Kohelet Rosh Hoshana Sermon, Day 2 2003
Mark Levy
I want to use the Rosh Hoshana theme of return to discuss the most basic of religious principals, the belief in G-d. At Kohelet we do a pretty good job of discussing more than the ethical principals and meditative aspects of Judiasm, and we sometimes touch on the presence of G-d in our lives. But still we seldom confront directly the key question of G-d’s existence. And I know that most of us wonder whether we are kidding ourselves, whether we are creating a reality in religious belief that serves a psychological purpose for us, but perhaps is purely human in its origins. Or to hearken back to Susan’s theme, if we heard G-d tell us to get up and go, would we believe it was possible G-d could be there to deliver that message.
I am not the first to have doubts about G-d. It is a dilemma for the ages, fed by the role of tragedy and evil in our lives, and the evils perpetrated over the centuries by some claiming to do so on G-d’s behalf. Adding to doubt about G-d in the 20th century was the advance of science that appeared to explain what had previously been attributed to G-d, the creation versus evolution debate being the most central issue in this debate.
In my quest to remain sane amidst this confusion, I recently read a book called “The Hidden Face of G-d”, by Gerald Schroeder, an Israeli who has a PhD in Physics from MIT. In this time of rational thought, Schroeder makes two key points that use science to make the case for G-d, and make life a little easier for those who want to be able to explain why they believe what they believe. First, he argues that the human body and the human brain in particular is far too complex to have developed without a guiding hand. Second, that Quantum physics has revealed that the building blocks of our world is information; and that information that is woven into energy and then into matter. These patterns of information can be understood as a pervading wisdom, that brings new meaning to the Jewish concept of Oneness. Quantum physics and our new understanding of the complexity of life provide a powerful construct for a belief in G-d based in our pervasive Western scientific perspectives, and consistent with Jewish theology.
First, I will talk a bit about quantum physics. Following from Einstein’s stunning discovery that matter was a form of energy, others found that all matter had related to it a wavelength and a particular frequency, that is, a certain number of wave cycles per second. Not only have we learned that matter was energy, we now understand that everything has a wave function, that is, patterns of information that form the Universe. Schroeder concludes that science is approaching the realization that the entire universe is an expression of information, wisdom, an idea, just as atoms are tangible expressions of something as ethereal as energy.
The creation of our Universe, the Big Bang, created a massive burst of energy from which everything was created. Schroeder concludes that “we look at the world and see a marvelous creation. A myriad of forms fill the landscape. Diversity seems to be the message. But when we look below the surface, we discover a world made of identical particles that are actually waves and then realize that the waves are massless expressions of information. Physics has exposed the metaphysical basis of existence.”
To me the power of these ideas goes to the root of Judiasm. We say, Hear O Isreal, Adonioi is our G-d, Adonoi is One. Other than an expression of belief in a single deity it has not struck me as particularly profound till now. Now when I say it I think of the world around us as a single unified expression of an idea contained in a burst of energy billions of years ago. Within the idea is a structure so complex as to imply a wisdom worthy of our awe and worship.
Schroeder says the Aramaic translation of the first lines of the Bible are “With wisdom G-d created the heavens and the earth.” The wisdom or ideas expressed as energy is in every part of us and everything around us. If the complexity in the World is based on an ancient wisdom that exists in and and around us at every moment, so too can the Judaic structure and ethics that govern our lives emanate from and be guided by that wisdom.
Now let’s consider the complexity of the human brain where this Judaic structure resides. Schroeder explains that the axon of each neuron connects with as many as a hundred thousand dendrites of other neurons. The branching is stupendous, a million billion connections. That’s a million billion points within our heads at which neurotransmitters are racing, sending information from nerve to target nerve.
As much as we hope to understand about this complexity, Schroeder points out that some answers seem unlikely to appear. “When thinking about sight, think of the symphony of molecular reactions of each optic nerve as the multitude of nerves communicate impulses, analyzing each impulse, deciding whether or not to pass on the pulse to other regions and other nerves. Think wonder. And ponder how a batch of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and a few other elements came together to cooperate so very wisely, thousands, even millions of times every second, throughout the brain and body. Had Darwin known of the wisdom hidden within life, Schroeder concludes he has confidence Darwin would have proposed a very different theory.
Now let me be clear this is not an anti-evolution stance, merely a recognition that evolution seems a somewhat fantastical theory without some original guiding construct and pretext behind it, that is the wisdom and information provided by a creator .
Together the recognition of the energy and information basis of all existence and the unfathomable complexity of the life forms generated from this orchestra of information create a powerful defense of traditional Jewish thought. Whether you call it the big bang or creation, the World’s existence began in a moment, guided by a wisdom beyond our comprehension. It led to the existence of the beauty, complexity, ethical constructs, and the awe and wonder that forms the basis of our traditions.
It also led to a world filled with pain and suffering, alongside the beauty. If it all comes from the same wisdom, the challenge of physical disaster and free will must have been required for the information to transform us from the beginning to the intended form of humans in the universe. Hopefully, given the current state of affairs, our development is far from over, but that is a topic for another day.
As we consider Rosh Hoshana and a heartfelt return to our religious principals, and as our efforts to solidify the future of this worldview by moving to a larger synagogue; this world of science tied to religion can provide us understanding of our past and hope for our future.