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 Hilbert space—the domain of infinite potentiality; and (4) the Primordial Serpent as humanity’s inherent aversion to uncertainty—driving the collapse of infinite potentiality into finite actuality. This interpretation offers novel insights into the philosophical implications of the biblical narrative, suggesting deep connections between divine wisdom and modern physics in their understanding of potentiality, actualization, and the nature of consciousness.

In the first installment of this essay, we will focus on the first two parallels: (1) the Tree of Life as the quantum-mechanical wave function—representing the superposition of all possible states; (2) the Tree of Knowledge as measurement—causing the collapse of the wave function to a single definite state.

I.     Introduction

The narrative of the Garden of Eden and its central symbols—the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge, and the Primordial Serpent—has been subject to numerous hermeneutical approaches throughout history. This essay proposes a novel interpretative framework that employs quantum mechanics as an analytical lens, suggesting that the mathematical structures underlying quantum theory provide precise analogs for understanding these biblical symbols. While such an interpretation might initially appear anachronistic, I argue that the correspondence between quantum mechanical principles and Edenic symbols reveals fundamental insights about the nature of reality that transcend boundaries between faith and science.

This analysis operates on three distinct levels: First, it provides a rigorous framework for understanding biblical metaphors through the precise language of modern physics. Second, it offers concrete metaphors for abstract quantum-mechanical concepts, making them more accessible to philosophical inquiry. Third, and perhaps most significantly, it suggests that both the biblical narrative and quantum mechanics point to the same underlying structure of reality—one that encompasses the interplay between potentiality and actualization, between unified wholeness and differentiated particularity.

The methodological approach employed here combines:

  1. Careful textual analysis of biblical text;
  2. Examination of traditional Jewish mystical interpretations;
  3. Application of mathematical concepts from quantum theory;
  4. Philosophical analysis of the resulting correspondences.

This synthetic approach reveals structural parallels beyond superficial analogy, suggesting deep connections between ancient wisdom and modern physical understanding.

II.  The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge

According to Jewish mystical tradition, the Tree of Life (Etz Ḥayim) and Tree of Knowledge (Etz Ha-da’at) are not two separate three—they are two separate states of reality. The Zohar identifies the Tree of Life with higher Sefirot (divine emanations), which suggests a higher consciousness or the existential state transcending ordinary categorical distinctions. The Zohar associated the Tree of Life with a state that transcends ordinary categorical distinctions, as seen in Zohar I:36b, where it discusses how the Tree of Life precedes the division into good and evil.[1] The Tikkunei Zohar’s statement that “everything is included within it [the Tree of Life]” proves especially significant when viewed through a quantum mechanical lens.[2] Some Kabbalistic commentaries extrapolate that unity (the Tree of Life) implies all possibilities (“tastes” in the tree metaphor) are included as one.[3]

Later Kabbalists saw the Tree of Life representing the Sefirot in the middle column—the axis of divine unity. Thus, the sefirah of Tiferet is the middle sefirah that reconciles two opposites—the sefirah of Ḥesed on the right and the sefirah of Gevurah on the left. In this state, the opposites are reconciled, and all flavors and experiences are part of a harmonious whole.

The Lurianic (especially in Eitz Chaim or Sha’ar HaPesukim) often portrays the sin of the Tree of Knowledge as the descent from a state of “unified consciousness” (higher world) into a realm where one must distinguish and choose between good and evil (lower world).[4]

Outside the mystical tradition of Kabbalah, important Rabbinic authorities held that the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge are not two separate trees—they are two separate states of reality.[5] Later, this idea was echoed by Ḥassidic masters.[6]

III.                 The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is mentioned in the Garden of Eden narrative three times:

And the Lord G‑d made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. (Genesis 3:22)

After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)

The last two verses reveal the centrality of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

Identifying the Tree of Life with quantum-mechanical wave function requires careful examination of both the traditional sources and the mathematical structures they parallel. In Jewish mystical tradition, the Tree of Life represents not merely a singular entity but rather a state of reality characterized by unified multiplicity. This conception finds precise correspondence in the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics.

Biblical Evidence

The biblical text itself provides crucial support for this interpretation. The divine directive, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat” (Genesis 2:16), employs the universal quantifier “every” to indicate totality. Significantly, the Tree of Life remains unmentioned in this context precisely because it represents the undifferentiated state encompassing all possibilities.

