Let's talk #1 : Launching the Torah Science Foundation

8 March 2001

The Torah Science Foundation was launched as an answer to the ever-growing interest in the relationship between Judaism and contemporary scientific thinking. Genuine interest in Torah science issues is a world-wide phenomenon. This is evidenced from the fact that in the last 12 months, I have been invited to lecture on Torah and science in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and in four different cities of the United States.

The inaugural lecture launching the Torah Science Foundation took place in Jerusalem during the festival of Chanukah 5761 (December 2000). Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz described the relationship between Torah and science as a "rocky marriage" with a long history of heated arguments. Central to these arguments, Rabbi Steinsaltz said, was the question of the purpose and meaning of life. Recent scientific developments, such as mammalian cloning and the complete mapping of the human genome, are adding tantalizing new dimensions to that question. The eternal wisdom of the Torah, illuminated by the teachings of Kabbalah and Hassidic philosophy, offers us powerful tools to address the human condition. In his essay on the Torah science method, Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains how basic kabbalistic principles can be used to bridge Torah teachings with scientific knowledge. We hope that interested viewers from around the world will find in this web site a virtual home to learn and to communicate with each other. We really want to hear your comments and suggestions about our site. Let us know!

To send a response to Professor Zeiger, fill out this form or send email to zeiger@torahscience.org.