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The Jewish view on UFOs, aliens and extraterrestrial intelligence
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100 Comments Posted
At some point in time in my late 20's, I believe as a result of my imagination being stirred by certain esoteric and scientific literature, it became evident and obvious to me that stellar bodies as well as galactic structures are conscious.
Considering that this is a most uncommon concept of thought, I gave serious pause to examine my sanity. This knowledge of mine does not come up in conversation with others for obvious reasons, so it is comforting for me to find the odd rare site which discusses these things.
I have come to believe that the awareness of stellar consciousness' reality is a gift bestowed on few, for whatever reason, and is a result of the activation of certain higher faculties of the mind. For me, this revelation seemed to open a door of mystic perception. It became as though I could will an uncanny insight into things esoteric, and a whole new world has opened to me.
I have learned to tread softly on this path of awareness.
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I don't believe we are the only beings in the universe. I think God created many worlds. I don't think we will see them in our life time due to space and time between our worlds. This i believe was done for a reason. We and have infected with sin, and God has made it that we don't infect our worlds with our curse.
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i simply can't agree with the statement that human beings need torah to have free will. there are millions of people who have lived on this planet who never even heard of torah, yet they all had just as much free will as i do. torah may give us the knowledge to make BETTER choices, but not having it does not mean we don't have free will, or intelligence.
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You have a good point. However, Torah is not limited to the Jews. When G_d spoke to Adam and to Noah, that was also Torah. Humanity as a whole was given a choice at our very conception.
The Jews were entrusted with the entire Torah, to ensure that its message would survive unadulterated and to be a "light unto the nations" so that they would adopt the ethics of the Torah that apply to them.
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If the inhabitants of Meroz are non-human, then by definition they have no free will (as you so aptly point out).
So how is it that the verse in lambasting them for not having come to aid in the battle?
Seems we have a bit of a paradox here, no?
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Finally, someone is thinking. Why didn't any other reader realize this earlier?
As I wrote, this is the Rebbe's statement. My understanding is that there are degrees of free choice. There are no robots in G_d's universe. Everything has a bounded nature, but there is always flexibility within those bounds. Proof is, the Talmud and Midrash discuss punishments for the angels and even for animals.
So when we claim that human beings are the lone bearers of free choice, we are speaking in relative terms. Humans are the sole beings capable of transcending the bounds of their nature.
Therefore the creatures of Maroz could still be punished for making a choice, when the two options are both within the bounds of their nature--just as angels could be similarly held culpable (or even animals). A human can be held culpable for an action when the alternative means going beyond his nature (such as cleaning for Pesach when you hate housework and would rather be typing answers such as these).
Have a wonderful Passover!
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maybe each one of the stars is the soul of someone who has passed on. The brighter the star, the purer their soul is and the better a person they were when they were alive. Everyone who has ever walked the earth is out there - both good and evil. The brightest stars always outshine the dimmest ones and the brightest of them all would be Moses. Next time you look up at the great beyond, consider that you might actually be looking at something more familiar than you'll ever understand.
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Man chooses his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
There is much said in that statment. How much control does a man have in his life of where he is at any given time.
Choices are placed before us, we choose how we will respond to them. Where we go from that point on, is that not from the Lord?
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Some have suggested that Maroz is Mars. It sounds right because Mars is the Roman god of war. However, it's very difficult because at the time of Devorah, there were no Romans in the vicinity. The name Mars has no Semitic or Indo-European derivation. It's most likely from the Etruscan "Maris". No Etruscans in the vicinity either.
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looking at NASA's JPL site about extrasolar planets, there's currently 248 planets known including our 8. so which is Maroz, or where might we find it?
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Rabbi Tzvi says there's only one Torah 'cause there's only one truth. But if there are beings on other planets who have developed religion, wouldn't that religion be suited to the unique conditions there, just as religions like Judaism are designed to be practiced on Earth? For example, what if there were alien kashrut? Since there would probably be different species on another planet, then what is and is not acceptable for G-d's chosen species to eat on that planet would require guidelines suited for that planet, right?
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I have to disagree, God looked into the torah and made the universe, for the sake of man to utilizise his free will, the universe is worth existing even for a single man. If God created other beings it tremendously lowers the esteem of torah and man. There is no need for other beings, if man and the torah were why the universe was created
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Me again. Don't have much to say beyond keep going from strength to strength. Every evening I read the comments and I'm reminded how the lucky don't know how lucky they are. There bis no greater good fortune than to be born Jewish.
