Bereshit: the Book of Science and Technology

By מרדכי איש ימיני and Shmuli Phillips

The notion that humans are created Betzelem Elokim – in God’s image – is a central feature of the Creation passage, and often viewed as a fundamental teaching of the Torah. As Judaism Reclaimed notes, the concept of all people bearing God’s image is used to emphasise the inherent value of all human life. Various commentaries also seek to identify the Divine image with particularly important features that humans share with God, such as the rational intellect (Rambam) or free will (Meshech Chochma).

There is an additional dimension to “the image of God”, however, the dynamics of which play themselves out across the primary narratives of the book of Bereshit. The verses state:

“And God created man in His image…and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth." [1:27-28]

As Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik points out in The Lonely Man of Faith, the command to “subdue” the natural world indicates that it is God’s will for mankind to employ its creative faculties in order to master its environment. Read in context of the previous verse, this implies that the ability that humanity has been granted to conquer and master the world through advancement in science and technology is an aspect of its being created in God’s image. To partner God in ruling the world, and governing it in accordance with His Will. According to this understanding, it is not simply reflecting upon the wonders and wisdom of the natural world that leads us to love of God – as Rambam writes (Hil. Yesodei HaTorah 2:2). But this must be taken further, fulfilling the Divine mandate to utilise our God-given intellect and skills to develop and sophisticate human existence. Through this process, humanity can improve its standard of living and, with it, its ability to focus on more elevated goals.

The religious importance of advancing human civilisation is a theme which appears to be emphasised through the book of Bereshit. Bereshit’s early heroes – the forefathers – are all shepherds, while its villains – such as Nimrod, Eisav and Yishmael – are characterised as wild hunters. With humanity gradually shifting from groups of hunter-gatherers to herders of flock, and eventually other forms of agriculture, the Torah subtly makes its stance on the matter clear.

Parashat Lech Lecha identifies Yishmael as a “wild-ass of a man”. The story continues in the following parasha to see him as a desert archer who is considered unqualified to be part of the foundations of the Chosen People who will bear God’s teachings to the humanity.

The message is presented in a particularly stark manner when the hunter, Eisav, returns exhausted from the field demanding to be fed. Ya’akov, by contrast, is patiently cooking lentil soup. The contrast between the wild, impatient Eisav and the calm “tent dweller” is evident. Hunter-gatherers’ existence is characterised by living for the here and now. Their food lasts for 48 hours before another hunt must be conducted. It is a lifestyle which led people to be impulsive, violent and living for the moment. Certainly “of what value for me is the firstborn?”. The forefathers’ shepherding and lentil-growing marked a level of increased civilisation and sophistication – a shift towards mastery of the world that the Torah strongly approves of.

The episode of Yosef and his brothers represents a further stage of progress, demonstrating that the Torah does not place inherent value on the occupation of shepherding. Instead Yosef dreams of wheat – a more sophisticated agricultural process which facilitates more stable cities and civilisations. As Viceroy in Egypt he takes this yet further, devising schemes for effective of storage of crops and thus teaching his subjects how to stave of famine.

Previous posts have described the profound meaning of Ya’akov’s dream – the angels going up and then down the ladder signify that they must, having perfected themselves, descend back down the ladder to bring the benefits of their knowledge to improve the societies around them. While this certainly includes religious and moral teachings, a Gemara (Shabbat 33b-34a) teaches that this also refers to human and technological advancement. It describes how Ya’akov, fresh from overcoming the angel of Eisav and reconciling with his brother, sought to enhance the living standard of the nearest civilisation. Different opinions suggest that he established a monetary system for them, a market system or public baths and hygiene. The common denominator being that the role of the prophet – and the role of religion – is to advance and develop the living standard of its society helping them to realise more fully the image of God with which they were created.

In today’s context this dimension of the image of God may lend particular importance to those who work, for example, in improving humanity’s lot by exploring genes and atoms. It is important for we who live in the modern era to remember that scientific and technological advancement can and must be viewed through the Torah’s lens of being partners in God’s Creation and further perceiving His wisdom and wonders. This can also prevent us from falling into the trap of those who built the Tower of Babel, whose technological advancements led to arrogance and a perception that they could transcend and overcome God and the mission which he entrusted to humanity.

For more on the Tower of Babel as a technological advancement see this superb analysis from R Alex Israel.

For more on the ladder in Ya’akov’s dream and its implication for prophets and Jewish leaders click here.

First posted on Facebook 14 October 2021, here.