Parashat Lech Lecha- Developing Our Emuna
The Rambam, in the beginning of Hilchot Avodat Kochavim, describes the process by which Avraham Avinu arrived at the belief in monotheism. The entire world at the time worshipped idols. He had no mentor and no books from whom and from which to learn the principles of monotheism. As the Rambam writes, Avraham's parents and community all worshipped idols, and Avraham himself worshipped idols with them as a child. But his mind began pondering how it is possible for such a perfectly designed world to run independently, without a creator. The natural world is so intricate and complex and yet runs so flawlessly that it must have a creator, a being that controls it. He continued exploring and thinking until by the age of forty he had perfected his philosophy to the point where he could embark on a campaign to disseminate these beliefs. He won over scores of people with his arguments, and, indeed, pagan belief ultimately vanished.
Unfortunately, we generally feel overly confident in our belief in God and do not spend the time or make an effort to continue developing our Emuna (faith) as Avraham did. Our belief thus remains at kindergarten level, rather than being sharpened and honed as we grow and mature.
It is worthwhile from time to time to follow the lead of Avraham Avinu, and contemplate the wonders of the natural world to reinforce our conviction that these systems could not possibly have emerged through coincidence, as non-believers claim, through some random series of explosions, that they could have come into existence only through the power of God.
Scientists tell us that the human body contains on the average 75 trillion blood cells. The cells work as a transport system, bringing oxygen and vital nutrients to the various organs of the body, and, along the way, collecting bodily waste and carbon dioxide which must be expelled. Amazingly, each of the 75 trillion blood cells knows exactly what to deliver to where, and when to pick up the various waste products. No delivery system in the world – not UPS or Federal Express – could possibly run such a giant, complex operation so flawlessly. Could such a system have come into being by coincidence?
The human liver produces one thousand enzymes, all of which are vital for human life. Enormous factories are built to produce a single product, and yet the liver, which weighs but three pounds, is capable of producing one thousand enzymes. Scientists have estimated that the probability of these enzymes being produced by mere chance and coincidence is 10 to the 442,000th power!
Scientific study has revealed DNA, a substance within every cell that contains a blueprint of the given body. It has been determined that one trillion bytes of memory would be required to store on a computer the amount of information contained in a strand of DNA. Could this "data storage system" in the human body have come into existence without a God that created it?
The human eye has 137 million nerve endings. Whenever it sees anything, all these nerve endings send messages to the brain, which processes the information and then sends it back to the eye so that the person can see. It processes 137 million messages – in but an instant. It has been discovered that the brain can process one billion impulses in a second. No computer on earth could possibly process so much information so quickly.
Of course, we have not even scratched the surface; the opportunities for discovering God's greatness through scientific study are endless. The verse states in Tehillim (104:24), "How great are Your works, O God! You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is filled with Your acquisitions." According to the simple reading of the verse, "the earth is filled with Your acquisitions" means that everything on earth belongs to the Almighty. We might also suggest, however, reading this clause to mean, "the earth is filled with ways of acquiring You." Everything in the natural world – from the human body to the solar system, and everything in between – provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm and reinforce our belief in a Creator. As Rabbi Akiva once told his students, just as a garment testifies to the existence of a tailor, so does the earth testify to the existence of a Creator.
Let us continue the legacy of Avraham Avinu, and continue to develop and reinforce our Emuna so that we, like him, will be able to disseminate this belief throughout the world. We will then merit seeing the fulfillment of Yeshayahu's prophecy (11:9), "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea."
