The convergence between science and emunah opens a majestic window into the Divine orchestration of life. While science does not offer demonstrative proof of the existence of Hashem, it unveils breathtaking layers of order and harmony within creation, allowing us to perceive glimpses and signatures of the Ribbono Shel Olam in the very fabric of biology. The meticulous study of our DNA and proteins can itself be considered a form of hisbonenus, or contemplative reflection, deepening our appreciation for the intricate workings and chochma of the Borei HaOlam, from which we can derive important mussar lessons.
The journey to seeking Hashem through the lens of science was pioneered by Avraham Avinu. The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 39:1) recounts how a young Avraham, observing the celestial dance of the sun, moon, and stars, reasoned that such magnificent and orderly forces clearly must point to a singular creator, ultimately leading him to a profound recognition of Divine unity (Yichud Hashem). The Rambam (Hilchot Avodah Zarah 1:3) emphasizes that Avraham’s initial discovery of Hashem was not received via prophecy but through deep contemplation of nature. Avraham engaged in a cosmic contemplation of divine emanations and created the blueprint for spiritual inquiry rooted in empirical scientific reflection. Avraham thus becomes the father not only of faith but of sacred inquiry – a paradigm of scientific awe fused with spiritual yearning.
In a modern echo of this harmony, Albert Einstein repeatedly stated in his lectures that “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, known as The Rav, eloquently explains that science cannot offer proof of Hashem’s existence but can cultivate a deep sense of awe and wonder that leads to an awareness of Hashem. For us as ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim, the certainty of Hashem’s existence stems from revelation, Torah, and mesorah – not from scientific experimentation. R. Samson Raphael states that modern science and Torah do not conflict. In fact, a major purpose of human life is to study nature to uncover God’s wisdom – even if that study does not yield certainty.
DNA and the Asara Ma’amarot
As we examine our genetic code, our genes, and protein biology, we can visualize signatures of Hashem as the creator and bioengineer of all life forms. DNA, the fundamental genetic molecule of life, is structured as a double helix, consisting of four nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The helical nature of DNA reveals that it makes one helical turn every ten letters. One might find a resonance in the number ten as the Mishna (Pirkei Avot 5:1) teaches that Hashem created the world with “ten utterances,” which serve as the metaphysical blueprint of creation. Derech Hashem by the Ramchal details how the ten utterances correspond to the ten sefirot, the fundamental attributes through which Hashem interacts with the world. These sefirot represent the spiritual framework underlying all of creation. The structural recurrence of ten in our genetic DNA code may thus be interpreted as a symbolic reflection of these utterances – a signature of Hashem as the creator encoded into the fabric of our DNA.
Furthermore, no two individuals share the exact same DNA. Genetic differences arise between identical twins due to post-zygotic mutations – changes in DNA that occur after the zygote splits into two embryos. Thus, the uniqueness of each of our DNA mirrors Chazal’s teachings (Berachot 58a, and Rashi on Bamidbar 27:16 quoting from Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 10) that just as no two faces are the same, so too no two souls are alike. Every person carries a singular spark of divine creativity, embedded not only in their neshama but inscribed within their very DNA biology.
Moreover, Rav Kook states (Orot HaKodesh I:113), “The soul is not here to imitate others, but to express its own divine music.” So too, our DNA is a song to Hashem of the individuality encoded in each person. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks often reflected on the miraculous individuality of the human being. Science has taught us that beneath the surface, every human being shares the same genetic code structure. But within that code lies an individual, singular in their calling.
DNA is not just a sequence of letters. It also contains “words” called codons – groups of three nucleotides – each of which specifies an amino acid, the building blocks of proteins. It is a remarkable and thought-provoking parallel that in Lashon HaKodesh, almost all root words are also three-letter constructs. This mirroring between genetic and linguistic structure suggests that the very language of life was composed with the same Divine logic as the language of Torah. Thus, the letters in the creation of the world are the code of creation. Just as Hashem “spoke” the world into being, perhaps He wrote His will into our very cells. The letters of the Torah and the letters of DNA both form the language of life. Rabbi Sacks beautifully taught that just as we must learn to read the holy language of the Torah to access divine wisdom, so too must we learn to read the “language of life” written in our genetic code.