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Shalom Rabbi ve todah rabah. Would it be possible to imagine that there exist intelligent and technologically advanced beings out there, who are easily capable of traveling to/from earth; and who have a degree of free will and intelligence. Indeed your arguments seem rule out the possibility of Jewish "aliens"; but could not there be other beings, who have free will like humans, similarly to Non-Jews in remote part of the globe - that have been very isolated for many centuries, but are eventually intended to come (or should i say, return) in contact with the Torah? Perhaps those aliens were fathered by Adam and left earth very early, and with technology that even today, we can not fathom, and their potential was to be technologically advanced and prepare the universe to become a livable place (I think it is said that the righteous will have entire world at their disposal) but not to be at Sinai. Thank you so very much for your articles, and for taking the time to read. Daniela
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Isn't Torah written in the language of man? With parables and stories to teach and guide us to perfect THIS world. Yes Torah is Truth, but we can never comprehend G-d's truth fully. Maybe there is another Torah out there completely Identical to ours in G-d's language, but writen with the purpose of perfecting ANOTHER world and given in a way that G-d felt is appropriate for that alien sociaty. Is this theory even considerable?
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I think it's "considerable"--although apparently the Rebbe rejects it. Perhaps for the same reason we reject the idea that our Torah can change according to the needs of the time (which is actually presented as a possibility in the Sefer Ha-Ikrim). The problem with this is that we understand Torah as more than just another of G_d's ideas (such as this world is). But Torah is more than that, as the Zohar says, "Torah and G_d are one". That doesn't mean just the abstract concept behind Torah, it means the very letters with which the Torah is written. So, just as G_d does not change, His Torah cannot change.
Similarly, just as there is only on G_d, there can only be one Torah.
There's still more to ponder on this.
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First of all, im not of jewish faith, but i am really interested about these things, especially religions other than my own. i want to create an understanding for my own, derived from messages of all religions.
are you saying that for example, there are humans in mars, that these humans dont have free will because they dont know the jewish faith?
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No, I don't think that's what the Rebbe was saying at all. Torah provides free choice for all of humanity. Torah is G_d saying to humankind, "You already know what you could do, here's what you should do."
Only that the Jewish People, as a "light to the nations," are given even more shoulds than the rest of the world.
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Wasn't the Torah given to all Israel? Why do you say Jewish? Isn't Israel being sifted through the nations?
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I have to disagree. One can have intelligence without Torah. Look at all the non-Jews. I don't agree with them, but the notion that intelligence doesn't exist without Torah is quite silly.
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Please read the comments above. You'll see that all human beings have free choice because Torah is a lesson for all of humanity.
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Not all Israelites are Jews. And Gentiles were also freed out of land of Egypt with the Jews for it is clearly stated this way too.
And Torah was given to the Israelites, this also includes the Jews, since they are also a part of the Israelites. And it is the Israelites that are scattered throughout all the nations where G-d scattered them.
And we also know that Moshe went up to heaven to receive the Torah, for the angels wanted to know why Moshe wanted it in the first place. So we can safely say that Torah did come down from Heaven. And explain why Moshe also received the Zohar along with the Torah??
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Does the truth in Torah depend on the historical narrative along with the 613 commandments it contains? It seems to be the mitzvahs could be given to any conscious being worthy of having it revealed. Noah, Abraham and others were all conscious, intelligent beings who made choices. Revelation provided which choices are good and which are otherwise. Why couldn't, in essence, a Jewish Martian-to pick a neighbor-wear Tefillim?
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Why worry about other life on other planets and if they use tfillin or keep shabbath? We got the Torah and the mitsvoth, it is difficult enough to keep these.
Let martians or other life worry about their own tsores (problems), we have our tsores but thank G-d also rights from G-d.
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If the torah contains many hidden secrets, why couldn't the Torah be given to other life forms in a way they can understand. If other worlds exist within ours, then why couldn't other life forms exist in different forms that we may not be able to comprehend. Is the power of the Torah only in the physical presentation or in the meanings, obvious and hidden. Is it not our own ego that leads us to believe that we are the only life form that can recieve the truth and value of the Torah?
