[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion][vc_tta_section title=”What to Do With the Junk?” tab_id=”1624960746435-2e3ba7de-a4fe”][vc_column_text]At this very moment, orbiting miles above our heads in outer space, there are at least 20,000 manmade objects. Less than 3,000 of these are functional satellites. The rest are “space junk” – refuse thrown out of the space station, or remnants and fragments of satellites that have fallen into disuse. These objects are hurtling uncontrollably through space, bumping into each other and endangering anything in their path.
Professor Donald Kessler of NASA was the first to note that each time two pieces of space junk collide they smash, and the fragments then go on roaming through space, creating more danger. He argues that we treat outer space today the way we treated the oceans 100 years ago, for which we are now paying a heavy price. When you consider our pollution of the air, groundwater and oceans, pollution of outer space is just another unfortunate link in the chain of ecological disasters brought by humanity. In our search for easy, short-term solutions, we rarely stop to consider the long term effects.
The same is true in a spiritual sense. Our sages say that nobody commits a sin unless a “spirit of folly” enters him. Our misdeeds are the result of a temporary lack of reason which leads us to forget or not consider the consequences of our actions. Yet whatever we do continues to “orbit” in the environment – and can even come back and hit us one day.
However, the parallel between our sins and space junk is not a perfect one – because we often have no practical way to undo the damage that we have wrought on earth. Spiritually, though, G-d gives us abundant opportunities for course correction, to repair and restore our relationship with Him. In fact, we can even convert the whole massive landfill of our sins into a flourishing garden. Through deep, sincere teshuvah, we can fix the damage done to our souls and even reach a higher level than before. In this state, our sins become merits – because it was our very distance from G-d that impelled us to reach out to him so powerfully.
At this time we still have no concept of how G-d will make use of the pollution that we brought upon our environment, the oceans or outer space. We also do not know how we could possibly transform our sins and misdeeds into merits. However, with the time of Redemption, the world will undergo a transformation. The underlying G-dly force that animates all of creation will be visible to our eyes.
This is no time to play around. We must use every moment that we have left to prepare for Redemption – through adding in acts of goodness and kindness, and reading Torah sources on Redemption. We will regret every moment we spent in exile that we did not use for Torah and mitzvot, because now is the time to do the work, and in the future we will reap the rewards.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Spontaneous Order” tab_id=”1624960746451-aedf7cd0-1b2a”][vc_column_text]Self-organization, or spontaneous order, is a process where some type of order arises from seemingly random interactions within a system. Examples in nature include the formation of the cell membrane; the differentiation of cells during embryonic development; the military-like coordination of the immune system; and the behavior of a bee colony. The system responds rapidly to external change, both to adapt and to protect itself from harm. And all of this is happening without receiving directions from a central “control room”–each part of the system apparently knows on its own just how to react, and the result is a wondrous coordination and balance.
Artificial intelligence systems have evolved greatly in recent years and are reaching increasing levels of complexity. However, none of them approach the level of functioning, complexity, heterogeneity and dynamism that characterize natural systems. Why? Why doesn’t a state-of-the-art computer reach the level of organization achieved by every little nest of ants? What is there in a simple biological system like a flower bud that’s not in the supercomputer?
The obvious answer, of course, is life. These systems function with tremendous organization and coordination because they are alive. Life is a concept that evades scientific definition. Scientists can describe the processes going on inside living organisms, but cannot define what is life itself. What makes one collection of cells come alive while the other one dies? It’s a mystery that eludes rational understanding.
Lately we have been seeing in the world a new type of self-organizing. For most of human history, ruthlessness and brutality were the rule, not the exception. Conquerors would simply invade a country and take what they saw fit, without a thought to the rights of the people living there. Individual human rights were rarely acknowledged.
In recent times, as a society we have for the most part rejected the concept of subjugating other people by force. The Constitution of the United States is based on the principle that all men are equal under the law. Yet the liberation is incomplete. Our cities are in upheaval to protest injustice and disparities in the way people are treated.
