In response to: Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin’s “Must a Jew Interpret Bereishis Literally?”
Before dealing with whether the initial seven days of Creation should be taken literally – seven days as we now define them – we should first address our belief in the existence of a Creator who created the world ex nihilo. This belief, of course, is based on the revelation at Sinai and the Torah’s account of creation – both of which were recorded by Moshe Rabbeinu via prophecy.
The Torah begins with creation because fundamental to Jewish belief is knowing that the world, and everything in it, was created by G-d (Abarbanel, Mifalos Elokim; see especially maamar 1, ch. 4). The Torah’s account of creation also places Shabbos at the center of Torah observance (see Rema, Toras HaOlah, 3rd section, ch.47).
The Sefer Hachinuch (mitzvah #21) writes that many mitzvos are connected to the Exodus because they “serve as a complete sign and proof regarding the novel creation of the universe and that there is a powerful G-d…who has the power to change things according to His desire at any time in the same manner that He did in Egypt, changing the natural processes of the world for our sake.”
People accept certain arguments for a 15 billion-year-old universe based on the “the laws of nature.” But there are no such laws. G-d acts as He wishes when He wishes. Even if certain laws seem to apply nowadays, we cannot assume they always applied and come to scientific conclusions based on them. An earlier period in the history of the world may have been governed by other “laws.”
In one of his letters, the Lubavitcher Rebbe writes: “[T]here is no reason whatsoever to believe that science can state anything definitive on something which occurred in the pre-dawn of history, and therefore no need to seek new interpretations in the Torah to ‘reconcile’ them with science.”
The world changes; it evolves. Some of these changes occur as per the description of scientists while others are the result of G-d’s direct, and sometimes miraculous, intervention. G-d is omnipotent and not governed by any parameters. He is infinite and likewise possesses the ability to create and operate within very finite parameters (which is how the Shechinah was able to rest within a finite Beis Hamikdash).
The Torah is very clear in its description of creation: God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. That is why the week throughout history has consisted of seven days and why Shabbos is celebrated on the seventh day. Some people claim these seven days are seven time periods, but how exactly are these periods distinguishable? In what meaningful sense can billions of years be said to be “seven days”?
Some people wish to rely on the Rambam to interpret Bereishis metaphorically. After all, the Rambam, for example, writes that three angels never visited Avraham. Avraham saw them in a prophetic vision (Moreh Nevuchim, 2nd section, ch. 61 and 42). But the Ramban argues forcefully with the Rambam, asking if Yaakov also never wrestled with Eisav’s angel and if Lot never baked matzos for two angels. Perhaps these incidents also took place in a prophetic vision.
The Ramban rejects the Rambam’s position so strongly that he writes: “These explanations contradict written Scripture. It is forbidden to believe them and not even hear them!”
The truth is that even the Rambam would not use a metaphorical approach when it comes to halachic portions of the Torah – and the account of Creation is one such portion since the mitzvah of Shabbos is based on it. Interpreting the Torah metaphorically in such cases gives a green light to reformers to interpret the mitzvos and halacha as they please, wreaking havoc with Judaism.