The Bible is consistent with historical evidence – humans in their present form only appeared on Earth very recently.
The Bible is consistent with historical evidence – humans in their present form only appeared on Earth very recently.
The Bible is NOT intended as a detailed scientific history of the ancient Universe, it is primarily concerned with the history of Mankind as we know it now.
The Bible is not interested in telling the history of any primates (Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, etc.) that may have existed before humans in their present form were created.
Imagining that ancient ape like creatures or ancient primates had characteristics of present day humans, such as language, writing, and abstract thought, is “scientism”, not true science.
How can Neo-Darwinism explain the profound metaphysical differences between Man and the animal kingdom, such as Man’s rational intellect capable of abstract thought, Man’s ability for speech, Man’s recognition of good vs. evil?
Why would Darwinian “survival of the fittest” principles require a gorilla or chimpanzee to develop a rational intellect capable of abstract thought and develop the ability for speech?
A gorilla’s “survival of the fittest” in the jungle requires strong arms to pull bananas off a tree and fight off lions, a gorilla has no need for a rational intellect capable of abstract thought or the ability for speech.
Why would a gorilla require an intellect capable of creating an advanced civilization?
The Bible does not state the age of the Universe, but it does indicate that humans in their present form (IE “created in the image of God” as per the Book of Genesis) have only existed for about 5800 years.
Man being created “in the image of God” means having Man has the ability to speak, develop languages, write, create civilizations, create technology, have intellectual apprehension, and know good vs evil. None of these capabilities have ever existed in animals or primitive “humans”, and no amount of “Darwinism” can explain their appearance in present day humans.
If mankind in its present form has allegedly existed for hundreds of thousands of years, why has writing, civilization, and technology only existed for about 5400 years?
“Sumer” was an area near the Persian Gulf mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as the “Land of Shinar”.
The Bible is consistent with historical evidence – humans in their present form only appeared on Earth very recently.
The Bible is NOT intended as a detailed scientific history of the ancient Universe, it is primarily concerned with the history of Mankind as we know it now.
The Bible is not interested in telling the history of any primates (Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, etc.) that may have existed before humans in their present form were created.
Imagining that ancient ape like creatures or ancient primates had characteristics of present day humans, such as language, writing, and abstract thought, is “scientism”, not true science.
How can Neo-Darwinism explain the profound metaphysical differences between Man and the animal kingdom, such as Man’s rational intellect capable of abstract thought, Man’s ability for speech, Man’s recognition of good vs. evil?
Why would Darwinian “survival of the fittest” principles require a gorilla or chimpanzee to develop a rational intellect capable of abstract thought and develop the ability for speech?
A gorilla’s “survival of the fittest” in the jungle requires strong arms to pull bananas off a tree and fight off lions, a gorilla has no need for a rational intellect capable of abstract thought or the ability for speech.
Why would a gorilla require an intellect capable of creating an advanced civilization?
The Bible does not state the age of the Universe, but it does indicate that humans in their present form (IE “created in the image of God” as per the Book of Genesis) have only existed for about 5800 years.
Man being created “in the image of God” means having Man has the ability to speak, develop languages, write, create civilizations, create technology, have intellectual apprehension, and know good vs evil. None of these capabilities have ever existed in animals or primitive “humans”, and no amount of “Darwinism” can explain their appearance in present day humans.
If mankind in its present form has allegedly existed for hundreds of thousands of years, why has writing, civilization, and technology only existed for about 5400 years?
“Sumer” was an area near the Persian Gulf mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as the “Land of Shinar”.
Young Earth Creationism is a simplistic and problematic interpretation of the Bible.
So-called “Young Earth Creationism”, IE a belief that the Universe is less than 6000 years old, represents a simplistic interpretation of the Bible that can be exploited to promote atheistic beliefs.
“AND there was evening and there was morning, ONE day.” (Genesis 1:5)
“And…”, “one day” – The Bible is telling us that the “one day” was not the “first day”. There are ancient Jewish rabbinic sources (such as Breishees Rabbah) that indicate that long periods of time elapsed that are not detailed in the Bible because they are not pertinent to the message of the Bible.
“God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4)
“(prior to the fourth day) periods of light and darkness alternated due to causes other than the revolving of the planet around its own axis, due to the expression of God’s will.” (Commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno on Genesis 1:4, 16th Century C.E.)