Thanks to the Internet and advances in global communication, networks of people form easily across the world to share in a common goal and purpose. People across the world are organizing themselves to fight for peace, justice and morality. We’ve become so accustomed to it that we forget that less than a century ago it was not the rule for people to help others outside of their limited circle. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Where does this urge to unite and help each other come from? It is evidence of the hidden influence of Moshiach in this world. The ancient prophecies of world peace and stability are finally beginning to come true. Now it’s up to us to get in on the action. With just one good thought, one kind word or good deed, we can transform the entire world and bring about the revelation of Moshiach.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Life on Mars” tab_id=”1624960890748-31199735-3de2″][vc_column_text]Human exploration of Mars has long been a dream of planetary scientists and science fiction writers alike. However, sending people to Mars presents several daunting challenges. For one thing, the journey from earth to Mars takes at least six months, and the launch must be timed precisely for when the orbits of both planets are aligned. And the hot, dry, desert-like conditions on Mars are inhospitable for humans. Instead, we’ve settled for the next-best thing: computer exploration.
Since 1997, five Mars rovers have successfully landed on the planet, exploring its features and topography and sending striking, high-resolution images back to earth. The latest of which has been launched in February 2021.
NASA scientists are now developing artificial intelligence systems that can detect signs of life on Mars and send that information back to earth. The new intelligent systems, which can identify geochemical signatures of life in rock samples, will be deployed for the first time with the 2022 ExoMars mission.
Why are human beings so thirsty to find signs of life on other planets? Why are we not satisfied with the abundant life on our own? It stems from our desire to unravel the mysteries of creation. We know that we’re surrounded by a solar system with endless stars and galaxies; why did G-d create all of them? What purpose do they serve?
Chassidic scientist Dr. Velvl Green worked as a microbiologist for NASA in the 1960’s, charged with trying to find life on Mars. The Lubavitcher Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita was very interested in the work that he was doing. The first time he met the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita, the King Moshiach Shlita asked him if he knew what the Baal Shem Tov meant when he spoke of Divine providence.
Dr. Green replied that his understanding of the principle is that nothing that we see or hear is random. Rather, G-d wants us to take a lesson from everything that we observe around us.
Moshiach said, “If this is true for everybody, how much more true is it for a person who is exploring the stratosphere, or searching for life on Mars, or working in a medical laboratory dealing with diseases, or traveling all over the world and meeting so many people.”
On another occasion, Dr. Green asked Moshiach whether it was proper to search for life on Mars. Perhaps it was contrary to Torah’s teachings? Moshiach responded: “You should look for life on Mars, and you should keep looking for life on Mars. If you don’t find it, then keep looking elsewhere, and do not stop looking, because to say there is no life elsewhere is to put a limit around what G‑d can do. And nobody can do that!”
Perhaps when Moshiach comes we will find life on other planets. Perhaps we will even find a way to populate them. In the meantime, though, we are guided by Divine providence to explore and learn as much as we can about our world until G-d reveals those secrets to us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”On the Edge” tab_id=”1624960938333-61274137-b2a3″][vc_column_text]For the past several decades, there has been a gradual shift to more extreme hurricane seasons. According to many ecological experts, the world is on the brink of radical meteorological changes which may be unstoppable. A rise in global temperatures has accelerated the melting of the polar ice caps. This, in turn, is leading to a rise in ocean levels, which can result in dramatic weather changes around the planet, such as more powerful and deadly storms and hurricanes.
Although the rate of change is relatively slow, the changes have been accumulating steadily for many years. This has brought the world to a critical state, where even a slight change in a single factor can bring about dramatic changes. By analogy, if someone is balancing on the edge of a rooftop, even a small nudge can send him toppling over the other side.
We know from the story of the great flood that G-d promised never again to destroy the world in a flood. How, then, do we interpret these rapid ecological changes? Will mankind wake up in time to save ourselves? Perhaps these cataclysmic changes can be better understood in terms of a spiritual shift.