Mathematical Parallelism

The quantum mechanical wave function ψ (traditionally denoted as the Greek letter psi) provides a precise mathematical analog to these biblical concepts. Just as the wave function represents a superposition of all possible states before measurement, the Tree of Life represents all potential “tastes” or experiences in their undifferentiated state. This parallel extends beyond mere analogy when we consider the mathematical properties of wave functions in Hilbert space: (a) the wave function’s ability to exist in multiple states simultaneously (the state of superposition) corresponds to the inclusion of all possibilities (all possible tastes) in the Tree of Life;[7] (b) wave functions are normalized to have the magnitude of 1[8]—allegorically speaking, this parallels the Tree of Life’s unified nature that is rooted in the oneness of G‑d; and (c) complex phases between superposed states are analogous to interrelationships between potential “tastes.”[9]

Talmudic Sources

The Talmudic discussion of manna (Yoma 75a) provides an instructive parallel, stating, “The manna would assume the taste of whatever the eater desired.” The manna’s ability to assume any desired taste (due to its spiritual root being in the Tree of Life) represents a physical manifestation of superposition in traditional Jewish thought. As I wrote in my essay, “Manna – Superposition of All Tastes,” manna was indeed in the superposition of all possible tastes.[10] And so was the Tree of Life. The psychological component—where individual consciousness affects taste—mirrors the role of measurement in quantum mechanics, suggesting an early intuition of the relationship between consciousness and physical reality.

Philosophical Implications

This correspondence between the Tree of Life and wave function suggests several profound philosophical implications:

1. Reality’s fundamental nature may be one of unified potentiality rather than differentiated actuality.

2. Consciousness is crucial in transitioning from potential to actual states.

3. The biblical narrative may encode the blueprint of the mathematical structure of reality.

These parallels raise important questions about the relationship between divine wisdom and ancient traditions on the one hand and modern physical theories on the other. We must consider the possibility that traditional religious metaphors captured fundamental aspects of reality that quantum mechanics would later express mathematically.

IV.                 The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

The Tree of Knowledge: Measurement and Wave Function Collapse

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil presents a paradigm shift from unified potentiality to differentiated actuality. This transformation mirrors the quantum mechanical concept of measurement-induced wave function collapse, warranting rigorous analysis of the textual evidence and its physical parallels.

Textual Analysis

The biblical text presents an apparent contradiction that demands resolution:

The universal permission: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat” (Genesis 2:16)

The specific prohibition: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Genesis 2:17).

This tension between two verses representing universal inclusion and particular exclusion suggests that the Tree of Knowledge represents not merely another object within Eden but rather a fundamentally different mode of existence. The resolution lies in understanding these verses as describing two distinct states of reality rather than two separate physical entities.

The Act of Differentiation

The biblical narrative provides crucial insight into the nature of this transformation:

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat. (Genesis 3:6)

The text emphasizes three distinct evaluative judgments (“good for food,” “delight to the eyes,” “desired to make one wise”), marking the emergence of human discriminative consciousness—da’at (“knowledge”). This represents the first instance of comparative human assessment in the biblical narrative, fundamentally different from divine evaluation. While G‑d’s seeing “that it was good” affirms essential goodness without creating opposition, human evaluation necessarily introduces differentiation and choice—a prototype of measurement activity in quantum mechanical terms.

Tasting a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represents choosing one possibility out of many, which is a shift from the plurality of possibilities of the Tree of Life to a single state. In quantum mechanics, this shift mirrors the act of measurement, which collapses the wave function into a single, definite state. Measurement is the process through which one possibility is selected from many, bringing clarity but also limitations.

Quantum Mechanical Correspondence

The parallel between this biblical account and quantum measurement theory reveals striking structural similarities: (a) the interaction with measuring apparatus in quantum mechanics parallels the evaluative judgment and selection in the biblical narrative; (b) the collapse of the wave function upon measurement into a single definite state (eigenstate) out of the plurality of possibilities parallels tasting of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge selected among “every fruit”; (c) the definite state (eigenstate) parallels the experience of specific taste in the biblical narrative with the loss of other potentialities.

The Role of Consciousness

Choosing something that looks good creates a differentiation between “good” and “not-so-good” or even “evil.” This creates the consciousness of separation, division, and duality.[11] The Torah calls it the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Knowledge necessarily requires differentiation. When eating manna, which was in the state of superposition of all possible states, Israelites used their faculty of da’at (דעת, “knowledge”) to imagine a particular taste that made manna taste like that. The parallel between the measurement and eating from the Tree of Knowledge is clear. Both chose one possibility out of many using human consciousness—the faculty of da’at (“knowledge”).

