Dear Lior Golgher,
I have read your letter (below) and your extended discussion at
Haayal Hakore on the Internet. I am not an internet person, and so I
will
suffice with writing to you personally. Moreover, although you comment
on
the writings of all of us (Schroeder, et etc.), I will limit my
response
to my own book and let the others answer for themselves, if they so
desire.
Now, on to business.
1. I nowhere claimed that I have "proved" anything about the
divinity of the Torah or the existence of G-d. Such claims are absurd!
2. You write that my book is "unnecessary" and "endangers the
future of Judaism." I don't know what Judaism you are talking about.
If you would read the many letters I have received about my book, you
would learn that the writers of these letters most certainly do not
think
that my book is "unnecessary," and they often emphasize how my book has
served to enhance their religious Jewish life.
3. The fact that my book has been translated into nine
languages
(so far) demonstrates that very many people do not share your view that
my
book is "unnecessary."
4. You write that my book is "refutable." Your internet
article
does not present any such "refutation." I await an example.
5. Your interpretation of the verses you quote from
Deuteronomy
(30:11-14) is, to put it mildly, bizarre. These verses simply state
that
it is not difficult, or beyond human capability, to be a morally
upright
person who keeps G-d's commandments. These verses have nothing at all
to
do with the subject of Torah and science, or how to understand the
Torah.
Having said that, I completely agree with your position that it
is unreasonable to claim that to understand the Torah, one requires
knowledge
of Einstein's theories of relativity or of quantum mechanics. You will
note that these two topics are nowhere discussed or explained in my
book.
6. Your article contains a number of scientific errors. I
will
mention only one here. You claim that methods now exist for detecting
earth-sized extra-solar planets, and that "half the nearby stars have
such
small planets." The only extra-solar planets that have been detected
so
far are large Jupiter-sized planets. The detection methods that are
operational to date are not sensitive enough to permit the detection of
small earth-sized planets. Moreover, the large planets that were
detected
have orbit parameters that are in complete contradiction to the
standard
theory of planetary formation. Therefore, these planets are not
understood,
although speculations abound.
7. I would also like to comment on the scientific level of the
discussion of your article on the Internet. The very first response is
by
Ron Ben-Yakov, who claims that "Today, astronomers speak of the
universe
being 50 billion years old, rather than 15 billion years old." On the
basis of that completely incorrect statement, Ben-Yakov makes a
derogatory
comment about Schroeder's books. The correct statement is that recent
measurements have shown that the age of the universe is somewhat
smaller
(closer to 13 billion years old), and not much larger than previously
thought.
I mention this example only to call attention to the level of
the
discussion that one often finds on the Internet.
Cordially, Nathan Aviezer
P.S. If anyone wishes to put my response to Lior Golgher on the
Internet,
they are welcome to do so.

On Fri, 6 Apr 2001, Lior Golgher wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> In an article recently published at Haayal Hakore (haayal.co.il),
> publications of yours and some of your colleagues are discussed.
> I argue that your attempt to settle the alleged conflict between
> science and Judaism is both unnecessary and refutable, consequently
> endangering the future of Judaism.
>
> You are thus invited to post your own arguments at Haayal, explaining
> where am I wrong, and specifically why are your publications
necessary
> and unharmful.
>
> You might wish to lay your view as a full counter article, rather
> than a local reply. In this case I believe your work will be
willingly
> posted by the editor of the site, and I personally would certainly
> be eager to read it.
>
>
>
> Shabbat Shalom & Hag Sameah
>
> Lior Golgher