Questions tagged [creation]
Questions about the creation of the world.
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How was the creation story captured/revealed exactly?
How were the first few pages of the creation story captured/revealed? That is, who first heard it or created it or was it revealed to, and in what detail was the first 7 days of creation laid out at ...
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How did Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel arrive at the conclusion that it would have been preferable had man not been created?
תנו רבנן: שתי שנים ומחצה נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הלל, הללו אומרים: נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא, והללו אומרים: נוח לו לאדם שנברא יותר משלא נברא. נמנו וגמרו: נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא, עכשיו ...
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Understanding “conflict” between Genesis creation and “continuous” creation
There's a passage in the daily Shacharit tefilla in the 1st of the pre-Shema blessing that says:
המחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית
My translation and inference from this phrase is that God ...
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1answer
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How can constant creation of new stars explained theologically?
"... we get on average about one new star per year, and one star dying each year as a planetary nebula in the Milky Way.... therefore there are about 275 million [born] per day, in the whole ...
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What is so special about Taninim to be mentioned separately?
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים וְאֵת כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃
God ...
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How did animals get their soul?
We know that in the process of the creation of Man, his body was shaped from the earth but his soul (נשמה) was blown by G-d.
Animals, IIRC, appeared from the earth and from the water already with ...
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Torah confusion between “daylight” and “a day”
The Torah uses the same word יום in the same verse to denote both "daylight" and "24 hours":
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה
וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃
...
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Importance of “Days” in the process of Creation
Why is it important that the Creation process is divided into 6 "days", as opposed to "parts" or "stages" or even presented in simple succession without mentioning "units"?
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1answer
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How did Adam and Chava know what's good or bad before eating from the tree? [duplicate]
Hashem Elohim allowed the human being to eat the product which was produced by every tree in Gan Eden, except from the tree of knowledge (understanding) of what’s good and bad. So with this knowledge ...
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1answer
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What does it mean that G-d calls names to things?
In the process of Creation G-d eventually calls names of different things:
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה ...׃
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called ...
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Why should G-d correct His Creation as He goes?
THe Torah and the commentaries clearly suggest in several places that G-d corrected His Creation while still in the process:
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר ...
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Why should G-d look at the parts of His creation?
THis part of the story of the Creation seriously puzzles me: G-d looking at His creation and checking/judging/evaluating it. Examples:
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים ...
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1answer
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Was Adam aware of his other part before separation?
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹקים אֶת־הָאָדָם ... זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃
And God created man in His image, ... male and female He created them. (Gen 1.27)
Rashi brings Midrashim:
But according to a ...
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1answer
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Why no Torah or wisdom or knowledge is mentioned presented by G-d to Adam?
IIRC, the passing of the Tora/wisdom/divine knowledge in our tradition didn't start with Moses or even Abraham. Allegedly, the 19 generations of Tzadikim from Adam to Abraham studied/dealt with it ...
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1answer
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Why was the purpose of the creation of Man was so dull?
On the 6th day of the Creation, G-d consults angels (see my other question) and presents them with what looks like His vision of Man's goal on Earth:
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ ...
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1answer
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Does Yeshayahu 43:10b / 43:13a imply HaShem was created?
I cannot read Hebrew and am struggling a great deal to understand Yeshayahu 43:10/43:13. In my English versions, these verse-parts seem very much to suggest that HaShem was Himself ‘formed’ at some ...
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1answer
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Arguments against evolution
In trying to find the best, most factually based argument against evolution, I found this which said that it just doesn't make sense because why would a creator take so long.
Are there any other ...
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2answers
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What time of day was the world first created?
It's well known that the world was created on the 25th of Elul, but what time of day? Yes it says "and it was evening, and it was morning, one day", implying it was created during the night, but what ...
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2answers
218 views
What did G-d do before Creation?
Is it possible to know what G-d was doing before this creation?
While, as Maimonides states, that we cannot know anything about G-d except for what G-d is not (G-d has no body and is one), ...
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3answers
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No Torah = Revert to Nothingness?
Although I have often heard that the world would revert to nothingness if there wasn't someone learning Torah at any given moment, I haven't seen this written yet - what is the source of this concept?
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1answer
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Why is prior to creation called holy?
In Mechilta (to ex. 12.16), while discussing whether or not work is forbidden on chol hamoed, the time before and after the six days of creation are referred to as holy.
ששת ימי בראשית יוכיחו שיש ...
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Can a person still be an Orthodox Jew and believe that the Torah contains narratives that are not scientifically correct?
I am taking the position that perhaps the Torah does contain narratives that are not scientifically correct, such as the creation and early human history narratives found in the first 11 chapters of ...
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Age of Universe [duplicate]
What is the most plausible way to reconcile the traditional dating of the universe (now 5779) with science's understanding that the universe is billions of years old?
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1answer
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What's the difference between two potential (כוחניים) maters the Yuly and the second
I read in the Abarbanel on Bereishit 1:1,quoting the Ramban, that on the first day Hashem created two types of primordial matter:
הראשון לבד שני חמרים מבלי צורה כוחניים בטבעם כענין ההיולי הראשון ...
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Body Parallels to the Creation
Inspired by this question.
Some commentaries viewed maaseh bereishis to be the literal description of the creation, and some interpret it in an allegorical fashion. I recall hearing somewhere that ...
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1answer
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Why is Hashem being separate from his creation a more acceptable belief than His creation being within Him?
I've read and been told that Hashem is separate from his creation because he is infinite and therefore he can't have the finite objects of the universe be a part of him. He must be uniform.
