Awesome Creation

by Yosef Bitton

Overview

The first three verses of the Torah are perhaps the best-known sentences of the Hebrew Bible. They may also very well be the least understood. In Awesome Creation, Rabbi Yosef Bitton delves into these verses with an open mind and an open heart. Drawing on classical Jewish sources as well as current scientific data, Rabbi Bitton offers a fresh reading of the initial words of Scripture. Among the subjects covered are the coincidences and differences between the Big Bang theory and the Biblical Creation story, the unexplored consequences of Creation ex nihilo, the controversies surrounding the age of the universe, the state of our planet upon its creation, the natural forces used by the Creator to reshape His world, and the enigma of the nature of primeval light. Throughout his book, Rabbi Bitton emphasizes the importance of an accurate comprehension of Biblical Hebrew, as explained by the Rabbis of the Talmud and the classical Torah commentators. Through a precise understanding of each word of these verses – and thanks to today's modern scientific knowledge – we are able to appreciate, as never before, the beauty and sophistication of the Biblical story of Creation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789652298683
Publisher:	Gefen Publishing House
Publication date:	11/01/2015
Edition description:	M ed.
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Rabbi Yosef Bitton, born in Argentina, began his rabbinic and academic studies at Yeshiva University, NY. He holds a degree in Hebrew language, Talmud, and Bible from Bar-Ilan University. He further pursued graduate studies at Ben-Gurion University and in the Graduate Department of Religion at Emory University. Rabbi Bitton received his rabbinic ordination from Israel's Chief Rabbinate. He has been a community rabbi and educator for over twenty-five years, having officiated as Chief Rabbi of Uruguay and served communities throughout Argentina and the United States. Rabbi Bitton is the author of Awesome Creation: A Study of the First Three Verses of the Torah, as well as numerous articles and books in Spanish. He lives in New York with his wife Coty and their children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Verse 1

Chapter 1 The End of Eternity 3

Chapter 2 The Creation of Time 27

Chapter 3 Translating Creation 59

Verse 2

Chapter 4 Earth's Inventory 85

Chapter 5 The Blue Planet 116

Chapter 6 Agents of God 138

Verse 3

Chapter 7 Light and Time 163

Chapter 8 Embryonic Light 184

Chapter 9 Here Comes the Sun 202