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Thanks much for this post! I really liked the part of"well do you think that a glob of warm gray meat has consciousness?" But the only thing i would disagree with is that the animals have no morality. It's been proved that they do. And thanks also for all the other posts. I like the appreciation of what's been given us, rather than the now popular stuff of "we don't like it, so let's split the scene".
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There are 70 faces to Torah which has infinitely deep depths as well as many mystical aspects.
couldn't something we would find 'deep' for us be what is revealed on some other words and still be just another 'face' of the same Torah we have on Earth?
Our revealed Torah could be what is 'deep' and 'mystical' on their planet.
About animals.
They do not have morality and there is no proof they do.
Animals saving their owners or watching over them and things like that could easily be done out of affection and practicality (the owner feeds and takes care of the animal so he should be protected).
No animal in a fire for example, ever thinks: "My owner could die, and if I let that happen, I will be a an accessory to his death.
Since I do not want to be a murderer, I must save him".
Yes Animals have saved their owners, but NEVER because the animal was "moral".
They can become refined out of habit, and not eat non Kosher food from being affected by a tzaddik.
Still, not "morality".
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Thank you everybody for the very interesting discussion.
I don't see intelligence and free choice to be necessarily connected. It may well be possible in the next few decades to build a computer which passes the Turing test and more. I don't see it necessary that such an entity has free choice.
In fact, in the days of Moshiach, we will be so much more intelligent than we are now, that we will have less free choice. We will be able to choose between doing something good and something even better, but no one will choose doing something bad, because everybody will realize it is too stupid to do so.
The angels are conscious, have free choice and are intelligent. Why could not there be similar beings, but with a material part? Why could not they be somewhere else in the universe? Would you find this more amazing than the existance of (non conscious) animals?
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I find it ludicrous that there are people (on Earth) that cannot concede there is intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe.
To think we are, and always have been, alone is sheer ignorance.
We are THE LIVING PROOF there is other life out there.
If we can 'spontaneously' arise out of nowhere so can others, and all we know about life-forms tells us this is more likely than not.
The fact that we think differently to all other life on Earth indicates were are a VERY old civilisation, as such a complex intelligence must take time to evolve.
We may be the remnants of a race/races that had to flee another planet because of some calamity, we will probably have to do the same one day, but the fact that we exist proves there has been other life out there.
Assuming it hasn't died out, of course. This is possible, we will probably never know. But I reckon our race split in different directions in small groups, to maximise the chance of one surviving.
So we are likely NOT alone.
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Of course there are others not of this planet. Why make so many other planets and not use them? As to Torah mentioning such beings, I quite concur. An example; Nephilim - plural form of the root Nun-Fe' - Yud - Lamed. Not to be confused with Nophelim (Fallen ones). Nephyl means Tyrant, Fierce Warlord, whereas; Nophel means to drop, to lower, to condemn/curse. "...and the mantle (Elijah's) fell (Nophel) to the ground..." II Melekim
The mention of Nephilim has been ascribed to aliens, yet this is not the case. More accurate translation of B'Reshith 6 would be: " ...and there were Tyrants on the earth in those days, and they saw the daughters of Adam to be appealing and had children by them. They were the Mighty warriors of old..."and the earth became corrupted..." But the mentions of angels are evidence of beings that exist outside of earth's nature. Beings of energy, and elemental force beyond the norm. Perhaps we humans are not of earth, and have just forgotten?
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It would be sort of arrogant of us to state that we are all there is. "The possibilities are endless", as Mr. Spock would say. It is even possible that we are the product of gene manipulation and brought to this planet from elsewhere. Maybe Mars was once our home, and as Mercury came out of the Sun, Mars' orbit shifted outward toward a colder area. Those alive when that occurred would have had to assess the Earth, and seed it with DNA as she cooled. Then again perhaps we are angels and have forgotten this about ourselves. "At one point in Torah it says, "...and Abraham saw three men approaching..." only later after sharing supper with them, as they departed it says, "...and Abraham saw three angels..." When do you think we'll awaken from our slumber?
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We are only flesh with a portion of spirit. Likewise our thinking. It is by Torah we are able to see beyond this considering the source; but still within flesh. Don't try to rush what G-d has planned!
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Are but one single manifestation
of a multi dimensional multiverse
containing endless dimensions
beyond our narrow natural perspective
of the known universe.
