Guest Post: Breslov, Faith, and Science

Rebbetzin Devorah Fastag

Moishie Lerner, a famous Breslover on Whatsapp, recently argued that true faith allows one to bypass such conflicts entirely, since all phenomena, including scientific laws, are expressions of G-d's will. Therefore, any contradictions are irrelevant.¹ In the name of the Jewish Hasidic group known as 'Breslov', the author implied that there is no need for intellectual understanding or coherence to maintain faith.

I'm honored to share this response from Rebbetzin Devorah Fastag. Like the author of that post, she is also connected to Breslov teachings, and she found it essential to address some of the points raised and provide a more nuanced perspective.

Is Blind Faith The Torah Way?

The article makes a basic statement that if you have faith, then all the conflicts between science and Torah are irrelevant. If G-d said something, that is the truth. Although this is obviously correct, it needs explanation.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov movement, lived at a time when heretical views were becoming popular and faith was being severely challenged.

Rabbi Nachman's advice was to get in touch with your own soul, which inherently knows the truth. He taught that this could be achieved by ridding yourself of all impurities. By doing so, you connect with your soul and genuinely feel G-d’s presence. When you feel G-d’s presence, all doubts will disappear. This is called “Hisbodedus”, which literally means “alone”. It is talking, alone, to G-d.

But what does being alone and talking to G-d in a forest have to do with purification? When you remove yourself from outside influences and are alone with G-d, you can much more easily feel His presence. I’d like to share a short historical story to illustrate how we inherently know the truth of God’s existence and how impurity is what blocks us from feeling it.

Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, had almost no contact with the world around her until she was seven years old. Then, her teacher, Anne Sullivan, developed a method of communication with her. One of the first things Anne taught Helen was about the existence of G-d.

Helen responded by telling her teacher that she always knew about Him, she just didn’t know His name.²

How did Helen Keller know about G-d? Because the soul knows, and the knowledge of G-d is automatic, as long as there is no impurity to block it out. Helen, being so separated from society, wasn’t blocked by the impurities and distractions that often cloud our awareness. Her comment beautifully demonstrated that the truth of G-d's existence is innate within us; we just need to clear away the impurities to fully experience it. Helen, because she was so separated from society, was not being blocked.

Hisbodedus, or, Sincere Prayer is a Two Way Street 

Prayer is not meant to be only a one way conversation with G-d. If you will keep yourself pure even when this means going beyond your comfort zone, if you will sacrifice your will for G-d’s will, then when you will pour out your heart before G-d in personal prayer, you will see how G-d answers you with remarkable Divine providence. People who attach themselves to G-d through hisbodedus, and through exceptional devotion to mitzvot (commandments), can tell you amazing stories of Divine providence.

Here’s one small example: The husband of a very close friend of is a Breslover chassid who practices hisbodedus.  He recently underwent a colostomy and the stitches were painful.  In order to sit comfortably in a car or at the synagogue he needed an especially firm pillow.  Since they live in the small town of Beitar Illit, shopping is more limited than in large cities and there isn’t much selection of pillows nearby.  Then an adult grandson came to visit them and they were discussing where they could get such a pillow. There was no store selling pillows near them that was open at that time.  They left the pillow problem on “hold” and the grandson then went to the nearby supermarket for grocery items. There was a big surprise at the supermarket. The grandson called to say that this supermarket, which is not large and generally does not sell pillows or bedding, was – amazingly - having a sale on firm pillows. They were selling two firm pillows for 100 Israeli shekel while the cost of one pillow, as written on the label, was 300 shekel!  Two pillows was what they needed, one for the car and one for the synagogue. Of course he bought them. 

How did it happen that this store, that doesn’t sell pillows, suddenly had the firm people his grandfather needed? I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the supermarket chain needed to dispose of extra stock sold at the larger branches, and they decided to send some of this stock to this small supermarket to sell at one sixth of the price!  

This story happened a few days ago. I was at the supermarket this morning and didn’t see any pillows. 

We call these "everyday miracles," and we thank G-d for “Your miracles which are with us every day” in the main Jewish prayer called Shmoneh Esrei.