The emphasis in the biblical text on “knowledge,” designating the forbidden tree as the Tree of Knowledge, proves particularly significant. This term in Hebrew connotes not merely passive awareness but active engagement and discrimination. This parallels the quantum mechanical measurement problem, where consciousness potentially plays a crucial role in the collapse of the wave function: the conscious collapse of the wave function (from many—possibly infinite—number of states to a single eigenstate) by a participating observer in Von Neumann-Wigner interpretation parallels the reduction of the infinite number of tastes (that is, potentialities) to a single taste by a discriminating human in the Garden of Eden.

Metaphysical Implications

This correspondence suggests profound implications:

1. Reality’s fundamental nature may be indeterminate until conscious observation.

2. The act of measurement/knowledge necessarily involves the reduction of possibilities.

3. The primordial “fall” may allegorically represent a transition from quantum to classical reality.

Rabbinic Sources

Later rabbinic and mystical sources support this interpretation. The Talmudic discussion of da’at as binding and connecting (Berachot 33a) suggests consciousness’s role in concretizing potential into actual. This aligns with quantum measurement theory’s understanding of observation as determinative.

G‑d’s warning, “For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17), reflects the consequence of collapsing the wave function. In the quantum metaphor, death symbolizes the loss of infinite potential and entry into a finite, constrained reality.

Kabbalistic sources echo this theme. The fall from the Tree of Life’s unified consciousness to the fragmented knowledge of good and evil represents a spiritual “death”—a separation from the source of infinite life and connection. Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin and the Sfas Emes describe this as a transition from dveikut (unio mystico, cleaving to G‑d) to a fragmented, mortal existence.

Conclusion

This analysis reveals profound structural correspondences between the Edenic narrative and quantum mechanics, suggesting that biblical wisdom captured fundamental aspects of reality that modern physics would later formalize mathematically. The demonstrated parallels—the Tree of Life as wave function, the Tree of Knowledge as measurement—transcend mere analogs to reveal common underlying principles about the nature of reality, consciousness, and human knowledge.

Endnotes:

[1] See, for example, Zohar I, 36b, and Zohar II, 175b, which discuss how Adam’s sin introduced divisiveness into the world.

[2] Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun #70 (standard edition around p. 134–135)

[3] In Or Yakar on Zohar I, 36b, Ramak speaks about how Adam’s prior state was a direct reception from the higher unity (Tree of Life). Once he ate from the Tree of Knowledge (dualities), the world of separation took hold.

[4] Sha’ar HaPesukim on Bereishit.

[5] This idea is mentioned in the Moshav Zekenim, quoting R. Yosef Kara. Tur states the same idea in the name of R. Yosef Kimchi. Some authors attribute this idea to R. Ezra ben Shlomo of Gerona (a brother of the famous thirteen-century kabbalist Azriel of Gerona), Sod Etz HaDa’at; however, Sod Etz HaDa’at is an unpublished manuscript, and I was not able to verify this reference.

[6] In Torah Or and Likkutei Torah on Bereishit, the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi) differentiates between “the simple divine consciousness” (associated with the Tree of Life) and the “mixed consciousness” of good and evil) introduced by the Tree of Knowledge. Later Rebbes of Chabad elaborate that when one is in a state of pure G‑d-consciousness, all goodness or all “flavors” are included in a higher unity represented by the Tree of Life, whereas once you taste from the Tree of Knowledge, you perceive the fragmented world comprised of discrete pieces—some appealing, some not. Works like Resisei Laylah or Tzidkat HaTzadik (Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin) often contrast the pristine unity of “before the sin” with the fragmented knowledge of “after the sin.” He describes that partaking of the “Tree of Knowledge” introduced the vantage point of comparing and labeling “good” vs. “bad,” which in turn creates the concept of “preference.” The Sfas Emes (Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger) on Parashat Bereishit often discusses how Adam, before the sin, existed in a state of d’veikut (cleaving to G‑d, unio mistico)—a unified vision of reality. Once he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, he entered a state where he had to judge and choose between “good” and “not good.” The Sfas Emes portrays the Tree of Life as that undivided reality. The Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch identifies the Tree of Life with the Sefirot Ḥokhmah and Binah (including six lower sefirot), whereas the Tree of Knowledge is identified with the sefirah of Malḥut.

[7] The mathematical expression of the wave function in the state of superposition: |ψ⟩ = Σ cᵢ|ψᵢ⟩.

[8]  ∫|ψ|²dx = 1.

[9]  ψ = |ψ|eiθ.

[10] Alexander Poltorak, “Manna – Superposition of All Tastes,” QuantumTorah.com, January 13th, 2014 (https://quantumtorah.com/manna-superposition-of-all-tastes/), retrieved January 14th, 2024.

[11] R. DovBer Pinson spoke about this at length in his lecture “Kabbalah, The Secret of the Snake.” https://youtu.be/4NYqG4ItYMk  (retrieved 1/13/2025).

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