[Avodah] Rav Keller's JO article on evolution

[Gershon Seif]

[Note that I've been holding on to this post since Jun 26th until now,
the end of the hiatus on science and creation issues. So, the word
"recent" in the first sentence should be read accordingly. -mi]

On page 16 of the recent JO, Rav Keller brings proofs that when the Torah
says a day in Mayseh Beraishis, it is literal. In one of the footnotes
he quotes Rab Schwab, but it appeared as if it was longer.

Here's my understanding of what he wrote.

1. Ein mikra yotzai midai pshuto. Since the Torah has definite lines of
demarcation of time and evolution assumes one long continuum, it would
be against this basic rule of learning Torah to twist mayseh Bereishis
into an evolving creation.

2. The Ramban, Bereishis 1:3, and the Rashbam Bereishi 1:4 take this
literaly.

3. The Gemara Chagiga 12a (and rashi there explains that to mean a
24 hour day) says that midas yom and layla were created on the first
day. Rashi says the gemara is based on the posuk of vayehi erev vayehi
voker yom echad.

4. The 4th of the aseres hadibros says to remember Shabbos and sanctify
it.. for in 6 days Hashem made the heavans and the earth and He rested
on the seventh. - Rav Keller writes about this "Can we seriously consider
this an allegory for a period of billions of years? Is this the lesson the
Torah is teaching us- the greatness of God that He took 6 long undefined
periods of time to crate the world?

5. The torah telling us that Hashem rested, is saying that creation came
to a halt. This flies in the face of evolution which states that this
is an ongoing process.

6. The Kuzari writes that the number of years from creation to his time
is universally accepted by all Jews without acception. Rav Keller adds,
even though this is nolonger the case, the mesorah is still the mesorah.

7. The gemara in Kesubos 5a instructs us to have weddings on Wednesday
because that was the day fish were created.

8. Shulchan Aruch (OC 229:2) is m'chayaiv us to recite birkas hachamo
once every 28 years, and it is on Wednesday, the day the sun ws created.

9. The Ran on the 1st perek of R"H explains that we are judged on R"H
because the world was created on 25th day of Elul and Adam was created
onthe 6th day which was R"H.

 - He also writes that the Rambam agrees with a 6 day creation. He
writes the Rambam has beenmisquoted. All the now famous Rambam in MN
meant was that there are sodos of Kaballah that are lying behind the
simple meaning of the words.

I'd like to hear thoughts and comments.