It isn’t only Breslov chassidus that teaches that spiritual effort brings about supernatural results. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan³ wrote extensively about the Torah's commandment to avoid speaking evil and asserted that if you truly keep all the laws of guarding your speech, you will attain Divine inspiration.⁴ With Divine inspiration comes unwavering faith. In essence, both teachings convey a similar message about the profound connection between spiritual discipline and experiencing the Divine.

Perhaps the reason for this is that when a person speaks lashon hara (harmful or degrading gossip, literally bad speech),⁵ it creates a very strong barrier of impurity around them, which blocks out G-d. When this separation from G-d is removed, a Divine closeness takes its place, bringing about Divine inspiration and a general show of Divine providence.

Is Faith Enough For Everyone? 

And so the Breslover is somewhat correct, in that one can achieve real faith without intellectual investigation, and that requires removing oneself from impurity.⁶ The obvious challenge is that not everyone manages to separate themselves from all impurity. Moreover, people who are not yet believers might not even want to try.

Stories of Divine intervention don’t happen all the time, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation. There are times when G-d seems to conceal His presence from us. This can happen even to people who are really trying to do G-d’s will.

During these times, you may feel that G-d isn’t there, you don’t receive answers, and you don’t witness His Divine Providence. This can occur because G-d is testing us, or because we have sinned (even a "minor" sin), or due to the spiritual impurity surrounding us. For instance, Moses had to leave the Egyptian city to pray to G-d to remove the plague, because he couldn’t communicate with G-d in a city full of idols.⁷

Queen Esther was a prophetess, but she felt that G-d’s presence had left her as she walked through the halls of the palace to beg King Achashverosh to save the Jewish people.⁸ This was because she was passing the room where Achashverosh stored his idols.

In our society, where there so very much spiritual impurity, it is very hard to feel the Divine. And so, even though this method of achieving faith is very important, it may not be enough for everyone at all times.⁹

There is even a tradition from Breslov to illustrate this.

Rabbi Nachman once instructed his student Rabbi Nosson to philosophically convince an atheist of the truth of G-d's existence. Telling this man to go practice hisbodedus or throw himself into keeping G-d’s laws when the man doesn’t believe, is obviously not going to work. This shows that the approach to belief in G-d can vary depending on the audience.

Can faith fuse with intellectual understanding? Let’s see what the Torah itself says about this.

Truth vs. evidence

If you know beyond any doubt that something is true, then any evidence brought against that truth is irrelevant. You won’t believe the supposed ‘evidence’ if you know for sure that the facts are otherwise.

For instance, if I know that I wrote a certain book, any supposed evidence contradicting this knowledge will be false. It won't convince me or anyone else who knows the facts to think that I did not write the book. There could be a mystery as to why there seems to be evidence to the contrary, and it would be interesting and worthwhile to explain why that ‘evidence’ is not accurate, but it is the ‘investigators’ who are clearly making the mistake.

So the question is, do we have unquestionable proof that our faith is true? How does one achieve the faith of which we speak? What is it based on?

Answering this question is essential, because, without a true answer, there can be no true faith. A person can believe in false things as well. Many false religions are also based on the idea of unwavering faith.

This rule of "blind faith" applies to many scientists as well. Although they jeer at faith, they themselves may be engaging in the same behavior they criticize. Those who accept all the "scientific" claims—which are often without solid proof—are also believers. For example, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist once said that due to its extreme intricacy, it is impossible that the eye developed by chance. Yet he concluded, “But here we are, so I believe in evolution.”

Do you see the irony? He’s a believer because he decided to believe in this theory, and he won’t let the facts confuse his belief

!

Obviously, we don’t want to be like that scientist. We don’t want to believe in something simply because we wish it to be so, or because others expect it of us. G-d wants us to truly KNOW the truth.

The Torah says, "You were shown to know that the Lord is G-d; there is none other than He”.¹⁰ Notice that G-d used the word “know.” He didn’t tell Moses to ask the Israelites to believe that He is giving them the Torah; He showed it to them directly because He wanted them to know this. Every Jewish man, woman, and child became a prophet at that moment. They all heard G-d speaking to them and saw into the heavens, as explained in Deuteronomy. They witnessed that G-d is the only G-d.