Sforno is explaining that the “days” mentioned in Genesis are not necessarily the same length as our present days, we do not know how much time actually elapsed during those “days”.
The Jewish Bible in the Book of Genesis is informing us that the Universe was created ex-nihilo in the finite past. However creation ex-nihilo is not a process that can be comprehended by Man nor can its details be described in the Bible.
The Bible was never intended as a science textbook for Man. The Bible is a book of ethics for Man that also contains some basic scientific information, but that information is incidental to the purpose of the Bible.
In contrast to erroneous ancient Greek science, modern science seems to agree with the Bible that the Universe had a beginning. Any finite age to the Universe claimed by the scientists may or may not be correct. Even if the scientists are claiming the Universe is billions of years old, as long as the scientists are claiming the Universe had a beginning in the finite past, they are not necessarily contradicting the Jewish Bible.
The actual age of the Universe is NOT important for understanding the Bible. What is important is that we believe that the Universe was created by God sometime in the finite past, such belief is not contradicting the Bible.
Religious people should not allow creation of a false contradiction between modern astronomical evidence and the Bible which dilutes monotheism and enables any form of atheism by destroying the credibility of the Bible.
In the Rambam’s “Sefer Mitzvot” (Book of Commandments), this verse in the Torah is stating the first negative commandment:
“לֹֽ֣א־יִהְיֶ֥͏ֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י׃ You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
The Rambam in “Sefer Mitzvot” defines this commandment to mean that we are prohibited from believing in or ascribing deity to anything except for Hashem (God).
Certain Chabad rabbis nowadays are making videos that claim the deceased Chabad rebbe is allegedly Elokus, Ein Sof (terms referring to God), or that the rebbe is allegedly “the essence of God enclothed in a body”. This is clearly deification of the deceased Chabad rebbe.
Any intellectual deification of a rebbe or intellectual deification of any created object is prohibited idolatry, regardless of whether or not one makes an idol, or bows down to that object, or serves it.
Chabad cannot simply claim that this prohibition of accepting any created object as a deity is some type of “rationalist philosophy” that was allegedly replaced by Kabbalah. This prohibition is stated explicitly in a Mishneh, Sanhedrin 60b. Fake “Kabbalah” cannot replace and erase halachos in the Mishneh.
Once such video deifying the Chabad rebbe, of which there are many, is linked below. This video tries to use the Talmud to allow deification of a rebbe, but there is no such statement in the Talmud. The terms “Atzmus U’mehus” refer to the essence of God, this is something that probably all the great rabbis before Chabad taught is unknowable by Man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9HsaE2bbYE
Deification of a rebbe is a type of “replacement theology” that the early “Jewish” Christians promoted resulting in the creation of a new religion 2000 years ago.
Of course, if Jews affiliated with Chabad seek to accept Chabad theology, that is their choice. But other Jews, who are not strongly affiliated with Chabad, have a right to know the authentic Torah beliefs.
This excellent website contains a comprehensive debunking of Chabad deification of the deceased rebbe. https://identifyingchabad.org/
Rabbi David Bar-Hayim in the video linked below is learning the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry.
“If you wish to see a very unfortunate example of this in the Jewish world today, you need look no further than a certain Chassidic sect based in 770 in New York…there are huge photographs of their rebbe…this becomes the object of their worship…its not very different than a similar system, Christianity…the true devotion and focus of the majority of Christians around the world is not He to whom they refer to as the father, but He to whom they refer to as the son…We see that when you create any intermediary whatsoever between Hashem and yourself, the focus will always gravitate towards that intermediary…there was always a danger of this kind of thought developing and evolving into something that is plainly related to _avodah zarah…”_
Belief in speculative, heretical principles can cause Jews to lose their share in the next world. There seem to be many “Chabad philosophers” presenting ideas that conflict with traditional Torah sources. Jews who listen to lectures by Chabad philosophers should ask – where are authentic Torah sources for this philosopher’s opinions?
In this article, the term “Chabad philosopher” refers to Chabad Chassidim who are presenting public lectures containing speculative philosophic notions that seriously conflict with traditional Torah principles or theology. The “Chabad philosophers” may often have long beards and black hats, and they may create an impression of being learned in esoteric Torah principles, but these “philosophers” will usually not cite any valid traditional Torah sources for their invented speculative notions.
