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Are there any Jewish sources that speak about general revelation? General revelation means that God is revealed from nature or creation.

Shmuel
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  • Sounds like a comparative religion question. Voting to close. – N.T. Jan 15 '23 at 03:11
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    @N.T. It's not a comparative religion question. I am asking if there are any Jewish sources that speak about general revelation theory. – Shmuel Jan 15 '23 at 03:25
  • @N.T. I edited the question. Is it better now? – Shmuel Jan 15 '23 at 03:51
  • Something along those lines: https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_Etz_Chaim.1.1.4?lang=bi – shmosel Jan 15 '23 at 04:12
  • Still comparative religion. – N.T. Jan 15 '23 at 06:00
  • This question reminds me of something Mr. Sacks mentions in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gag_myt1hWw. There is a theme, all knowledge and creativity ultimately comes from Hashem, including secular knowledge. In order to maintain free will, Hashem couldn't (directly) reveal quantum physics in the Torah, so He did so via scientists (and the humour is, many of them are atheists). I've heard it in many places, but would also like to see a source (although the logic of Hashem's Hashgacha is enough for me to believe it). Perhaps you can write to Mr. Sacks? – Rabbi Kaii Jan 15 '23 at 11:21
  • @RabbiKaii Thank you for your comment. I have written Rabbi Sacks before. Unfortunately, Rabbi Sacks is no longer with us. I guess I'll have to wait to ask him that question in the next life. – Shmuel Jan 15 '23 at 17:44
  • @Shmuel apologies for the confusion, but this is Mr. David Sacks in the shared video (no relation afaik) – Rabbi Kaii Jan 15 '23 at 17:45
  • @RabbiKaii Oh. In that case, perhaps I will write to him. – Shmuel Jan 15 '23 at 17:49
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    @IsaacMoses I edited this one and deleted the other question. – Shmuel Jan 30 '23 at 19:54
  • I have spoken to a friend of mine about this. He says there are two main levels.
    1. The beauty and wonder aspect.
    2. the laws of nature. For 1) he recommends Rav Kook, and for 2) he recommends books on Science and Torah, if it's your thing.
     – Rabbi Kaii Jan 30 '23 at 23:19
  • @RabbiKaii So your saying we can learn about God through the laws of nature? – Shmuel Jan 31 '23 at 23:27
  • @Shmuel no short answer to that Shmuel. See this Ramchal for an introduction to an answer: https://www.sefaria.org/Derekh_HaShem%2C_Part_One%2C_On_the_Creator.2 – Rabbi Kaii Jan 31 '23 at 23:34

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There are several Jewish sources that speak about God's revelations in nature or what is sometimes called general revelation.

The first source is from the Bible itself. I will here insert the 19th Psalm:

Psalm 19th⁠—“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

Aside from the Tanakh there are a few others we might add.

Rav Abraham-Yitzhak Kook: "You know the teaching of our Sages that not a single blade of grass grows here on earth that doesn't have an angel above it, commanding it to grow. Every sprout and leaf of grass says something meaningful; every stone whispers some hidden message in the silence; every creation utters its song..."

Rabbi Soloveitchik: "God reveals Himself through the cosmos in the natural law... The demarcation line between revelation and nature is almost non-existent... The whole cosmos unfolds itself as a miraculous revelation of God."

Shmuel
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