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 the boundaries between different orders of being. This encounter gains new relevance as we approach an era where artificial intelligence may become indistinguishable from human intelligence. Building on our previous analysis of angels as metaphors for information processing systems found in “The Binary Universe II: Angels as Microprocessors,” “Binary Universe III: Two Camps of Angels,” “The Ontological Ambiguity of Messengers: From Angels to AI,” and “Wrestling with AI: From Divine Dreams to Digital Reality,” this essay examines a deeper ontological ambiguity: the challenge of distinguishing between human and non-human intelligences. II. The Biblical Paradigm The Torah presents two distinct instances of ontological ambiguity regarding angels. The first appears [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-05-04T18:35:25-04:00December 16th, 2024|Angels, Bereshit, Genesis, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Soul, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Vayishlach|0 Comments

Binary Universe III: Two Camps of Angels

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 end of Parshat Vayetze, Jacob meets two camps of Angels: And Jacob went on his way, and angels of G‑d encountered him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of G‑d!” So, he named that place “Mahanaim.” (Genesis 32:2–3) The text indicates that Jacob meets two camps of angels—one set of angels that accompanied him outside the Holy Land and another set that takes over as he re-enters the Holy Land (See Rashi on these verses). The word “Mahanaim” (מַחֲנָיִם) literally means “two camps,” reflecting Jacob’s perception of two distinct angelic groups. In light of our metaphor—angels as transistors—this transition at the border of the [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-12-08T21:40:36-05:00December 8th, 2024|Angels, Bereshit, Binary Universe, Genesis, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Uncategorized, Vayetze|0 Comments

Four Classical Elements: Development and Reinterpretation

Four Classical Elements: Development and Reinterpretation

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 possessed profound insights into the nature of reality that continue to resonate with modern scientific discoveries. This convergence of ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding offers a path toward a more integrated worldview, where scientific and spiritual perspectives complement rather than contradict each other.

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-03-27T23:09:59-04:00November 27th, 2024|Bereshit, Chayei Sarah, Genesis, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Physics, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Sarah in a State of Superposition

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 that thou art a fair woman to look upon. And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.” (Genesis 12:11-13) This passage presents a perplexing scenario. Abraham (then Abram) asks his wife Sarah (then Sarai) to present herself as his sister upon entering Egypt. Classical commentators and the Zohar grapple with Abraham's motives, questioning why he would place Sarah in such a [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-11-10T12:34:00-05:00November 10th, 2024|Bereshit, Collapse of the wavefunction, Fractals, Genesis, Husband and wife, Kabbalah, Lech-Lecha, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Quantum Theory, Sefirot, Song of Songs, Superposition, Superposition, Tanakh, Uncategorized|0 Comments

And there was Evening and there was Morning: Quantum Mechanics in Genesis

And there was Evening and there was Morning: Quantum Mechanics in Genesis

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 “boker” (morning). The study reveals that these terms, which punctuate each day of creation in Genesis, carry meanings that remarkably align with fundamental quantum concepts. "Erev," rooted in the concept of "mixture," parallels quantum superposition, while "boker," stemming from differentiation and discernment, mirrors quantum measurement and wave function collapse.

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-10-31T23:40:03-04:00October 30th, 2024|Bereishit, Bereshit, Collapse of the wavefunction, Creation, Entanglement, Genesis, G‑d, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Quantum Theory, Science, Superposition, Uncategorized, Wavefunction|1 Comment

Zealotry and Mercy: Parallels Between Pinchas and the War in Gaza

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 in which an act of violence is divinely sanctioned as a means to restore order and peace. This narrative brings the ethics of conflict into sharp relief. The story of Pinḥas is found in Numbers 25:1-15. It takes place when the Israelites are encamped in Shittim, and some of them begin to engage in sexual immorality with Moabite women, as well as worshipping their gods. This angers G‑d, who sends a plague upon the Israelites. At the height of this crisis, an Israelite man named Zimri brings a Midianite woman named Cozbi into the camp, in full view of Moses and the whole assembly. Pinḥas, grandson of Aaron [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-07-26T18:53:06-04:00July 26th, 2024|Bamitbar, Numbers, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Pinchas, Reincarnation, Sefirot, Uncategorized, Zohar|0 Comments

The Symbolism of the Menorah

The Symbolism of the Menorah

The Temple Menorah served as a lighthouse, illuminating darkness and providing purpose and direction.