In this video, Chabad philosopher Manis Friedman objects to the concept that God does not possess body parts that humans do have. Friedman states that “there is something wrong with that whole concept…as if humans have things that don’t belong to God, He (God) doesn’t have it, only humans have it which doesn’t really make much sense…aren’t we created in his image?”.
Rambam (Maimonides) compiled the 13 Ikkarim (foundational principle of Torah Judaism) that present an authentic Torah intellectual belief system. These 13 Ikkarim have become widely accepted as representing authentic principles of Torah Judaism.
The Rambam’s Fourth Ikkar of his 13 principles is creation ex-nihilo (from nothing). Thus the concept that the whole Universe, including humans, should necessarily have physical properties that God does not possess makes perfect sense when one considers that the normative Torah belief is that God created the matter and energy of the Universe ex-nihilo (from nothing).
It is very clear from many sources that the normative Torah viewpoint from before the time of the Rambam over 800 years ago is that God has no physical properties. He created matter and energy from nothing, but He is not comprised of matter or energy. This is actually the Rambam’s Third Ikkar (principle) – “God is not a body or a force in a body”.
Beliefs that God has a body (or physical characteristics) were rejected by the greatest rabbis in history, such as Rav Saadiah Gaon, R’ Bachya Ibn Pakudah, Ran etc. Such beliefs are considered meenus (intellectual idolatry). Here I will cite an authentic, widely accepted Torah source. According to Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:7, one who accepts that God exists but that He has a body or form is a “min” who has no share in the world to come (olam habaah).
The concept of Man being “created in God’s image” is in no way suggesting that God has any physical properties like Man has. Being “created in God’s image” is referring to immaterial properties of Man such as Man’s intellect and Man’s knowledge of good versus evil.
Another claim made by philosopher Friedman is that our arms are not real. This seems to derive from the dangerous error promoted by Chabad that the Universe itself is not real because everything in the Universe is allegedly God. Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch in his commentary on Genesis 1:4 wrote that this concept is a “deplorable error”.
Thus we see where a Chabad philosopher, even if he has a long beard and black hat, may present his own invented philosophy that is seriously in conflict with ancient Torah principles, where the Chabad philosopher fails to bring any authenticTorah sources that validate his speculative principles.
For those interested in studying the Rambam’s 13 principles as explained in detail by authentic Torah scholars, I recommend the Artscroll English/Hebrew volume “Kisvei HaRambam” on the Rambam’s writings, includes a detailed study of the 13 Ikkarim, written by authentic Torah scholars. (Note: I don’t work for Artscroll nor do I receive any compensation for mentioning this.) https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422633021.html
Belief in speculative, heretical principles can cause Jews to lose their share in olam habaah (the next world). Unfortunately, there seem to be many “Chabad philosophers” who may be presenting ideas that conflict with traditional Torah sources. Jews who continue to listen to lectures by Chabad philosophers should be constantly asking – where are authentic Torah sources for this philosopher’s opinions?
Certain Chabad writers have greatly distorted the Rambam’s writings in regards to Moshiach to prove that the deceased Chabad rebbe is Moshiach. This bears resemblance to the Christian censors that mistranslated or deleted writings of the Jewish prophets that proved that the false Moshiach Jesus was not the Moshiach.
Certain Chabad writers and Meshichistim have greatly distorted the Rambam’s writings in regards to Moshiach in order to prove that the deceased Chabad rebbe is Moshiach. This bears resemblance to the Christian censors that mistranslated or deleted writings of the Jewish prophets that proved that the false Moshiach Jesus was not the Moshiach.
This article on a Chabad website is a good example of Chabad replacement theology on the subject of Moshiah.
The article linked above contains numerous falsifications, distortions and omissions of the Rambam’s writings on Moshiach:
‘we have received a prophecy that “the time for the redemption has arrived,”’ – Authentic prophecy ceased in ancient times. No Torah authorities outside Chabad, to my knowledge, have claimed that the “time for the redemption has arrived”. That claim is a figment of imagination among the Chabad Meshichistem.
The Rambam (Maimonides) wrote in his Mishneh Torah “‘If a king will arise from the house of David…”. No king has arisen in the Land of Israel since ancient times. A Jewish king must be annointed by the Sanhedrin (Rambam, Laws of Sanhedrin). The Rambam did not write that Moshiach is a ‘leader’, it is clear from the Jerusalem Talmud description of the Jewish king Bar Kochbah and the Rambam that Moshiach must be a Jewish king in the Land of Israel. The deceased Chabad rebbe was never a Jewish king and he was never in the Land of Israel.
