12 votes
Accepted

Which way to face while praying on another planet

I suppose it's a fascinating question, but for me the answer seems to be a bit easier. It's quite the same, when someone doesn't know where is mizrach. In this case you should focus your concentration ...
Kazi bácsi's user avatar
  • 7,579
10 votes
Accepted

Teshuva that halachot don't apply off of earth

As per this answer and this answer, this idea was put forth by Rabbi Ben-Zion Firrer in an article in the 5730 issue of No'am. A copy of the article is available here; a discussion of the opinion, ...
Rish's user avatar
  • 911
7 votes
Accepted

Other species in deep space and the Uniqueness of Klal Yisrael

R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik addressed this point when asked about alien life by R. David Holzer. The Rav Thinking Aloud p. 93 [DH:] Would the discovery of alien life be an issue in terms of the Torah ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 49.2k
6 votes

How did Gdoley Israel react to the landing on the Moon?

Rav Menachem Kasher wrote the first sections of his האדם על הירח in response to this event. Throughout the work he discusses the moon landing from hashkafic and halachic perspectives.
DonielF's user avatar
  • 34.3k
6 votes

How did Gdoley Israel react to the landing on the Moon?

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky and the Moon landing אמת ליעקב פרשת בראשית ודברי רמב"ן אלה הם שעמדו לי בשעה שראינו איך שבני אדם יורדים מעל המטוס ע"י סולם על גלגל הלבנה, וחשבתי בלבי מה יענה כעת הרמב"ם ז"ל ...
IsraelReader's user avatar
  • 4,988
5 votes

Can an Alien convert to Judaism?

On page 50 in Moreh Ohr by Rabbi Kaplan, he concludes the following: We see from this [starting on p. 47] that there is a singular species in the world that is capable of free will, Torah, reward and ...
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
4 votes

Sending a Torah to the Moon

In Yoreh Deah (282) it seems that you can't simply take a sefer Torah out. There needs to be a holy, good purpose/reason for taking it out or for travelling. To take a sefer Torah to the moon when ...
Daniel Freedman's user avatar
4 votes

How did Gdoley Israel react to the landing on the Moon?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe's reaction from Chabad.org: Yes, the human being has performed something magnificent. There is much in which to take pride. But does that make us so large as to displace G‑d? ...
user16403's user avatar
  • 978
4 votes

Does the Torah prohibit leaving Earth?

Rav Aviner was asked how there would be room on Earth after the resurrection. His answer was that, according to Rav Kook, we would live on other planets. The source seems to be in Rav Kook's ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 239
4 votes

How did Gdoley Israel react to the landing on the Moon?

As reported here R Shlomo Goren proposed to change the text of kiddush levana, the monthly blessing on the moon's renewal the answer began to emerge within hours of the historic Apollo 11 moon ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 51.6k
3 votes
Accepted

Do Noahide mitzvot apply in outer space

You're misunderstanding the idea you are presenting. It's true that there is an opinion that certain mitzvot do not apply to space. This is only true for a specific set of mitzvot which are tied to ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 1,283
3 votes
Accepted

Life on Mars__?

Mikhel Weber wrote (Haye ha-'Olam ha-Bah, p. 106): על הכתוב (שופטים ה') "אורו מרוז אמר מלאך ה' אורו ארור יושביה" נאמר בתלמוד "איכא דאמרי כוכב הוה שנאמר ,מן השמים נלחמו הכוכבים" ...
Deuteronomy's user avatar
  • 7,939
3 votes

Other species in deep space and the Uniqueness of Klal Yisrael

Mathematical likelihood has no bearing or evidence about what Hashem did or did not create . Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky said that there may or may not be living creature (animals) in out of space but ...
Schmerel's user avatar
  • 5,160
3 votes
Accepted

Jewish considerations regarding moving to Mars

Rav Menashe Klien was asked if one can say kiddush levana on the moon if they are physically on the moon. He answers in his Mishne Halachos 6:259 that there is no difference standing on the moon or ...
sam's user avatar
  • 41.6k
3 votes

Is there any reason to deny aliens according to Judaism?

User6591 answered based on the essay entitled "On Extraterrestrial Life" by Rabbi Kaplan that there are mutiple opinions. That essay is written in the same author's book, Moreh Ohr on pp. 47-50. All ...
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
2 votes

When does somebody living in space (e.g. ISS) observe Shabbat?

Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlit"a has a teshuva about in Teshuvos v'Hanhagos 5:84. There, he rules that the Torah was meant to be observed on earth, and that the concept of Shabbos etc. doesn't really ...
Binyomin's user avatar
  • 2,971
2 votes

Sending a Torah to the Moon

In What If... on Yamim Tovim (page 242-244), Rav Zilberstein addresses whether a Sofer may write a Sefer Torah specifically for the purpose of sending it to the moon. He begins by citing the ...
DonielF's user avatar
  • 34.3k
2 votes

Does the Torah ever allude to Earth being a spherical celestial body in space?

Quoting Natan Slifkin's essay "The Sun's Path at Night": ...from both general history as well as the interpretations of the Geonim and Rishonim, the view of the Sages of Israel was ...
bondonk's user avatar
  • 10.2k
2 votes

Is there any reason to deny aliens according to Judaism?

Rav Meir Mazuz has a very interesting article on it which he claims there are no life on other planets as on earth. The torah's word is above everything, above all the professor's, above all the ...
Rh Haokip's user avatar
  • 1,789
2 votes

Does the Zodiac really have influence on our lives?

One possible data point regarding this topic is the issue of kiddush on Shabbat night "during the seventh hour". There is a position that making kiddush immediately after nightfall (the seventh hour) ...
paquda's user avatar
  • 4,901
1 vote

Does the Zodiac really have influence on our lives?

Astrology is listed as part of prohibition #335 in the list of mitzvot here: Not to practice onein (observing times or seasons as favorable or unfavorable, using astrology) (Lev. 19:26) (CCN166). ...
SAH's user avatar
  • 19.7k
1 vote

Is there any reason to deny aliens according to Judaism?

According to my understanding of the Torah, and my logic: Torah is one and unchangeable Only Adam was created בצלמנו כדמותנו and יודע טוב ורע and only his descendants can qualify as such. While we ...
Al Berko's user avatar
  • 25.9k
1 vote

Why is there so much space and matter in the universe?

The beauty and multifariousness of Creation is an incontrovertible sign of G-d's might. This includes not only the numberless galaxies and the immeasurable lengths of frightening space. It also ...
SAH's user avatar
  • 19.7k

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