Without imagination there is no
tshuva, its essence implies
return to the primordial
oneness of the collective
consciousnesses of all living things
with the infinite indivisible oneness
where everything is not only
possible but a definite reality.
it is we who have to step up to
the ancients knowledges
we have willingly chosen to forget
and all thats got to be done
is
remember
where we came from-
the infinite One
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Sometimes it feels as if I was on another planet. But that's because people are getting desparate these days.
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Wow I thought you were going to talk alot more about the Patriachs and the Prophets of old (from the Bible which we hold as coming from the Torah) .Elisa, Noah, even Father Abraham, the destrution of Sodom and Gomorrah being doneby Alien craft laser etc, Daniel and the battle of the Good angels and the prince of PErsia, Ezekiel - space cratft: Alien = Angel altugh not all angels are good.
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Rabbi...if you say that only torah brings free will...are you saying non-jews have no free will because they didn't receive the Torah?
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Hi Karina. Non-Jews do indeed have free will. They might have not received the Torah but the Torah is truth for all mankind. Gentile nations are included. And Jews are supposed to be a light unto all Nations, to help them know G-d and his laws. Hence the 7 laws of Noach.
Definitely non-Jews/Gentiles do indeed have free will and they too have a place in the world to come equally as Jews do.
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The Rambam's comments reflect the beliefs of his times and earlier. The Ptolemian astronomical astrological model presumed that the elemental realms were water (lowest), earth next, air next and the realm of fire at the top. Next was the orbit of the moon, mercury, venus, the sun etc., which they viewed as spiritual realms. The orbits were intelligent and knew where to send the planets on a designed path and the planets knew where to go. The theory of gravity and the idea that the earth rotates are the current explanations, that do not require intelligent orbits and planets and supersedes these Ptolemian ideas. This is generally accepted in the scientific world today, based on 100% corroborating evidence, invalidating the Ptolemian model.
These ideas have nothing to do with extraterrestrial life or fanciful use of the theories of relativity.
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I totally disagree that there can only be one truth. We as Jews recognize that there is not only one single path to Heaven, that there is not only one true religion. To say that an intelligent alien cannot exist because they don't have the Torah is the least Jewish thing I have ever read on this website!
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if there IS other life out there.....it is G-ds will that allows it to be....
The End
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I don't think that Rabbi Freeman's response adequately rebuts Antwan's well-formulated question above. That Hashem and His Torah are one simply means that Hashem's Torah is also infinite. By definition, infinity is not something we finite human beings can wrap our minds around. And that the Torah is infinite certainly does not preclude the situation Antwan alludes to. Thus, we are still left with the question.
In fact, Antwan's problem can now be formulated more strongly based on these considerations to suggest that any application of the idea of Hashem's oneness to our own experience would represent an attempt, chas v'sholem, to limit Hashem.
In other words, there is a definite conceptual tension between Hashem's limitlessness and the uniqueness of our experience of Him.
Disclaimer: Even though I don't have a rational answer to this question, I'm still going to cleave to the Torah--because cleaving to Hashem--even beyond the limits of rationality--is the essence of the Yid.
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The question is not whether there is life elsewhere in the universe.
The question is whether life elsewhere in the universe believes in one G-d with no physical shape or form who is eternal and almighty and alone created the universe. That is the question. Then maybe Avraham's descendents will be more numerous than all the stars in the sky.
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Why couldn't the exact same Torah be given on some other planet. It would have to be a planet with a place called Mount Sinai, Egypt etc... but considering all the billions of planets out there it would not surprise me in the least to find a planet with similar intelligent life and places with same names that the Torah could literally apply to just as our planet and people (there is no mention of "planet earth" specifically in the Torah.)
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Great article. I do believe there is life on other planets and in future we will be creating the ability to live on other planets with geoengineering and gmos. The basis for that is because HaShem loves his creations and in that love HaShem provides a solution before every challenge. With the exponential advance of medicine, people will live longer, food will become more abundant through gmos, work will be easier through robotics, the only remaining challenge is space to put all the healthy people. Yeah we still have plenty of space on earth, but we'll need more eventually, I think this is the logical solution and further, we have most of the technology today to accomplish it. Love Rav and Sarah Crispe btw.
