Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, spoke at a Hassidic gathering in 1972 and shared a timeless lesson: not only does the Torah provide profound insight into the nature of the world, but in fact, nothing in existence can endure without its source in Torah.
The Jerusalem Talmud interprets the verse “it is not an empty thing for you” to teach that if something appears empty-if one fails to recognize the relevance of Torah in a given area of life-the deficiency is not in Torah, Heaven forbid, but within the observer. The Torah remains perfect and complete; it is simply that our own understanding or knowledge may be lacking.
In my series of articles, I highlight that many of today’s scientists, in their relentless quest to comprehend the universe, are discovering the very same truths and principles articulated thousands of years ago in our Holy Torah.
This convergence is not only fascinating but profoundly validating. For generations, individuals have questioned the reasoning behind certain commandments and laws of Torah that, on the surface, seem illogical or impractical. Yet advances in modern science increasingly reveal that the Torah’s wisdom reflects the underlying logic of the universe itself.
When we see the precision and harmony of these discoveries, it should awaken in us a more profound respect for the Torah’s commandments. Just as one gains confidence in a doctor’s judgment after seeing the accuracy of his previous diagnoses, so too do these revelations strengthen our faith in the divine wisdom of Torah, even in areas we do not yet fully grasp.
Embracing Torah’s spiritual and moral framework today places a person ahead of the curve, aligned with the same eternal truths that science is only beginning to uncover. Eventually, the Torah promises, all humanity will recognize the divine wisdom woven into creation itself. Those who choose to live by its guidance now gain not only spiritual clarity but a profound advantage, standing in harmony with the very architecture of the cosmos.
To illustrate, let us look at two examples from Maimonides where the laws of Torah reveal concepts astonishingly parallel to those now confirmed by quantum physics:
Maimonides teaches that when an individual designates an animal as a sin offering, its spiritual status changes instantly, taking on sanctity and the laws associated with sacrificial offerings.
If that animal becomes lost and the owner designates a replacement only later to discover the original, a complex question arises: what becomes of the first animal?
Maimonides rules that such an animal must be left to die naturally-not through direct intervention-but he includes an extraordinary detail. If even a single person anywhere in the world is aware that the animal is still alive, it is no longer considered lost. One individual’s knowledge, even at the farthest corner of the earth, changes the legal and spiritual status of that animal entirely.
Awareness itself alters reality.
Interestingly, regarding this law, Maimonides tells us: “These matters were (very specifically) conveyed by Moses our teacher, and this animal (That was lost and now found) is consigned to die…… Not that one should kill them with a utensil or by hand, just left to die on its own.”
Another law, Maimonides references Leviticus 22:28: “Do not slaughter an ox or a sheep and its offspring on the same day.” This commandment applies not only when the animals are together but even when great distances separate them. If one person owns the mother (or the father, if one knows for sure which male is the father) and another owns the offspring, each in different places, the prohibition remains; the connection between parent and offspring transcends location and physical separation.
These two laws illustrate profound truths that modern quantum mechanics now confirms: the observer is never an external bystander.
In quantum physics, the act of measurement and interaction with systems doesn’t merely record reality-it transforms it. Before observation, a particle exists in multiple possible states; the instant it is observed, its wave of possibilities collapses into a single determined outcome. Likewise, in Torah law, when even one person at the edge of the world becomes aware of the lost animal, its status transforms from lost to found. The awareness itself changes its reality.
The parallel continues with the phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. When two particles share an entangled state, measuring one instantly influences the other, regardless of the distance separating them-an effect Einstein famously described as “spooky action at a distance.” In Torah law, the same principle applies between the parent animal and its offspring: even when far apart, they remain spiritually linked, and one’s fate affects the other.
Both Torah and quantum physics reveal the same essential idea-that awareness, relationship, and interconnection transcend space and time.
Recognizing these parallels reminds us that the Torah isn’t a relic of an ancient past but the eternal blueprint for creation itself. The commandments and principles it teaches are not arbitrary rituals but expressions of the universe’s deepest structure-truths that science is only beginning to uncover. Practicing Torah is, therefore, not merely an act of faith but an alignment with the very laws of existence that govern reality at its most fundamental level. Even when scientists do not frame their findings in these terms, they are uncovering the same divine wisdom that the Torah has revealed since Sinai.
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