Creation

Dear Rabbi, with the creation of light, our awareness of our present condition began. But the sun and the moon were not created immediately, so how was it possible for the first day to end? I'm sure this basic question has been asked before along with several others of a related kind. Where is a good English source to find the answers?  

My question deals with the human mind and consciousness of the world.   Genesis 2:7.   “God formed the Human blowing into his nostrils the (mind) breath of life: the Human became a living being.”   Def: לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ: breath of life, mind, soul   I believe this pesuk answers what scientists and philosophers have questioned for centuries. Many believe that neurons, synapsis’, electrical signals along nerve pathways, and brain chemicals are the origin and reality of our conscious minds.   The question is how matter/atoms attach consciousness and wisdom to dust. How does brain matter or dust see, hear, taste, smell, feel, or have an awareness of thoughts, cognition, dreams, and interpersonal relationships? We must look closely at Genesis 1:26-27 for a more accurate understanding of Hashem’s creation.   “And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” And God created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of God—creating them male and female.” As Hashem has no likeness, image, or substance, to whom is He talking? In human terms, our human consciousness/mind has no likeness, image, or substance. Could the Infinite Creator be a MIND be talking to our finite created mind’s consciousness? Before He blew us in the nostrils of our matter/atom body at first breath, we became humankind.   Your insight is appreciated.  

Hello. I’ve recently heard that there are 7 worlds. 6 worlds that our world surrounds, and each one is smaller than the next. I’ve heard that there are different kinds of creatures or humans living there. Is this true? Is there any source for this?

Hello, I'm not a Jew (I'm a gentile), but I accept Jewish tradition as being divine and from God. So, I'm aware of the great amounts of what is used as evidence for the idea that life evolved naturally over billions of years. I think (assuming any of this evidence exists; many extremely elaborate hoaxes exist perpetuated by the elites) the physical evidence would reasonably prove that life *did* evolve, except for the statements of God to the contrary. I've heard that according to Jewish tradition God created the world to seem like it had a "history" (before creation). Do you think this statement includes God creating the world with layers of dead animals appearing exactly as if life evolved? Is this included in the statement that creation was created with a false "history"? It also seems that the order of life that the fossil records show is contrary to the order of life creation that God describes in the Torah. What do you make of that? (To be clear, I do not believe that the world is 14 billions of years old. I just would like to have some more justification for this.) Thanks a lot, and God bless you.

Shalom Rabbi, The Garden of Eden story in Genesis is compelling. Yet, another interesting twist to the saga is the word "nagaph" - spelled Nun~Gimmel~Pei As a verb it means to push, defeat, stub, inflict, be smitten, stumble, plague, be stricken. Gimmel~Nun gan means garden. Pei~Gimmel - pag - "fig" - means crude, torpid (early) green fig. Gimmel~Pei~Nun - gephen is a vine tree. Could these be missing clues of "emeth"? Was the fickle "fig" the accursed culprit causing the fatal fall?

Why did God create creatures that can harm or kill Man?

In the Garden of Eden God wanted to make the first two humans. He makes Adam the first man. Then he makes Eve the first woman by taking one of his ribs out and creating woman.(Adam was lonely with only the animals to be with) Now we have the first Man and Woman on earth. Then later it mentions that Adam had to leave his father and mother to be one with Eve. If they are first two humans, then they could not have had a father and mother. Genesis 2:24 כד עַל-כֵּן, יַעֲזָב-אִישׁ, אֶת-אָבִיו, וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ; וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. Please explain how this makes sense.   Then there is the problem that says Adam and Eve life was less then 10,000 years ago. But carbon dating puts skeletal remains of men or woman at 100,000 years plus years ago. Thanks, Brad

The Torah describes G-d’s creation of two great lights: one for the daytime (presumably the sun) and one for the night (presumably the moon). Scientists have studied the sun well and determined that it indeed provides the light we see in the daytime. But humans have been to the moon and have clearly seen that it is not a source of its own light, but a big ball of rock. And it lights up at night only because it is reflecting the light of the sun. How do we reckon with that?

I know Judaism emphasizes a person’s responsibility to not harm other people. What about our responsibility to the natural world — such as global warming and pollution?

Rabbi, why did God create the world?