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There is only one Torah. If there are aliens out there somewhere, they too are just as alien from the Torah as was Genghis Khan, or, Alistair Crowley. for these men had a torah of their own. I used to have a torah of my own, I didn't have room for any kind of g-d, I was busy doing my own thing, and I was as alien to torah, as would be most extraterrestrials. Having said this, I can attest that if the aliens ever actually hear the love and light of the Torah, Our Hebrew Torah; maybe one of them might recieve it where it counts the most? But if this were to occur, they would no longer be aliens, but extraterrestrial gerim Jews. Kool! I think Yoda (based loosely upon the name Yehudah; named by G. Lucas) would classify as an extraterrestrial Jew. But we are just having fun afterall. Shalom
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In the same way the aleph bais goes aleph, bet, gimel....so G-d created Earth first and then it is possible that the moon will be next earth like planet through the Presence of G-d. I'm looking forward to it, yet let's learn to appreciate what we have. Aumein.
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Tzvi...I was close to you a few years ago!
Let's rebuild the Third Temple without asking for permission!
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I have not heard or seen this discussed before. Thank you for the clarification. It seems highly possible to me that there are parallel universes who have life and history not unlike ours. Very interesting comments by others.
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why do you think there could not be a different set of truths for personal and creator relationships on a distant planet than here on earth? Yes truth is truth but isn't truth subjective? Why should I assume different life has to exist with similar existential situations as here on earth? Does Torah truth hold also for the angels and their relationship to the creator and among themselves? Thank you
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I defenitely believe that we are not alone and that there is other life somewhere in the universe created by the almighty Hashem. First Hashem created the Torah and through the Torah Hashem created the four superior worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzira and Assiya the angels to help Him to administer the upper world and Adam Kadmon, the primordial man. After this creation Hashem created our planet also in four stages, mineral, vegetable, animal and man. The Torah mentions the falling angels who fell in love with earthly women and the result of this came the Nefilim who the Torah mentioned again when Moses send the twelve spies to the promised land.
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Sometimes I wonder, is there intelligent life in THIS universe? But that's another question given the insensitivity on Earth.
I believe there are many universes, within this particular life, we're leading. And I believe we can access this in deepening ways, as we peel the layers. I believe it's quite possible to be here and to walk in more than one world at the same time, right here.
So for me, yes, there could be intelligent life on other planets, because it ALL mirrors, and there is no one who can really speak to the Nature of that Intelligent life, because no one, quite humbly, can fully ever access the Mind of G_d.
If the dominant thinking in Torah has to do with exquisite empathy, that could be on other planets. Who is to say. As planet is to plan IT, I believe G_d has continuing mysteries to unravel for us all.
Since we are all stars, All Stars, each of us with a Mission Not Impossible in this life, so it could be... on earth as it is, above....
The GREAT ADD Venture. LOVE
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The gemmorahs explination that This star, however, which was the dominant star of Sisera, apparently did not come to their aid. And so, General Barak penalized Meroz—and its inhabitants seems to suggest that there was indeed some degree of free choice by the inhabitance of meroz thus suggesting according to the argument that the capicity to decide against torah must somehow mean torah existed there.please explain
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My grandfather told me that when he was a child, his rebbe asked the children for reasons why the Torah begins with the letter Bet, instead of Alef, the first letter of the alphabet. When they had run out of ideas, he said, "And maybe, just maybe, it is to let us know that ours was not the first Creation; maybe there was another Creation, an earlier Creation, that began with Alef..."
We speak of Him as "Lord of the universe," not "Lord of Earth." Reasoning talmudically, there's room for what, 27 universes? And each with its full complement of stars, planets, beings... perhaps alphabets.
We have no right to limit His capacities.
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I KNEW, You would be the one to breach this! I rarely comment, but you are my favorite Chabadnik! If You check comments under my name You will see that I ALSO, "Think outside the box". And I hope I don't upset too many people:) You always have the most sophisticated input on virtually all sujects!!!
Great Job!!! I'm a fan!
Ps. I play guitar too- A few other things as well. Give me a shout!!! We are cut from the same branch!
Best wishes for an excellent New Year!
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The Zohar discusses the opening words of the Torah. The word order suggests not that, in the beginning, G-d created -- rather, Elohim may be the first object of creation, being something that can appear before a human, and that Jews on Earth are able to even try to picture / pray to / relate to / study the characteristics thereof -- while the actual force of G-d in this first sentence remains unnamed (a word omitted and only implied), as it is an incomprehensible force or entity to anyone on our plane of existence, and even an attempt to meditate on the nature thereof, is strictly prohibited. Does this not leave open the possibility that, while Elohim and Torah are Earthly manifestations, creation in other stars or galaxies (or even dimensions / timelines / parallel universes / realms of reality we cannot even imagine) is possible, and a different object of creation more appropriate to / able to physically interact with that other realm of existence?