In the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, King Moshiach Shlita, he often quotes the famous statement of Maimonides, that each person should imagine that the entire world is in perfect balance. One good deed, a kind word, or positive thought can tip the world to the side of good and bring salvation to the whole universe.
Similar to the ecological changes in store for us, the spiritual ecology of the world is about to undergo some exciting shifts. However, these changes will not be harmful or destructive, but will rather bring the world to its ultimate state of perfection. The “spirit of impurity,” source for all negativity and evil, will soon evaporate, taking with it all diseases and human greed and hatred.
The Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita explains that in previous generations, there was still much spiritual service to complete before the Redemption could come. Therefore, the individual contributions of each person were not as recognizable. However, today, when the perfection of the world is nearly complete, the effects of each person’s actions are easily observed.
We have reached the critical state, the point of no return. However, the indicator is pointing not in the direction of disaster and destruction, but to an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Now is the time to grab any mitzvah that comes our way, to play a role in the Redemption process that is rapidly unfolding.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Surviving a Black Hole” tab_id=”1624960988887-9099b381-e14c”][vc_column_text]Few phenomena in nature have a reputation as fearsome as a “black hole.” The name itself sounds foreboding. Black holes are objects in space so dense that they trap all light and matter towards them. There is no escaping a black hole. But physicist Janna Levin believes that black holes are unfairly maligned, and she attempts to set us straight in her new book, “The Black Hole Survival Guide.”
Now, there is little chance that you’ll encounter a black hole while on your evening stroll. But in case you do, Levin says, don’t panic! The experience of colliding with a black hole would be much gentler than you’ve been led to believe. “If you were in empty space with complete darkness, and you were right outside a black hole, you wouldn’t know it was there,” she says in an interview with Wired magazine. “And if you crossed the event horizon, it would be completely undramatic. You could float right across, and not really realize anything was happening, because there’s nothing there.” She even proposes ways that we could get energy from a black hole, or take up residence in a black hole to extend your life for a few centuries.
Chassidic teachings also tell us that darkness is not quite as terrifying as we imagine. We may have been raised to think of darkness as devoid of truth, goodness and G-dliness. But the chassidic masters puzzled over this. How can darkness exist, when there is no place void of him? Isn’t G-d everywhere?
The teachings of Kabbalah explain that the world came into being through a process called tzimtzum, which sounds almost like the formation of a black hole. G-d moved Himself aside, contracted himself and made a space, and in that space He created the world.
Chassidus teaches us not to be afraid of the darkness, because it, too, is a creation of G-d. His apparent concealment is what gives us space to exist. Look at the darkness as an expression of G-d’s kindness. He decided to open Himself up to us, to make a space to let us in.
We can think of G-d as a black hole: unreachable, unknowable. G-d said to Moses, “Nobody can see my face and live.” Instead, think of darkness as the deepest, most essential experience of G-d that you can get. If we could perceive G-d, what we are perceiving is only a tiny portion of His greatness. Because we can’t see Him, we can take in all of Him, to absorb G-dliness and be absorbed by it. We’re inside the black hole right now and don’t even realize it.
When Moshiach comes, we will understand the power of darkness. We will turn to G-d and say, “Thank you, G-d, for you have been angry with me.” We will understand the meaning of our suffering in exile, the reason it had to be this way and no other, and our soul will find peace.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Clinging to Life” tab_id=”1624961022995-61b39575-2efd”][vc_column_text]It is possible to find life forms anywhere on planet Earth. From a green shoot stubbornly poking through fresh asphalt to the depths of the ocean, under thousands of tons of pressure per square centimeter. There are organisms living in the heart of a volcano, in highly salty or acidic lakes, and even deep underground, where no oxygen can be found.