The Rambam (Maimonides) wrote in his Mishneh Torah that the Moshiach “will compel all of Israel to walk in the ways of the Torah”. The deceased Chabad rebbe never accomplished that, nor did the Chabad rebbe accomplish the primary tasks that are required of Moshiach.
Similar to the Christians who censored the Jewish prophets, the Chabad article linked above deleted a whole halacha from the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. This halacha disqualifies both Jesus and the deceased Chabad rebbe from being Moshiach: “If he (the Moshiach) did not succeed to this degree or was killed, he surely is not the redeemer promised by the Torah. Rather, he should be considered as all the other proper and complete kings of the Davidic dynasty who died. God caused him to arise only to test the many, as Daniel 11:35 states: ‘And some of the wise men will stumble, to try them, to refine, and to clarify until the appointed time, because the set time is in the future.'” (Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars, 11:5) The halacha cited above proves that according to the Rambam, once a person dies, they can no longer be considered Moshiach.
The Chabad article claims that “The Arizal writes that Moshiach will first redeem himself…”. There are apparently no manuscripts available written by the Arizal. The claims about the Arizal’s teachings were written long after he died in the 16th century. There is no authentic source in Judaism that the Moshiach appears, begins his mission, then dies, and is resurrected to complete his mission. That concept is from a different Bible than the Jewish Bible.
Another example of “replacement theology” is this article on Chabad dot org:
The article linked above omits the Rambam’s statement in Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars, 11:5 “Rather, he should be considered as all the other proper and complete kings of the Davidic dynasty who died. God caused him to arise only to test the many, as Daniel 11:35 states: ‘And some of the wise men will stumble, to try them, to refine, and to clarify until the appointed time, because the set time is in the future.'”
There are erroneous claims that the Rambam only eliminated “candidates” for Moshiach who were killed. In fact the Rambam’s statement in Kings and Wars, 11:5 eliminates as Moshiach ANYONE who died. It doesn’t matter how he died.
Claims that the Rambam only eliminated as candidates for Moshiach men who were killed is replacement theology. It seems that Chabad censors are folliwing in the desperate tracks of the Christian censors.
Muslims do not pray to the same God that the Jews pray to. Allah is the false god of Islam and not Hashem, the God of the Jewish Bible.
“After Hashem, your God, shall you walk and Him shall you fear, His commandments shall you observe, and to His voice shall you hearken, Him shall you serve, and to Him shall you cleave.” (Deut. 13:5)
“But not new commandments devised by a prophet” (Commentary by rabbinic sage Sforno on Deut. 13:5)
Jews should not believe that Muslims pray to the same god that Jews pray to.
“Allah” is the false god of Islam and not Hashem, the God whom Jews serve.
“Allah” is not the God that the Jews worship. The Torah considers “Allah” as meenoot” (IE intellectual idolatry) according to a senior Hareidi rabbi I consulted.
Belief in the Islamic deity “allah” is belief in a deity that has radically different attributes than Hashem, the God of the Bible.
Islam teaches that “allah” has attributes such as hearing, seeing, and speech, and “allah” claims that the Jews altered and distorted the Torah.
According to Muslims, “allah” rejects the Jewish Torah as having been forged by the Jews, and “allah” calls for the slaughter of Jews. How can “allah” possibly be the God of the Jews?
In fact Islam, as an invented religion, is considered avodah zarah by many Torah authorities.
“Avodah zarah“, translated as FOREIGN worship, is not limited to just worshiping an idol. Avodah zarah includes inventing a new religion.
Non-Jews are not allowed to invent a new religion, especially a new religion that attacks the Torah as false, which Islam certainly does.
The Rambam and many Jews might have been killed if he had spoken honestly about Islam, so he had to remain neutral.
Because Christians accept at least some of the principles of the Jewish Bible, they are actually closer to Judaism than Islam.
Darwinist imagination can never explain Man’s ability for speech, language, writing, and intellectual reasoning as resulting from un-directed natural causes (IE evolution). These abilities could only be granted by a supernatural Creator.
The Biblical text was not intended as a precise scientific document, but it does describe essential facts that Man needs to know, including the two phases of Man’s creation.
These phases correspond to the scientific evidence we have.