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The question we should be asking ourselves:
Is there life on this planet?
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You said that Torah is truth and since there is only one truth, there can not be Torah on other planets; therefore no intelligent life. What is true on Earth may not be true elsewhere. 'What goes up must come down.'
Also, Torah is about our forefathers. Another life form may have a Torah with things about their forefathers. The Torah is limitless, but HaShem has given us many dilemmas to solve. Our Torah focuses on this planet. Could there not be a Torah which shows a different perspective?
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I knew Dr. Velvl Greene and my Rabbi in Rochester Minnesota is his son Dovid Greene. Dr. Greene was a fine man, his son the Rabbi carries on the tradition here in Minnesota.
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Actually G_d Created other worlds and destroyed them. I believe it's in The Zohar. So the reason for bet being the first letter of Torah, as in Bereshit, might reference what was written above but I do believe it goes deeper and bet being for house, for house of G_d, is also a signifer for The Moshiach as is the resh, for head, and this goes beyond what I am saying here.
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To create an infinite universe of millions upon millions of stars, planets and their respective galaxies, but place living beings on only one planet in all of it, seems completely contrary for the G-d of the living. Life is probably everywhere in the universe, but as the Rebbe indicated, it wouldn't be like life here on earth as we know it. It's probable that the bodies of intelligent beings, or any living beings, from other galaxies are totally different than our planets, maybe even gaseous, and infinite possiblities exist. There are a tremendous number of individuals from around thev world that have seen "UFO"s, and sometimes, even "aliens". Not all these sightings and-or interactions can be discounted as something other than extraterrestrial interaction.
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Contrary to the notion the vastness of the universe subscribes to life probabilities, the reverse applies with the correct math: the vastness negates life probability.
We have a first hand survey of the known universe and the total absence of life imprints for 15 Billion years; the known universe is more like the unknown than not; not all space bodies are new or too far for their own existence; intelligence ratio is time related - an older [thus more advanced] life form would be capable to contact us as opposed us contacting them. The probality factor, not the possibility factor, applies.
Of note, Genesis V1 mentions the universe and the earth as the two created sectors, and subscribes life only to the latter earth. Spiritual beings are not earthly etities and excluded here.
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I have undiscovered treasure in my backyard! Does he give lectures?
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still a mystery.....I don't think has been resolved it
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Again, about the Torah on other planets. True that the same truth that applies here would apply there also. I believe the same truth pervades the entire Universe, and whether the written Torah was handed down only on this planet is irrelevant. It applies everywhere to every form of life. And so if G-d were to create "intelligent" life on a different planet, would He not give them the same Torah, perhaps in a language or form they could understand? You would not want to limit our Creator by saying this would be impossible, would you?
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Why is it certain, because of the single state at t=0, combined with fractal properties. Fractal systems have self-similar aspects that express in variation, hence if life is expressed in one information rich area of the universe it will certainly be expressed in other information rich areas.
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i absolutely LOVE the way you closed this article. should we be looking. look everywhere so as not to put limits on our creator. what a way to make ANY human happy in our Torah and our existence
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Could the creatures on othere planets have a different kind of intelligents and a different set of rules, after all there is life on other planets?
It seems if Hashem put life on other planets the other forms of life, look different and have different rules to live by.
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G-d is life. Since He is omnipresent, so is life. Frank Drank came up with an equation for the possibility of intelligent life in the universe: it's quite perplexing how common life should be--according to his equation. There are billions of galaxies, and even more stars than galaxies. It is reasonable to say that there should be at least one form of intelligent life in each galaxy. G-d is En Sof (limitless)! How dare we limit him?
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IamJoseph says, "an older [thus more advanced] life form would be capable to contact us as opposed us contacting them." Certainly, just as we could talk to termites or toucans. But why should we bother--and why should they?.
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Yeshar Koach. I found things we'd learned as your quote to the Rambam and much other information that I didn't such as to Devorah and its "star-planet". The Rebbe's comments to R Velvel Greene with whom I shared some Shabbat meals in Crown Heights, are worth to to me more than gold!
