Mizrachi SA Jewish Observer - Pesach 2016 | Page 48

EVOLUTION

EVOLUTION

degree first intended for man, and he became suited only for
a much lower level (Ramchal, The Way of God.. Part 2:2).

Creation, the creatures were not made in perfect
anatomical form, and they continued to develop and
change along the way. Several examples for this involve
Adam. The first man is described as a creature in an
intermediate developmental stage: he had joined fingers
and only from the period of Noah and onward were h
umans born with separate fingers (Midrash Avkir on
Genesis 5:29); he had a tail or a sting (Babylonian
Talmud, ibid.); he fathered strange creatures and only
from Seth onward did the human race come into
existence (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 18b). It seems that
these sources testify to the possible dynamics of creation.

This principle, which is deeply rooted in Chazal, was developed by the Kabbalists. They compared the descent of the
world from its proper level to “broken vessels.” Yet, they emphasised that the descent is not without ascent, neither are
the broken vessels beyond repair. “The worlds were created
in a way which would enable their eventual ascent, since
the purpose of their descent at the time of the breaking of
vessels was to gradually ascend until reaching the level of
perfection which existed prior to the breaking of the vessels”
(Ramchal, Klach Pitchei Chochma, 12:1), or as Rabbi Kook
put it:’’ This descent has the foundation for greater ascent
stored within” (Kook, Orot Hateshuva).

THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION: THE
KABBALISTIC APPROACH ACCORDING TO
RABBI ABRAHAM ISAAC KOOK
Modern evolutionary theory constitutes a central place in
the philosophical thought of Ra