I've ...
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0answers
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Why is the plural form used in describing the creation of man? [duplicate]
When man is being created, it is Betzelemenu Kidimutenu, why is this in plural form? Is this implying that the oneness of God Echad is somehow contradicted?
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Hashem's will is not “nihilo”, so why is it “creatio ex nihilo”?
The traditional objection is to any material having existed prior to the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, but then why not call it "creation without material"? The will of Hashem is not "nihilo" ...
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1answer
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Did Hashem originally intend to have a connection with everyone?
Does it say anywhere that when Hashem created the world it was with the intention to have a connection with everyone, but because people sinned Hashem saw he could only have this intimate connection ...
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0answers
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Order of events in parashas Bereishis
BH
I am having a lot of trouble understanding the order of the following events:
The creation of Man
The births of Cain and Hevel
The death of Hevel
The snake
Eating from the ...
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0answers
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Source that the world was created for amalek
Numerous Midrashim list different things that the world was created for the purpose of such as Klal Yisrael, Bikkurim, Torah, Challah, and Maasros all of which are called "ראשית" (first).
I remember ...
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2answers
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On the interpretation of Genesis 1: 1
I'm an Italian noahide.
Here are some observations on Genesis 1: 1, about which I would very much like to know your opinion.
1 In most translations I have consulted, the verse is thus render:” In ...
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1answer
138 views
What does the Torah think of Pangea?
What does Torah literature say about Pangaea?
Is it considered be legitimate? Are there sources which lean either way?
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2answers
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Age of the universe [duplicate]
Do contemporary Orthodox (Litvish, Chassidish, & Sephardi) Rabbi’s still believe that the world was created 5,779 yrs ago or do they agree with Aryeh Kaplan that perhaps 5779 is just the birth of ...
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1answer
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Birchas Hachama and the world being created in Tishrei
Birchas Hachama is said once every 28 years. According to Wikipedia it is said when the sun has returned to ts original position when the world was created.
Jewish tradition says that when the Sun ...
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3answers
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How do religious Orthodox Jews reconcile their calendar with the Darwinian theory of evolution? [duplicate]
This is a genuine question. I'm curious because I read somewhere that even the most religious Orthodox Jews accept the Darwinian theory of evolution, and that even they don't believe dinosaurs lived ...
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2answers
847 views
What does Judaism teach about Eve's addition to divine commandment that she not touch the fruit?
In Genesis 2:17 we read:
But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die."
Later, during Eve's temptation, we read:
...
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1answer
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What is the morning blessing Roka Haaretz - רוֹקַע הָאָרֶץ עַל הַמָּיִם - all about?
One of the daily morning blessings is רוֹקַע הָאָרֶץ עַל הַמָּיִם - He solidifies the ground above the water.
We're thanking Hashem for the solid ground; the inhabited world isn't all marshy or ...
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1answer
238 views
When was water created?
Bereishit 1 goes into detail on when and how Hashem created various things in creation. One thing I notice though is that there is no specific detail on how or when water was created. It just sort of "...
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1answer
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Has God made ALL the animals dwelling on earth?
Is it possible for other angels/entities, even malevolent as satan, to have made living creatures?
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Torah view on the Chicken or the Egg?
What is the Torah's viewpoint on the age old question whether the chicken or the egg was created first?
Note: Although this article shows Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin writes both fish and chicken eggs ...
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0answers
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Purpose of Torah in Gan Eden
We know from several midrashim (see first chapter of Midrash Tanchuma to Bereshit) that Torah had already existed before the world was created. It should have contained all the positive and negative ...
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Source for Adam being made with the letter Hey
I know of this gemarah teaching (see also Midrash Rabah 12:2) about Bereshit 2:4 which teaches that the phrase: 'Eileh toldot hashamayim v'ha'aretz b'hibaram' could be read as 'b'Hey baram', that ...
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1answer
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Universe has no foundation- Iyov
What pasuk in Iyov says that the universe has no foundation?
This connects to Brias HaOlam in perek aleph of bereshis.
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1answer
108 views
Could someone tell me where this comes from?
"The foundations of all foundations, and pillar of all wisdom is to know that there is a God who brought into being all existence. All beings of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them ...
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0answers
59 views
Divine Providence for individuals and purpose of Creation
This question is about Jewish philosophers. I ask myself if there is not a logical link between two issues and it is, if authors address it
Is there a link between the theory that the world was ...
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1answer
115 views
Was Adam HaRishon made incomplete? If so why?
Rav Yosef Albo (Sefer Halkkarim 3:2) explains that the expression 'Ki Tov' is used to describe something that has reached i.e. fulfilled its potential and reached its (goal, purpose) shleimus (...
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0answers
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Maimonides on the purpose of animals?
In the intro to his commentary to Mishnayot the Rambam writes
אך על דרך כלל יש לדעת, שכל הנמצאים שתחת גלגל הירח נמצאו בשביל האדם
לבדו. וכל
מיני החיות, יש מהם למאכלו, כצאן ובקר וזולתם, ויש ...
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0answers
65 views
How could the angel of the sea disobey?
The Midrash in Bamidbar Rabbah 18:22 expounds Iyov 26:12 that when HaShem created the world, he told Rahav, the angel in charge of the ocean, to "open his mouth and swallow all the waters of Creation" ...
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1answer
65 views
Source for a Maharal I learned a while back…help
A while back I learned a Marahal in which he says that God provided the general instructions to the natural process but did not provide details, rather nature took its course. One example he gave (I ...
