Shabbat Parashat Chayei Sara 5786

Parashat Hashavua: 137 and the Power of Uncertainty

The parasha opens with “the life of Sarah,” mentioned twice along with her 127 years. Since it tells of her death, it might have been more appropriate to say that she died at the age of 127. Much has been written about the stress on her life. The Midrash Hagadol (ad loc.) connects this to the pasuk, “He asked for life, You gave it to him – long life forever” (Tehillim 21:5). The midrash says that the life forever refers to the life of the World to Come. This is the real life, and thus Sarah’s life did not end. What looks like life from the viewpoint of the material world is not really life. We will investigate a similar approach with very different parameters.

The number that opens our parasha is, again, 127. A similarly phrased pasuk at the end of the parasha gives the years of Yishmael’s life as 137. This number appears twice in Parashat Vaeira as the years of the lives of Moshe’s forebears, Levi and Amram, which is a strong indication that the number is significant. Explaining the connection will help us answer our question.

The Jewish doctor, poet, and philosopher, R. Yedaya Hapenini Habadrashi made an enigmatic statement: “The point of knowledge is that we should not know.” While many quoted and agreed with him, we must ask how lack of knowledge can be the point of knowledge?

Let us compare the goals of Torah study and of study of science. A scientist wants to understand as much as possible, especially the principles, and come up with a formula that gives the correct answer for each test case. If the results of the test cases do not work out with the principles, he knows that some knowledge is missing, and he must continue his work. It would seem there is no way to bridge the gap between these fields – Torah values lack of knowledge, whereas science values only knowledge.

Around 100 years ago, science began identifying areas in which it is impossible to apply standard physical equations. For one, it is now accepted that we can never know an electron’s location or momentum. Second, we will probably not succeed in incorporating into one system of formulas the four forces that operate in nature: gravitational force, electrical-electromagnetic force, weak atomic force, and strong atomic force. A third example: apparently, we will not succeed in knowing and defining the universe in all its parts and their locations, in relation to a specific point.

There is also a group of scientists who have accepted R. Yedaya’s thesis that a transcendental being exists outside the physical world, which controls the happenings in the world. While they do not believe in Hashem, it is a historical step forward. One cause is the realization that human conception is limited. Another is the discovery of constants without which the world could not exist as it does.

One important constant is the number 1/137 (called, the fine structure constant), which relates to the strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles. The importance of this constant was studied by two Jews, Arnold Sommerfeld and Wolfgang Pauli, the latter of which started learning Kabbala when he learned that its gematria is 137.

I would suggest that these developments are part of the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecies that the whole world will eventually accept Hashem’s dominion.

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