G-d also commanded that all the events and great miracles be written down in the Torah at that very time, and that every parent relay to their children what they had witnessed. This tradition was further corroborated by customs, holidays, and special commandments commemorating these events, ensuring that everyone knew these events had truly transpired.

There was no way someone could introduce these customs and laws later on and convince the people that they had been keeping them all along when they knew they hadn’t. No one could convince them that they had this Torah all along if they knew they had not. Nor could anyone persuade people that their ancestors had told them about these miraculous events if they knew themselves that their fathers had not.

There was no way to later tell people, “Well, your ancestors did tell their descendants all this, but it was forgotten, so I’m reintroducing this Torah.” Such a claim would be immediately dismissed because the Torah itself says, "for it will not be forgotten from the mouths of his seed!"¹¹ Anyone making such a claim would be exposed as a fraud.

That’s why no other religion makes such a claim. It’s simply not possible. All other religions require believing in a prophet and/or his followers who claim to have witnessed miracles. However, no one claims that an entire nation witnessed these events themselves because such a claim would be impossible to sustain if it were not true.

And if a person is still in doubt as to the veracity of the Torah, there are many other proofs along the way, such as unlikely prophecies that came true.

For example, the Torah foretells that after the Jews would sin and be exiled, the land of Israel would not be fruitful for foreign invaders but only for its own children, the Jews.¹² How could anyone make such a claim and know it would come true unless they had prophecy?

What if a foreign conqueror had made the land fruitful? How could someone thousands of years ago know this would not happen? And why would someone authoring a book take such a risk to make this claim? Furthermore, how could they know that the land would become productive again when the Jews returned?

Yet, this is exactly what happened.¹³ After all, the land of Israel had been a very fertile for many years before being conquered. The land lay unproductive for many conquerors over a long period and then became productive again when the Jews returned. This remarkable fulfillment of prophecy serves as a powerful testament to the truth of the Torah.

Another remarkable point is that the Torah includes criticisms and exposes the faults of the greatest and most revered figures in Jewish history, even Moses himself. No human author would ever do that, and indeed, no religion other than Judaism does this.

So now that we know the Torah is true, the point about faith becomes clear. It doesn’t matter what scientists claim in conflict with the Torah because we know the Torah is true. We, as a people, witnessed it!

That is the simple intellectual approach. It is essential to know that one’s faith is true. However, people are much more inspired by what they feel themselves, then they are by intellectual claimss, which is why the Breslover approach is so important. There is no conflict between these two; they should work together.

Not Every Claim By Scientists Is Wrong

Even so, not every claim that appears to contradict the Torah is wrong. For example, scientists are correct that the earth is round, even though the Torah speaks of “the four corners of the earth.”

Of course, the earth is round. This was known to the Jews as well. The Talmud mentions something about this regarding Alexander the Great.¹⁴ and the Zohar, written long before Galileo, states that the earth is shaped like a ball and that there are people on the other side.¹⁵ When the Torah spoke of the four corners of the earth, it was referring to directions and had deeper, metaphorical meanings.¹⁶

Additionally, according to some bona fide Torah opinions, certain statements by the sages of the Talmud are not necessarily accurate in the simple scientific sense. The sages of the Talmud did not intend to teach scientific facts; that wasn’t their purpose. They used the beliefs of their times as a basis for moral teachings. Whether the science involved is accurate or not is irrelevant; the moral teachings are true, and that’s the point.

The sages of the Talmud also used these statements as codes for Kabbalistic teachings. They could not teach mysticism openly, so they encoded their teachings in this way for those who would understand. In such cases, there is no contradiction between the words of the sages of the Talmud and scientific facts, even when there seems to be, because they were talking about two different things. Scientists refer to physical facts, while the sages of the Talmud were referring to spiritual truths, using supposed physical facts as codes. This is the opinion of the Maharal, as well as that of Kabbalists.

There is yet another point involved. Sometimes, when scientists say things that seem to conflict with the Torah, they are touching on something real but interpreting it the wrong way. For example, the Zohar says that monkeys are a halfway point between animals and humans.¹⁷ The sages of the Talmud explain that there were sinful human beings who were actually changed into monkeys. So it isn’t that monkeys became people; it’s that people became monkeys.