Even the rapidly evaporating Dead Sea is home to numerous organisms, many of which were unknown to science until they were discovered by divers doing research on so-called extremophiles, organisms that can survive under extreme environmental conditions. Deep below the Dead Sea there are springs of fresh water gushing out of steep-walled craters in the sea floor, 45 meters across and 60 meters deep. A wide variety of life-forms live near these holes in the sea floor, the researchers said.
What can explain the determination of living creatures to cling to life anywhere, under any conditions? Life itself is in apparent contradiction to the law of entropy – that the nature of existence is for things to decay, to fall apart, to descend into chaos and randomness.
A dead body has all the same components as a living one – the same organs and materials – but it no longer functions together as a unified organism. What makes a cell come alive, and what leaves the body when it dies? The true nature of life still eludes scientific understanding.
The concept of life is elaborated on in the Torah’s mystical teachings. Every living thing derives its life from a spiritual source – the soul. The soul, for its part, also depends on a higher source for its own spiritual nourishment. However, because the soul is itself spiritual, it is closer to its source and needs no intermediary to draw this life force. The body, on the other hand, is physical and far from its spiritual source, and thus can receive life only through an intermediary, the soul.
In the time of Redemption, the physical body will be elevated and purified through the mitzvot it has done, and it will be able to receive life directly from its source.
In this state the body will not be dependent on the soul or on anything else for survival – and the body will live forever. What will be with the soul? It will be “sustained by the body.” In other words, the current relationship will be reversed. Rather than the soul giving life to the body, the body will give life to the soul. Our quest for life will finally reach its culmination, with the complete and true Redemption.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Star Power” tab_id=”1624961162053-3b9a1937-b74c”][vc_column_text]For more than half a century, scientists have dreamed of creating tiny stars, which would provide an endless source of cheap energy as well as a ready-made laboratory for investigating the inner workings of stars. The materialization of this dream depends on their being able to pull off nuclear fusion, a process that normally takes place inside of stars. Under conditions of high temperature and pressure, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium, thereby releasing immense waves of energy.
We may now be at the cusp of the realization of this dream. The site is NIF, the National Ignition Facility in California, which uses lasers to generate the energy needed for nuclear fusion.
An initially small burst of energy is emitted by a tiny hand-held laser. However, after passing through NIF’s series of 3,200 mirrors, lenses and amplifiers, the tiny beam grows in intensity, millions of times over. Multiply that by 192, the total number of NIF lasers, all working in unison, and scientists hope that they can generate enough energy for nuclear fusion.
Many doubts have been cast on the validity and feasibility of this project. So far, the energies generated in NIF have fallen well short of the energy required for nuclear fusion. Some scientists wonder whether the potential returns are worth the enormous investment of time and money—nearly 7,000 employees over 12 years, at a cost of $140 million per year. However, the project’s director, Dr. Ed Moses, argues that it is all worthwhile. Any great endeavor involves risks, and the investment is worth it because of the potential reward.
“If fusion energy works,” he said, “you’ll have, for all intents and purposes, a limitless supply of carbon-free energy that’s not geopolitically sensitive. What more would you want?”
For over 2,000 years, a cosmic process has been underway, to bring the most potent Divine light and energy down here to earth. These Divine lights are generated by a relatively modest initial output of energy. Each mitzvah that we perform is like igniting a small laser. However, each mitzvah that we do becomes magnified in the supernal realms, and will eventually return to earth in the form of the most intense G-dly revelation ever experienced, with the complete and final Redemption.
Some people wonder if the hope, anticipation and efforts toward bringing Moshiach are nothing but a pipe dream. Is it even possible to think that we can finally bring G-d’s presence down here to earth? Yet the potential good—the possibility for world peace and the perfection of the universe as G-d originally intended—is so great that it is worth any outlay of energy. This is particularly true since the actions we are asked to do to bring Moshiach—to increase in acts of goodness and kindness—are relatively simple. Yet don’t be fooled. Each mitzvah, each act of kindness that we do has an exponential effect. With even one act, one kind deed, we can bring the final Redemption to this world, forever.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row]