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What does Judaism say about the Discovery of Aliens?


By Aron Moss

Question:

Would the discovery of ETs (extra-terrestrials) threaten organized religion?

Answer:

The discovery of ETs would pose no more of a threat to Judaism than would the discovery of a new species of rabbit.

It would be limiting G-d's power to say that He could not have placed life on other planets. In fact, there is a reference in the biblical Book of Judges (5:23) to an inhabited place called Maroz, which the Talmud identifies as a star.

But Jewish thought has always believed that the most weird and wonderful creatures are to be found right here on earth. We can explore the remotest extremities of space but still remain alien to our own humanity. The real secrets of the universe lie hidden in the depths of the human soul.
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Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Jan 7, 2012
The danger that I see is that we are easily distracted from worshiping G-d as evidenced by the technology and the celebrity status of some here on Earth, could you imagine if we actually made contact with E.T.s? There's so much idolatry as it is. Remember there are terrestrial beings in the spirit realm that would have us break the 1st through 5th commandments.
Posted By George Ramos, Temecula, CA

Posted: Jan 3, 2012
ARE THERE ALIENS OUT THERE?
Who knows? Maybe. If so, I'd like to meet one! I would ask questions about spirit, their lives, their belief system and why there came here, etc.
Let's assume that if they are advanced enough to make it across time and space to come here, then they are also evolved enough to let us evolve in our own way, as well..
Personally, I'd go to their home planet incognito and just watch them!
Posted By Sharon Lockwood-Habram, Tucso, AZ

Posted: Nov 24, 2010
Reichenbach
Archic information - after all, there was little or nothing of Quantum Physics at that date.
Try some more up-to-date papers - there's plenty to choose from in the "reputable" scientific world.
Also note "THEORY" or Relativity, NOT "LAW" of Relativity.
Posted By Anonymous, London, UK

Posted: Nov 22, 2010
MAROZ can be a poetic reference...
to all other inhabited planets. I didn't know that was in our scriptures. AWESOME!!! Cool!!!
Posted By Karen Joyce Chaya Fradle Kleinman Bell, Riverside, CA, USA
via jewishriverside.com

Posted: Feb 19, 2009
Concerning that last statement about Einstein
Please see this article on our site by Hans Reichenbach, a student of Einstein and one of the 20th century's significant philosophers of science. It is quite doubtful that he was interested in duping anybody, or that he misunderstood Einstein.
Posted By An Editor

Posted: Feb 17, 2009
Chronicles 16:30
Please, please, please study the actual works of Einstein rather than other people's take on what they THINK he said. (or what they want you to believe he said).
After all, the issue of rotation (it is impossible to prove which body is revolving around which) is correct if, and only if, there are two and not more than two objects in existence. The addition of a third (assuming a 3 dimensional universe) makes mapping possible and by the application of simple scientific and astronomical rules, it becomes simple in the extreme to ascertain what rotates about what.
This stems from the fact that science teaching in most schools doesn't go far enough for people to understand Einstein's theories themselves. People are reliant on others - often with their own agenda - providing disservice and deliberate misinformation to the public.
Posted By Anonymous, London, UK

Posted: Dec 26, 2007
Chronicles 16:30
I don't understand why there should be aproblem at all for 2 reasons 1. science only makes hypotheses ,and 2. with Einsteins theory of relativity it is impossible to prove which body is revolving around which.
p.s. Why the extreme conviction in disproving the Bible!
Posted By Anonymous

Posted: Oct 3, 2007
Chronicles 16:30
"Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved."

All this passage is telling me is that the earth is to last for a long time; it is not "to move" - go away or be destroyed.
when I think of something stable I think of something that doesn't change much with the passing of time. Life itself can be stable; one can stay in one place (not change, not develop). That doesn't mean that time doesn't go by and life doesn't expire.
So, we go back to what I just stated: The Bible is full of symbolism which can be interpreted to ones interest.
It is obvious that I don't read the same verse the way Stephen does, and that's fine, as long as we don't poke one-another's eyes out!
Posted By effie

Posted: Oct 3, 2007
Does E.T. pray?
I am fascinated with the idea of life on other planets. The very same vastness of the Universe which makes foreign life so likely also makes contact with it unlikely because of the distances between stars. I would imagine that if there are beings who are designed or who have evolved with big enough brains like ours, that they might have religion, too. Who's to say we're the smartest anyway? There might be beings who are smart enough to be far more pious than we are.
Posted By Rob W., Pittsburgh, PA / USA

Posted: Aug 15, 2007
Earth position fixed vs. moving
"the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved" (I Chronicles 16:30 or 1 Chronicles 16:30).
[Response to effie's comment:
"Centuries ago people got burnt for stating that the earth was neither flat, nor the centre of the universe. The religious leaders perceived it as a threat to religion, because it went against what they "ASSUMED" to be the teachings of the Bible. I am not an expert, but I never came accross such a statement in it. "]
Posted By Stephen Weinstein, Camarillo, CA
via chabadcamarillo.com



 


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