Phase I:
“And God formed the man of dust from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living being”
(Genesis 2:7)
The term “living being” used in Genesis 2:7 is the same term used in Genesis chapter 1 to describe the animals that God created before Man.
The great rabbinic sage Sforno explains that in phase I primitive Man existed as a higher form of animal, but still an animal similar to all the other animals which are lacking the ability of speech and intellectual reasoning.
We might conclude from this that these animal like humans could have existed for hundreds of thousands of years, but it is evident they left no evidence of language, writing, civilization, or abstract thought.
Line drawings on a cave wall, with no evidence of language or abstract thought, do not really distinguish primitive Man from animals.
Phase II:
“God planted a Garden in Eden, to the East, and placed there Man whom He had formed.” (Genesis 2:8)
The rabbinic sage Sforno explains that the “Garden” is the location where Man received the “image of God” so that higher Man gained the ability for speech and intellectual reasoning that primitive Man and animals are lacking.
This second phase would have occurred less than 6000 years from the present time, IE in the year 5786 according to the Jewish calendar that counts from the creation of higher Man.
Honest scientists will admit that the oldest writing that exists is less than 6000 years old, which was the period when Man was placed in the “Garden” and received the “image of God”.
No amount of Darwinist imagination can explain Man’s ability for speech, language, writing, and intellectual reasoning as resulting from un-directed natural causes (IE evolution). These abilities could only be granted by a supernatural Creator.
If you are intrigued by Chabad’s philosophies, but you are also seeking to understand ancient, authentic Torah truths, then you need to consider if Chabad philosophy can be reconciled with authentic Torah truths.
Stump Your Friendly Chabad Rabbi
If you are intrigued by Chabad’s theologies, but you are also seeking to understand ancient, authentic Torah truths, then you need to consider if Chabad philosophy can be reconciled with those authentic Torah truths.
If you have already firmly decided that Chabad theology is the authentic Torah theology, then it’s not necessary for you to investigate these questions.
These questions review some apparently problematic Chabad beliefs and theologies which may be of interest to those studying Chabad beliefs:
1. TANYA MISQUOTE: Chabad’s sefer Tanya starts with the word “tanya”, an Aramaic Talmudic word normally indicating a “breisah” (IE an early Mishna) is being cited. The Tanya is citing a statement in the Talmud Nidah 30b that was authored by Rabbi Simlai, a 4th century Amorah who did not author any “breisahs”: “דרש רבי שמלאי למה הולד דומה במעי אמו”. This is apparently NOT a “breisah”.
One senior Torah scholar I consulted with informed me that the sefer Tanya is misquoting the Talmud. It is quite amazing that an article on chabad.org admits that the citation in sefer Tanya is problematic!
How could the first Chabad rebbe have authored the Tanya if the Tanya is misquoting the Talmud?
2. TANYA’S AUTHOR: There appear to be serious questions about the authorship of the sefer Tanya, which Chabad claims was authored by the first Chabad rebbe.
However, the chabad.org website admits that the original Tanya written by the first Chabad rebbe was somehow lost (how this could happen never seems to be explained).
“To our misfortune the manuscripts written by his personal saintly hand which were composed with great punctiliousness, without a superfluous or deficient letter, have become extinct” (Chabad dot org approbations page)
Where in these early Tanya printings does it actually state that the first Chabad rebbe authored the Tanya? If we don’t know who really authored the Tanya, why should we grant the Tanya the great degree of authenticity proclaimed by Chabad?
3. AUTHENTICITY OF THE ZOHAR: The Zohar is a primary book (or collection of books) of Jewish “mysticism”, first printed in the late 16th century, from which Chabad derives much of its philosophy. Articles on the chabad dot org website allege that the great Tanna (Talmudic sage) Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi) authored the Zohar, thus atempting to equate the Zohar with the authority of the Talmud. However, Rashbi lived around the second century C.E., and the Zohar did not appear for over a thousand years after Rashbi had passed away!
Why is it that neither the Talmud nor any of the great medieval rabbis mention the existence of a book called the Zohar allegedly authored by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai? If Rashbi actually wrote such a book, wouldn’t it have been mentioned in the Talmud or have been mentioned by the medieval rabbis? How can a valid mesorah exist for a book that suddenly appeared in Jewish history without a rabbi claiming to be the author?
4. MAN GOD: In the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot, a compilation of all the mitzvot in the Torah, the first negative commandment is the prohibition to believe in or associate “Elokus” to anything but Hashem, this is also the first of the “10 commandments” “You shall have no other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3).
