By HAVIV RETTIG GUR
While it welcomes scientific discovery, Judaism is skeptical at the notion that new knowledge could lead to a complete, finished picture of the universe.
"The position of the [12th century rabbi and philosopher] Rambam [Maimonides], which I think is the leading position in Judaism, was that every question you solve presents a new problem," according to Prof. Zev Harvey, chair of the Jewish Thought Department of Hebrew University.
"It's the nature of the human soul to solve problems, and to create new ones with each solution."
Rambam's perspective attaches enormous importance to scientific discovery, Harvey explained.
"For Rambam, the commandment of ahavat Hashem [love of God] was a commandment to know reality. So everything we know [through science] is a fulfillment of the commandment to know God."
At the same time, "everything we know opens a window onto something we don't know. For Rambam, that's the experience of yir'at Hashem [awe of God], the awareness that everything man can know is nothing next to the universal reality. There's a tension between the commandment to love God and the knowledge you will never reach complete understanding."
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