Thank You for a well done post. Be Blessed.
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Anyone who defies and challenges G-d, does so at his/her own risk and detriment. Anyone who questions the awesomeness and glory of G-d's Creation, does so at his/her own risk and detriment. Play it safe - G-d orchestrates and rules over all, on Earth and everywhere else in the Universe. The wonders of G-d are innumerable and are being newly 'discovered' every day. That is the Glory of G-d - so sit back and enjoy His handiwork and praise Him for having created His Creation. His Creation Tapestry is (will never) be completed.
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Only recently (past 20 yrs) have other planets been discovered.
For life to exist, a planet in a solar system is required to sustain life. The planets discovered are so far away we may never discover there is life elsewhere. So does it really matter? We have our own life on planet Earth, our own goals to achieve.
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If the Supreme Being hat wished man to know that there is life on other planets, why would it not have told man simply in its divine wisdom: "Let all men be aware that there is life on other planets". Why do you have to interpret and re-interpret the sentences in the Torah and still know nothing? Could it be that the writers of the Torah (simple people) did not even know there are other planets?
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1. The Torah is the first document which said the universe is finite [there was a 'Beginning'/V1]; other universes would contradict the finite factor.
2. Aliens do not visit us because they saw a banner on the moon which is dated 1969. The aliens think we are very primitive - less than 2000 years old. So why bother yet?
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Just brilliant! What a perfect religion we have!!!
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I like these articles because they are written in everyday language, using concepts that everybody can understand thus bringing us a deeper insight about transcendent matters.
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman: Congratulations for sharing with us this shareable piece of writting. Most of all, it was cool.
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I really enjoyed this article and love this website; thank you!
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As usual Tzvi, you've brought a well thought out proposal based on the Rebbe's teaching, and your own (significant) Torah knowledge. Good job!
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why would G-d just stop at our creation, and not go on to create other worlds?
the creation of angels in Genesis was never mentioned, it just took on an assumed form...
so perhaps there are other things that might not have been mentioned?
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Whether there is life or not on other planets (I think there likely is), I realized the other day that the stars and planets are a great gift to us from Hashem, because otherwise we would feel trapped. There is at least the possiblity of going beyond the boundaries we know now, and this is a great psychological gift. We should think of how horrible it is to be trapped, a prisoner, and should try to free others.
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Hello to Australia! I think what the scientists intimate is that occasionally there are conjunctions of planets, bringing land masses closer to each other than usual. It stands to reason that magnetism, silicon veils or sails and other forces like jetting or exploding rock pods, might possibly have united planet to planet. Look to Hashem and its records for proof of interplanetary beings who have been perceived as far greater in size and travel capability than ourselves.
I feel that scinece will not reveal that life forms have been discovered until it is proved that "gluons" or "tachyons" hold no threat toward our planetary health.
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In response to Iam Joseph, in Sydney::
There is no way to discount the thousands upon thousands of sightings of Ufo's, all over the world, and a number of those sightings by Air Force personnel and intelligence officers, doctors and lawyers and other professionals from various places on the globe. It's irrational and unreasonable to presume that all the sightings were something other than extraterrestrial sightings. Even various governments around the earth are now disclosing classified files on the subject. Only one planet with life in an infinite lifeless universe ? No.
Amazing how many responses this question generated, and how interesting so many of the responses are.
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Planetary life seems to require an ocean for the proto-chemicals to swirl around and mix. In our own solar system, 5 of 8 plants (alas Pluto!) have oceans. Hashem probably has created living creatures in the oceans of Jupiter and Saturn. Maybe Uranus and Neptune too. We'll no doubt cross paths with them someday, and compare cosmologies.
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It's a mathematical certainty !
There are literally thousands of planets in just our solar system alone that have or had developed over eons in a similar way our planet has.
Over time we will find our kind on other planets finding them will completely change traditional religious believes for all. of us
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Yes there is life on Earth, but the question :" Is it Intelligent"?? We are a species that pollutes the earth, fight wars over money or politics, and worships $$$.. We rob, steal and lie for temporary gain.. No this is not an intelligent species..And why would any Civilization that can travel the stars want to have anything to do with us..