The point is that sometimes scientists might discover truths but misinterpret them. Many secrets of creation, found in Kabbalah, are known only to a select few. Some scientific theories might touch on these truths but likely contain errors.

Other times, “scientific” theories are simply wrong. They twist facts to fit their own narratives because they desperately don’t want to believe the Torah is true. Eventually, these theories will be disproved, but in the meantime, many unfortunate people are misled.

To sum up, the main point is valid: if we know the truth from G-d Himself, then any "evidence" to the contrary must be scrutinized for errors. It's not our faith that needs to be questioned; it's the interpretation of the evidence.

Conclusion

Helen Keller’s innate knowledge of G-d, despite her physical limitations, illustrates that the truth of G-d's existence is something that transcends intellectual debate and resides deeply within our souls.

The prophecies and historical accuracy of the Torah withstand the test of time and scrutiny. Ultimately, our belief in the Torah is not just a matter of blind faith. It is a conviction supported by historical evidence, personal experiences, and the deep, innate knowledge that G-d has implanted within each of us.

1. Guest Post: The Science Dilemma

2. https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/12/helen_keller_knew_god_before_she_knew_his_name.html

3. The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (1839-1933), was a renowned Jewish rabbi and ethicist, best known for his influential works on Jewish law and ethics. His most famous book, "Chofetz Chaim," focuses on the laws of proper speech, particularly the avoidance of gossip and slander, and has profoundly influenced Jewish thought and behavior. A respected spiritual leader, he was also instrumental in the establishment of the Yeshiva movement in Eastern Europe, and his teachings continue to inspire people around the world to lead lives of integrity and kindness.

4. "Ruach HaKodesh" (רוח הקודש), refers to a spiritual state where a person receives insight, wisdom, or knowledge directly from God. It is considered a form of divine communication, less intense than prophecy but still a significant connection with the divine. Those experiencing Ruach HaKodesh might gain profound understanding of religious texts, moral clarity, or guidance in decision-making. This concept underscores the belief that God continues to influence and guide individuals beyond the era of the biblical prophets.

5. Lashon hara, translated as "evil speech," refers to derogatory or harmful speech about others, even if it is true. In Jewish law, it is considered a severe transgression because it can cause significant harm to individuals and communities, fostering negativity and division.

6. See above, where hisbodedus is defined

7. Exodus 9:33 "So Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land." Exodus 9:33

8. Tractate Megillah 15b. "When she [Esther] reached the chamber of idols, the Divine Presence departed from her. She said: 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?' (Psalms 22:2). Perhaps You judge an inadvertent offense as a deliberate sin, or an unavoidable offense as one that is intentional."

9. “Hester Panim" (הסתר פנים) in Hebrew means "hiding of the face." It refers to times when God’s presence and intervention seem hidden or less apparent in the world. This

10. Deuteronomy 4:35

11. Deuteronomy 31:21

12. Leviticus 26:32-33: "I will scatter you among the nations ... Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins."

13. Here is a well-known quote from Mark Twain's "The Innocents Abroad" about Israel in the 1800s:

"…[a] desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds—a silent mournful expanse… A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action… We never saw a human being on the whole route… There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country."

14. Talmud, Avodah Zarah 10a:

A conversation between Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya and the Roman emperor. Rabbi Yehoshua mentions the earth’s shape indirectly while speaking about how the sun travels at night:

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya was once walking along a road when he met a Roman, who said to him: 'You Jews think you are so wise. Tell me, where does the sun go to when it sets?' Rabbi Yehoshua replied: 'It goes beneath the earth and returns to the other side.' The Roman said: 'How do you know this?' Rabbi Yehoshua said: 'Because the water in the wells is cold at dawn, indicating that the sun has passed beneath them during the night.'"

15. Zohar, Volume III, Parashat Va'era, 10b: "The entire world and those who inhabit it spin in a circle like a ball. Some are above, and some below."

16. Isaiah 11:12: "He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth”

17. Zohar, Volume I, Parashat Noach, 76a:

"There are beings in the world that resemble man in their form but differ in their essence and nature, such as the monkey, which looks like man but lacks his understanding and speech."