This Chabad video claims the rebbe is beyond our comprehension, he is allegedly Elokus, Ein Sof etc.
There are other Chabad rabbis making similar claims about the deceased Chabad rebbe. Aren’t the Chabad rabbis who teach that the deceased rebbe is “Elokus” violating the very first negative commandment of the “10 commandments” in the Torah?
5. RESURRECTED MOSHIACH: Videos on this Chabad youtube channel claim that the Chabad rebbe is “resurrected”, he is the “atzmus” (essence) of God enclothed in a body, he is a prophet, God has a twin, etc.
Other than a different messiah/savior, what is the difference between the false messiah taught in these Chabad videos and the Dec. 25th false messiah which Jews have rejected for 2000 years?
6. MOSHIACH HAS A SON: In the Rambam’s Commentary to Tractate Sanhedrin, Introduction to Perek Chelek, the Rambam writes:
” והמשיח ימות וימלוך בנו תחתיו ובן בנו וכבר ביאר הנביא את מיתתו לא יכהה ולא ירוץ עד ישים בארץ משפט ויאריך מלכותו ימים רבים עד מאד
But the Messiah will die and his son will reign in his place, and then his grandson. And the prophet has already explained his death: ‘He (the messiah) will not tire and will not be crushed until he puts justice in the world’ (Isaiah 42:5). And his kingdom will continue for a very long time.”
Certain Chabad rabbis have been claiming for some time that the deceased Chabad rebbe meets the Rambam’s qualifications for the Moshiach. Yet the Rambam, as cited above, clearly states that the Moshiach will have a son.
If the deceased Chabad rebbe is really the Moshiach, where is his son?
7. REBBE INFALLIBLE: In a Chabad video, a Chabad rabbi claims that the (deceased) rebbe cannot make a mistake.
However, in the Torah Parsha of Vayikrah, we learn that the whole Sanhedrin (high court of Judaism) can rule in error, in which case they must bring a special offering in the Temple as a sin offering.
If the whole Sanhedrin, IE the most learned and pious rabbis of that generation, can make an error, how is it possible that the Chabad rebbe cannot make an error?
8. INFALLIBLE HUMANS: In Chpt. 3 of the Rambam’s Hilchos Teshuvah, the Rambam states that “each and every person has sins and merits…if his sins and merits are equal, he is termed a benoni”. Thus it is clear that the Rambam rejects the non-Jewish notion that any person could be without any sin.
However, Chapter 12 of Chabad’s Tanya states that “the beinoni has never committed any transgression, nor will he ever transgress”. Chabad views its rebbes as Tzaddikim, who would be by the Chabad definition on an even higher level than a benoni.
Where did authentic ancient Torah sources ever claim that anyone was on the level of what Chabad defines as a benoni or a tzaddik?
9. GOD HAS PARTS: The blessing of “Elokai, neshama sh’nasata bi” (My God, the soul you placed in me is pure…) is printed in most Jewish prayer books, it is a citation from statements that appear in the Talmud. These statements from the Talmud clearly indicate that Hashem created and fashioned the neshama.
The second “ikkar” principle of the Rambam’s 13 principles states that God has no disparate elements or parts whatsoever, God’s oneness is a oneness to which no other oneness can be compared whatsoever.
Chovos HaLevavos, Shaar HaYichud teaches similar to the Rambam, IE anything composite or made of parts has been created.
However, Chpt. 2 of Chabad’s sefer Tanya states “The second, uniquely Jewish, soul is truly a part of G‑d above”.
How can Tanya’s claim that the neshama is “part of God” be reconciled with the Rambam’s 2nd ikkar?
How can Tanya’s claim that the neshama is “part of God” be reconciled with the blessing that Hashem created and fashioned the neshama?
Did Hashem create and fashion Himself?
10. GNOSTICISM-WORLD IS EVIL: The Torah states that “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31).
However, Chapter 45 of Chabad’s Tanya claims that this world is “the nadir of the coarse klipot (evil shells)”, thus defining this world as the nadir of evil. Chapter 24 of Chabad’s Tanya states that “all matters of this world are harsh and evil”.