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There isn't a shred of proof that there is life on any planet. You can only assume it. The first verse clearly says "In a beginning G-D created the heavens and the earth. Nothing mentioned in the rest of scripture about any other extraterrestrial life except Angels and satan. We've come to the point today with all the crazies who love to blow themselve up and kill others. Given nuclear weapons, there are enough to destroy this earth 50 times unless our Moshiach comes and stops them. Read zech. 14 :1-21
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Is there life on other planets? Who really knows. It's possible that G-d created life on other planets but what is that to us? He knows our inclination towards idolatry so maybe it's better that we haven't found intelligent life out there. For what are we told? "You shall not make yourself a carved image nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above ..." All too often we are ready to give our attention and devotion to anything that fascinates us.
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Planetary life requires a planetary ocean for the proto-chemicals to swirl around and mix. In our own solar system, 5 of 8 planets (more than half) have oceans. We won't need another solar system to find intelligent aliens, they're probably at this moment swimming in the oceans of Jupiter and Saturn.
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It would be presumptuous of us to pretend that we are the only conscious beings in the whole universe. A bit like someone saying: “I am the best one in the whole world”, and offensive to G-d for not trusting his ability to create other worlds like ours or maybe different. His creation is infinite since the universe keeps on expanding. G-d would create other planets according to their needs and actions, not necessarily same as ours.
Our souls are energy and as such we might become stars when we die or be taken to other planets for another life.
Meanwhile, there is yet so much to accomplish here on earth so maybe until the world is fulfilled and we all have completed our missions can we then consider visiting other galaxies…
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The opening verse of Genesis says the universe is absolutey finite [there was a 'BEGINNING'], negating multi-universes. This is vindicated today: the uni is expanding; it was not infinite 10 seconds ago.
We have conducted first hand surveys in the known universe, and found no life imprints for 15 Billion years.The math probability says the unknown is more like the known than not so.
Genesis says we must go forth have have dominion of all the worlds - meaning it is barren and waiting for us. Man landed on the moon after Jerusalem was re-united. The scariest thought is not meeting other life forms but realising we are it and we are alone.
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For God nothing is impossible although I believe that spiritual beings other than ourselves do exist everywhere on earth and the universe.
Just like the Hebrew alphabet everything has a progressive step in accordance with the will of The Creator who is All Mighty. Let us wait with an active faith.
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Another thought
It is believed that the ancient Egyptians had a scientifically advanced society. They did not have Torah.
Is it not possible that the life forms on other planets do not have Torah, YET?
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This is not the case based on Gd is truth.
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I would say they are beings on other planets. To say "life", it means any living thing, to say "Beings", is saying some form of human nature.
I believe these "beings", were created to protect and help "earth". B'H for all and everything Hashem created!
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Being is anything that exists - the universe is a being. Planets and stars are beings because they exist and perform pattern and accountable actions. But life refers only to creatures seen on earth, and speech endowed life is unique to earth. There is no life in the known universe and no life imprints for 15 billion years. Correct maths negate any life probabilities, and the premise of life existing because the universe is vast or that life can exist only where we canniot look is poor math.
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In the beginning G-D created the HEAVENS and the earth. So it is clear G-D created other living planets as well.
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The Torah clearly states of beings not of our realm. Indeed, interpretation is subject to conjecture. However, keeping in mind the state of technology and those whom observed alien interference in humanity, can only speak or write about what they or one has observed, for the time period in which their observation or indeed participation beyond their understanding.
Symbolism in the Torah is open to interpretation however, today we can clearly understand the visions. their is no need for interpretation. For the Torah is meant for our time.
Many cultures speak of the same. The Torah is one of many. Indeed truth, for there is only one. Our specie comes from the stars. We are part of and intertwined with a higher state of being. One that exists outside our physical realm.
Read the Torah, find it's truth. The Torah transcends space time. All was, is and future exist now. The quantum universe states that every possible outcome happens, a multiverse. Seek truth, in torah you will see
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Yet we are told to go forth and have dominion of all the worlds. This says humans are the superior force and other life being found depends on our prowess, not that of inferior beings. Is this a contradiction?
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When a person has a difference of definition, there is nothing to disagree about. If the "Zohar", mentions life on other planets, you can be sure it is more than accurate.
Please do not answer this comment. If I was supposed to be in contact with you, I would have been a long time ago.
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The first alphabetical book by a small nation which arrived late in the ancient world, the first recorded name humanity possesses and the introduction of the DAY & WEEK - are hard copy entities, not personal definitions.
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