- Torah and Jewish Thought
- General Questions
Age of Earth and Universe
Question
What is the age of the universe and earth from a Jewish standpoint?
Answer
Thanks for wording your question concisely (it greatly averts unfortunate misunderstandings!). The Jewish people obviously do not count the year as 2012 as Christians do, but as 5,772, which is the number of years we have consecutively counted since the creation of the world. Our rabbis teach us in the Midrash and Zohar (oral tradition, written down about 1,800 years ago), that G-d created previous worlds and destroyed them, and created different types of man, before the world and man as we know them. That explains why there are fossils dated millions, even billions of years old, while the world as we know it, began counting only 5,772 years ago with Adam. Maimonidies details the unbroken chain of Jewish tradition in his introduction to the Mishne Torah. I personally am the
131st generation of rabbis since Sinai, which was the 26th generation of the world, so my grandchildren are the 159th generation of mankind.
With Love of Israel!
Rav Ari Shvat

Yavetz
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Shevat 28, 5778

Jews vs. Israelis
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Kislev 14, 5770

Are Muslims Noahides?
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Shevat 6, 5781

Urgent School Project
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Elul 25, 5783

Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.

Gentile Prophets
Adar II 25, 5771

Kri u'ktiv
Adar II 25, 5771

Evils Spirits & Ghosts
Adar II 25, 5771

Orla
Shevat 19, 5771

Tashlumin on Rosh Chodesh
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 7, 5771

No sukkah at home
Rabbi David Sperling | Tishrei 7, 5775

Hallel no minyan
Various Rabbis | 1 Adar 5767
Genesis 24: 2-9 – Put your hand under my thigh
Rabbi Moshe Leib Halberstadt | Tevet 26, 5770
hagomel in Yom kipur
Rabbi Daniel Kirsch | Tishrei 9, 5784

fast on yom kipper
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tishrei 9, 5784