The concept of “klipot” does not seem to be mentioned anywhere in the Talmud or by the medieval rabbis. Tanya’s radical cosmology, where the world is deemed evil except for some “sparks of God” that fell into it, seems to have been based on an ancient pagan mystery religion known as Gnosticism. It appears that many ancient Jews believed in some form of Gnosticism, even though much of Gnostic philosophy conflicts with the teachings of the Torah and the ancient Torah sages.
How can Chabad’s concept of the world being described as “klipot” possibly be reconciled with the statements in Genesis that the world is very good?
11. GNOSTICISM-BODY IS A SERPENT SKIN: In Chapters 31 & 45 of Tanya, it asserts an idea from the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism that a “divine spark” is enclothed in a serpent skin (IE the human body). In strong contrast to this, the Talmudic sages required us to pronounce a blessing after we leave the bathroom, stating that God created Man with great wisdom. In the modern age we know that the human body is a fantastic piece of biological engineering that contains great wisdom in its design. How can the serpent skin described by Tanya be considered great wisdom?
12. PANTHEISM: Pantheism is an ancient philosophy that asserts that the totality of the physical Universe is comprised of God’s essence. For example, Chabad philosophy often describes God as filling the Universe, thus nullifying the existence of the Universe the way a ray of light would be nullified in the Sun. This metaphor is very problematic as it would mean that Hashem is matter and energy, a concept that violates the Rambam’s 3rd principle.
Pantheism was rejected by many of the greatest rabbis such Saadiyah Gaon, Rambam, Radak, Rabbeinu Bachya, Ran, Rav Hirsch, Vilna Gaon, etc. Pantheism creates enormous problems for Torah beliefs because it nullifies the first verse in Torah, and it nullifies the existence of the Universe, the existence of nature, and the existence of man’s free will.
Chabad writings often cite Jeremiah 23:24: “Do I (Hashem) not fill heaven and Earth?”. However, Chabad seems to ignore the commentary of Radak (one of the greatest Biblical commentators) on that verse: “…this is a metaphor because God does not have a body that fills space, rather God’s providence is everywhere.” Radak’s viewpoint there appears to be the mainstream viewpoint of the medieval rabbis.
In “Derashot HaRan”, Derush 9, the great medieval rabbinic sage Rabbeinu Nissim argues the exact opposite from Tanya. Ran explains that God only interacts with this physical world through “innumerable intermediaries” and not directly, otherwise it would be easier to believe a person could approach the sun and survive, which as we know cannot happen. Thus Rabbeinu Nissim preserves the existence of the Universe and preserves the immateriality of Hashem.
Are we supposed to believe that our greatest medieval rabbis held the wrong conceptions of Hashem, while the Chabad rebbes did hold the correct conception of Hashem?
Current “Orthodox” Jewish theology does not seem to accept the possibility of “accidents” or chance events occurring.
In fact, those who believe chance events can occur may be labeled “heretics” nowadays.
However, according to Ramban, Rabbeinu Bachya, and Rambam, it does seem that chance events can occur at times, with the exceptions that the survival of species is guarded by Hashem, and also true “chassidim” are not subject to chance events.
It is true that the ancients lacked the scientific instruments and mathematical equations we possess today. This does not mean they were ignorant of any knowledge we now possess about the Universe.
In certain medieval writings there is a discussion of transparent “spheres” in outer space that seems at first glance to be nonsensical false science.
Certain Biblical statements, although written in simple language that could be understood by people of all ages, can be interpreted to shed light on certain scientific mysteries that exist to this day.
In Maimonides’ book “Guide to the Perplexed” (12th century C.E.), he identifies the Hebrew word “rakia” in Genesis (translated as “firmament”), as what modern science might call the spherical dark matter halo.
Maimonides cites the Biblical verse “And God set them (the stars and planets) in the firmament” (Genesis 1:17) to explain that “all the stars as well as the sun and the moon are situated within the sphere, as there is no vacuum in the world, and they are not located on the surface of a sphere as the vulgar imagine.” In modern terms, Maimonides is explaining that the stars and planets are embedded in a transparent sphere of dark matter.
This ancient idea of spheres of dark matter is confirmed by modern science:
“The visible disk of the Milky Way Galaxy is thought to be embedded in a much larger, roughly spherical halo of dark matter.”
We ignore the great wisdom of the Bible and the great reasoning power of the ancients at our own peril. Contemporary scientists would have us believe that they have discovered information about the physical Universe that was never known to the ancients. That assumption is based on a certain modern arrogance and is incorrect.
TORAH METAPHYSICS 
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