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-06-23T23:25:53-04:00June 23rd, 2024|Bamitbar, Behaalotecha, Biology, Freedom, Kabbalah, Numbers, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Sefirot, Space, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Mystery of the Eighth Day

The Mystery of the Eighth Day

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 circumcise a male child on the eighth day. In the previous Torah portion, Shemini, we read that the dedication of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) also took eight days, and only on the eighth day the Shechinah (“divine presence”) rested on it. What is the significance of the eighth day? Chasidic philosophy interprets the eighth day as the day after seven days. In numerous writings (ma’amarim) and talks (siḥot), the Rebbes of Chabad stated that seven days represent nature, whereas the eighth day is a day above nature.[1] The eighth day represents the supernatural. Why, you may ask, do the seven days represent nature? We are told that the number [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2025-04-28T11:28:17-04:00April 14th, 2024|Kabbalah, Leviticus, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Space, Spirituality, Tazria, Time, Uncategorized, Vayikra|0 Comments

Breaking Symmetry to Inaugurate the Priests

Breaking Symmetry to Inaugurate the Priests

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): And the other ram was presented, the ram of consecration, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And when it was slain, Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. And Aaron’s sons were brought, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot; and Moses dashed the blood against the altar round about. Leviticus [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-04-02T21:26:16-04:00April 1st, 2024|Biology, Chemistry, Leviticus, Malachi, Parshah, Purim, Sefirot, Standard Model, Symmetry, Tanakh, Tzav, Uncategorized, Vayikra|0 Comments

Gazing at the Shekhinah

Gazing at the Shekhinah

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 punished for gazing at the Shekhinah—the divine presence.[1] But what relevance does this have to the Torah portion retelling the greatest event in Jewish history (and, indeed, the history of human civilization)—the Sinaitic epiphany—the giving of the Torah? This is the Torah portion, where we read the Ten Commandments. What is the relevance of the sin of Abel to the Ten Commandments? More generally, what is Abel’s connection to this Torah portion? That is easy to understand. The Torah portion Yitro starts with the story of Jethro (Yitro), Moses’s father-in-law, coming to Moses in the Sinai desert with his daughter—the wife of Moses—and her two children. Rabbi Chayim [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-02-05T15:05:18-05:00February 4th, 2024|Bayesian probability, Collapse of the wavefunction, Exodus (Shemot), G‑d, Kabbalah, Neuroscience, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Reincarnation, Superposition, Superposition, Uncategorized, Wavefunction, Wavefunction of G‑d, Yitro|2 Comments

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 Alexander Poltorak|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

On Freedom of Choice, Divine Providence, and the Hard Problem of Philosophy

On Freedom of Choice, Divine Providence, and the Hard Problem of Philosophy

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 and his brothers in diametrically opposite ways. Some commentators interpret it literally—the brothers were guilty of conspiring to kill Joseph and, ultimately, selling him into slavery, for which they were held accountable.[1] In fact, the brothers admit their guilt: And they said one to another: ‘We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear. . . . Genesis 42:21 Others take the view that these events were predetermined by G‑d. Indeed, in the Covenant Between the Parts, G‑d reveals to Abraham that his descendants will be strangers in a foreign land. Furthermore, [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2023-12-10T21:25:00-05:00December 10th, 2023|Bereshit, Genesis, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Philosophy, Quantum Theory, Randomness, Uncategorized, Vayeshev, Wavefunction|0 Comments

Israel’s Security Lapses as a Reflection of Lot Consciousness

Israel’s Security Lapses as a Reflection of Lot Consciousness

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 terrorists that stunned the civilized world, was shocking but hardly a surprise. The stunning failure of the Israeli intelligence services to anticipate the attack despite the writing on the wall was a surprise. The complete and shocking unpreparedness of the IDF, which took many hours to mount an organized response, after terrorists breached the security fence, killed many hundreds of civilians, and took many hostages, was another surprise. The Israeli intelligence was blissfully unaware of year-long preparations by Hamas and the Israeli army that was caught with its pants down, unprepared to defend Israel’s border with Gaza. The Torah describes three stages of the development of Mashiach consciousness. [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2023-11-03T11:20:50-04:00November 3rd, 2023|Bereshit, Parshah, Uncategorized, Vayeira|1 Comment

Entrainment by the Red Heifer

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 [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2023-07-06T19:54:37-04:00July 3rd, 2023|Biology, Chemistry, Chukat, Ezekiel, Mathematics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Numbers, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Science, Soul, Spirituality, Uncategorized|1 Comment

The Standard Model

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 [...]

By Alexander Poltorak|2024-06-07T19:20:24-04:00May 25th, 2023|Bamidbar, Bamitbar, Kabbalah, Names of G‑d, Numbers, Parshah, Pentateuch (Chumash), Physics, Quantum Field Theory, Quantum Theory, Sefirot, Standard Model, Symmetry, Uncategorized|1 Comment