On April 4, 2010, Israel’s Yediot Achronot published an
article on its website (ynet.co.il) describing the background of the then
recent dismissal of Dr. Gavriel Avital as the Education Ministry’s chief
scientist. Here are a few lines from that article:
Sources familiar with the affair said Avital was fired over
past statements he had made, in which he questioned evolution and the global
warming theory.
Avital, who was named chief scientist in December 2009, said
Darwinism should be analyzed critically along with biblical creationism.
"If textbooks state explicitly that human beings'
origins are to be found with monkeys, I would want students to pursue and
grapple with other opinions. There are many people who don't believe the
evolutionary account is correct," he said.
Honestly, I think there is not much difference between
firing a religious man for not conforming to mainstream scientific views and
imprisoning Copernicus – a scientist
who would not conform to mainstream religious views. Moreover, according to the
above-quoted excerpt, Dr. Avital’s “sin” was simply his advocating
intellectual honesty. All he said was that students should “grapple with other
opinions.” Silencing such voices of “heresy” is far easier and more convenient
than actually listening to and analyzing that which other intelligent people
may be thinking.
Having said that, I believe that religious thinkers - as
well as secular ones - should do their best to study the idea of evolution in
depth, for I am certain that there is much benefit to be gained by doing
so. As I will later show, accepting or rejecting Darwinism can have serious
philosophical and practical ramifications.
Ever since the theory of evolution was introduced, it was
very difficult for most Jewish thinkers to accept as we will see in Rav Kook’s
explanation. But I can think of a simple explanation that can account for many
people’s hesitation to get anywhere near the subject: Some scientists
deliberately do not differentiate between theory and fact and between facts and
their possible interpretations. The fact that for so many people evolution is
synonymous with sacrilege is to be blamed on those who try to use the theory to
promote their atheistic belief. Most religious responses to this were not
thought through deeply, rather were instinctive and natural response to
being attacked.
Despite all of the above, the matter should be dealt with
boldly, which is exactly what Rav Kook did.
On June 13, 1905, Rav Kook wrote a letter discussing his
views on evolution (Igrot Ha’re’aya 1:91). Among other things, he wrote
the following:
… even if it became clear to us that the world has developed
by way of the evolution of species – still there is no discrepancy [with the
Torah]. We count the years in accordance to the simple meaning of the verses of
the Torah, which is more relevant to us than any historical knowledge - which
has little to do with us. And surely the Torah is ambiguous in regards to
creation, and it has spoken with hints and analogies, for everyone knows that
the story of creation is included in the secrets of the Torah… And the most
important lesson is that which assists us in the knowledge of God and in leading
a truly moral life…
Rav Kook moves past what some would view as a major
theological problem with ease by stating that the fact that we now count 5772
years since creation is in accordance with the simple reading of the verses but
does not necessarily reflect historical and scientific facts. The Torah is
first and foremost a book that was given to us by God for us to improve
ourselves and the entire world morally. The Torah describes many stories and
details which are all true, but there is no reason to assume that this truth
always reflects physical realities.
Later in the letter Rav Kook explains that God makes sure
that humans are capable of coping with new ideas before he allows those ideas
to be revealed. The example he gives is that if thousands of years ago people had
known that the world was round, they would have constantly been afraid of
falling off the globe (!) and thus would be much less productive. Scientific
revelations are rationed by the Almighty so that they will benefit humankind
and do no harm.
Yet Rav Kook seems to take a somewhat half-hearted approach by
writing expressions such as “even if it became clear”. At this point he is not
advocating the idea rather asserting that it does not conflict with Jewish
belief.
That changed between 1905 and the time he wrote the passages that were
published in Orot Ha’kodesh.
In the chapter Hit’alut Ha’olam in the second part of
Orot Ha’kodesh Rav Kook writes the following:
The theory of evolution which is now conquering the world is
in accordance with the secrets of kabbalah much more than all other
philosophical teachings. Development, which takes a track that leads to
elevation, is what provides the basis for optimism in the world. For how can we
be in despair when we see that everything progresses and is elevated?
Not only can we reconcile the theory of evolution with the
Torah, but Darwinism as a theory expresses kabbalistic ideas in the
physical world. As it harmoniously blends with the knowledge of the secrets of
the Torah by way of mirroring that which occurs in the celestial spheres,
evolution is a theory that Rav Kook cherishes and believes should be taught by
the scholars of the generation:
Thus this era demands that we spread the idea, the greater,
broader and further ideal concept. It is impossible for the lowly structure of
faith to be sustained after it has suffered such degradation upon degradation
and has wrapped itself with very thick sackcloth.
What had caused Rav Kook to change his attitude from merely viewing
evolution as a possibly acceptable theory to full recognition of its spiritual
potential? How did his grasp of the matter evolve?
Rav Yoel Bin-Nun of Alon Shvut told me that it is clear that
the passages from Orot Ha’kodesh were written after World War I when Rav
Kook believed that the world was making progress (as he wrote in some chapters Orot).
After the war, Rav Kook saw history flow in harmony with the profound notions
of esoteric Jewish teachings and with the theory of evolution that was ever so
popular. He saw the “spiritual aesthetics” of kabbalah, history and
science all fit together as in a perfect painting.
The main difference between Rav Kook’s outlook and some
modern scientists is regarding God’s intervention at some point during the
process. There is no question that according to Rav Kook God did install a neshama
in man. This is no more puzzling than Him doing so with a clod of dirt. Thus
the moral implications that may result from the belief that man is simply a
sophisticated ape are obviously not supported by Rav Kook.
But to me, the most important issue that Rav Kook related to
regarding this issue is the following:
[The problem is] that it is spiritually hard for people to
accept this idea because they have become accustomed to thinking in terms of
instant changes and to skipping crucial steps
People think that just because God can snap his
anthropomorphic fingers and create whatever He wants, that is surely what He
did with creation. People can’t imagine the only truly omnipotent being
creating anything through a chain reaction that might take billions of years.
But because everything about God is so mysterious and beyond us, why shouldn’t
we add His scientific ways to the list?
I find it not surprising that it is Rav Kook and his
followers who believe that issues such as the ingathering of the exiles,
rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash and the final redemption can all be
milestones within extensive processes as opposed to instantaneous miraculous occurrences.
The more I hear people say things such as “when Mashiach comes and we’ll
all be in Eretz Yisrael”
the more I feel that Rav Kook’s opinion on evolution should be heard.