The miraculous nature of DNA and genes does not end here. Human beings contain about one million kinds of proteins. The nature and type of proteins contained in any organism define its species. All organisms, except for a few single-celled organisms, use the same 21 amino acid components to make proteins. Proteins determine the form and function of every cell, tissue, and organ. Astonishingly, this same protein alphabet is shared across nearly all living beings, from humans to plants to the simplest microbes. This fundamental biological unity serves as another powerful reminder of our shared origin as creations of the same master architect and a universal creator, whose blueprint spans from the heavens to the smallest cell.
Proteins are not only essential in establishing the structures of our cells, tissues, and organs, but they mediate all the metabolic pathways we need to survive and sustain life. In studying living organisms, we discover a remarkable truth that almost all of the millions and millions of animal species generate cellular fuel, ATP, through the same fundamental metabolic pathways, all guided by instructions embedded within the genetic blueprint. This reveals a universal metabolic code, a fundamental mechanism by which cells produce the energy necessary for life. Equally important, proteins require precise cooperation and interconnections to function.
The Divine Biological Toolkit
There are several mussar lessons from protein biology. First, we see Hashem’s hand behind the complexity of life. Equally important, there is an essential unity among all creatures and human beings. Even those who seem entirely different from us – ethnically, intellectually, culturally – are made from the same divine biological toolkit. Rabbeinu Yonah, in his commentary on Pirkei Avot 3:14, emphasizes that all human beings possess inherent dignity because they are created in the image of G-d. He explains that this divine image refers to a spiritual radiance or light that distinguishes humans from all other creations. This non-physical, divine radiance is present in every person, highlighting the universal sanctity and worth of all human life. This perspective aligns with the teaching of Rabbi Akiva in Pirkei Avot 3:14: “Beloved is man, for he was created in the image of G-d; it is by special divine love that he is informed that he was created in the image of G-d.” This message is meant to foster ahavat habriot and derech eretz (basic respect and decency) toward all beings.
For Rabbi Sacks, the biological cooperation of proteins mirrors the ethical architecture of society: just as no single protein can sustain life on its own, no individual can fulfill their purpose without others. This biological truth becomes a call to responsibility, areivut, and chesed. Rabbi Tendler, zt”l, would state that just as proteins must work together precisely, so must we uphold each halachic element to maintain the spiritual metabolism of Jewish life. A Jew only becomes a full halachic being within the structured covenantal community, not in isolation.
Science and Faith in Harmony
There’s a common misconception that science and faith stand at opposite ends of a battlefield, locked in eternal and irreconcilable debate. But this is a false dichotomy. As both a religious Jew and scientist, I learned from Rabbi Moshe Tendler, zt”l, that there is no conflict between Torah and science. Both are shutfim – partners – each exploring different dimensions of the same truth. This sacred harmony awakens and inspires our sense of Divine awe – whether, like Avraham, we lift our eyes or point our telescopes toward the celestial wonders above, or, as Rabbi Moshe Tendler, zt”l, so passionately inspired all his biology students, we peer through the microscope into the intricate and breathtaking choreography of our DNA, our proteins, and the shimmering mystery of life unfolding in every cell. The more we uncover in the laws of nature, the more we uncover the signiture of Hashem. In the intricate choreography of cells, the coded wisdom of DNA, and the unifying proteins of all life, we discover not just DNA, amino acids, genes, and proteins, but a profound expression of spirituality and purpose. Science, when approached with yiras shamayim, becomes not a challenge to emunah, but a powerful hesber, as David wrote in Psalms 104:24: “Mah rabu ma’asecha Hashem, kulam b’chochmh asita.”
