Rav Dovid Cohen spoke about Judaism and science for over an hour at the conference in a standing room only, overflowing out of the room session. He pointed out Judaism's historical relationship with science, going over a laundry list of prominent Jews who were responsible for the main inventions of the western world. He even claimed that a Jew named Berliner invented the telephone, sued Alexander Graham Bell for patent infringement, and WON in court. (Bell Atlantic could have been Berliner Atlantic!)
He quoted the Rambam and Vilna Gaon on the importance of science to yahadus. He quoted the Chazon Ish and other chareidi gedolim who pointed out that Chazal were quite knowledgeable in scientific areas. He did say that there were backlashes at times in history when the rabbonim saw that scientific pursuit was leading to kefira, much in the same way lhavdil that the study of NAch was discouraged for a time when it led to kefira for unrelated reasons.
He proceeded with another laundry list of examples where Chazal have been shown to have scientific knowledge of things that only became known to western scince in the 20th century.
More importantly for Slifkin purposes was his statement that we have been getting way too worried about these apparent questions science poses to Judaism. He stated that there are far more questions on various scientific and medical theories that are still not answered. The scientists who are asked these questions acknowledge the difficulties, look for solutions, don't always find them ,and move on with their lives. We should do no less, and not get all panicky when someone asks a question.
More on AJOP later...
Posted by Yehupitz at January 28, 2005 12:24 AM