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Do Torah And Science Agree On Creation?

Renowned engineer might have cracked the code

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The Andromeda galaxy | Photo: Guillermo Ferla (Unsplash)

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It is a question that has long been debated: when did the universe start, along with the Earth and everything in it?

For scientists, there are methods used to pin-point ranges of time for how old certain things are. Geologists look at rock formations and conclude when certain chemical reactions took place. Astronomers measure the distance light travels from a star, to estimate how many years old that star is, at the very least. From the conclusions either one forms – the answer is easily billions of years ago.

As for the Torah, it places creation at about six thousand years ago, plus six days, according to the modern Hebrew calendar. About half of believers of the Jewish and Christian faiths still attest to this. However, others have taken to interpret Genesis days as long periods of time, as science points to a much older date for the Earth and the universe.

Daniel Friedmann is no stranger to the worlds of both science and Judaism. After graduating with a degree in Engineering Physics at the University of British Columbia, he went to work for MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates in 1979.

During his time there, the company played a key role in developing Canada’s satellite systems, primarily RADARSAT. In 1995, he became its CEO, a role he held for roughly 21 years. Today he is the chairman of Carbon Engineering, a company dedicated to the removal of CO2 from the air, as a way of solving climate change.

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Friedmann is also a devout Orthodox Jew who has published five books, including his famed The Genesis One Code, written in 2012. His books primarily focus on clues in the Tanakh and Jewish tradition, that set the timeline of the Genesis creation narrative in line with how science has dated the origin of all things.

In a live discussion/presentation organized by Chabads of Saskatoon, Regina, and the Okanagan, Friedmann elaborated on this code.

The key point made was that a biblical day of creation is a literal day like we all know. However, the Torah, the blue print for creation, contains clues to tell us how long these “days” will appear to be to scientists who assume things came about naturally.

Comparisons between the common scientific calculation of the universe’s creation, and Daniel Friedmann’s findings from the Torah, that he says are remarkably similar. | Photo: Doron Berger

For Friedmann, each day of creation represented a kabbalistic sabbatical of 7,000. He then deduces that each of those years had 365.25 days like the modern calendar does. Then, applying the verse of Psalm 90:4 where it can be interpreted that a “G-d day” is like a thousand of our days, he comes up with an equation of 7,000 X 365.25 X 1,000 or 2.56 billion years, per creation day in the Torah. Meaning that in the literal creation days things were created in their full form appearing to be as old as the formula shows.

Applying this new figure for each creation day in the Torah produces some interesting alignments with modern science’s aging of things: whereas science dates the universe within 13.65 to 13.89 billion years old, Friedmann’s calculation shows the Torah says it will appear to 13.74 billion years old. His figures are roughly in line, as well for when science dates the sun, moon, plants, animals, and modern man.

As for any variance between science numbers and the literal Torah days, Friedmann argues that this can be pointed to things being made in final form instead of developing over time. Friedmann cited Jewish scholars, who long argued that creation was about creating fully formed and ready things  rather than creating all things from scratch. In other words, science could be dating gaseous matter in the universe assuming it developed naturally rather than being created in final form.

According to Friedmann’s calculations, one “creation day” as defined in the Torah is equivalent to 2.56 billion years | Photo: Doron Berger

For Friedmann, G-d, with 3 exceptions, is acting within natural laws so that we would have free will on whether to believe that He put it all in motion. If things could be traced by science, it would be harder to find the divine origin of them.

The only things where God acted outside nature were in exnihillo creations as highlighted in Genesis by the word “created” (bara in Hebrew): the heavens and the Earth, marine life, and the human soul. These things, Friedmann points out, cannot be understood by science. More food for thought.

Daniel Friedmann, seen here at his virtual lecture recently, has published five books, including his famed The Genesis One Code, written in 2012. His books primarily focus on clues in the Tanakh and Jewish tradition, that set the timeline of the Genesis creation narrative in line with how science has dated the origin of all things. | Photo: Doron Berger

Has Friedmann successfully married the worlds of science and Torah together on evolution? The jury is still out, at least with this writer. But what he has come up with has certainly made a stronger case for it.

Doron Berger is a finance professional, a Toronto ex-pat now living in the US. He was a former reporter for Afterword newspaper for five years, and was a feature writer for LandmarkReport.com, an online news site.

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Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

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