Many Jews today live with the sense that they are a part of two worlds that basically do not connect with each other, the world of traditional Jewish religious observance and the world of modern scientific and artistic culture. In this volume, Shalom Freedman offers he reader the tools to build a bridge between religious and modern thought, to see that the two are in actuality complementary aspects of a single divine creation. Life as Creation: A Jewish Way of Thinking about the World is a collection of aphorisms centered around the biblical concept of creation. Each chapter is divided into subdivisions that contain a series of provocative thoughts on a central theme such as Creation and Chosenness, Ultimate Limitations in Human Creative Powers, and Creation as Making One's Own Life in Freedom. The book is not meant to be read from cover to cover; rather it is a meditation intended to help the reader understand the purpose of life as a creative being, as a vessel for G-d's never-ending creation of the world. Freedman helps us to see the art and science do not contradict what the Bible tells us about G-d as the ultimate Creator but rather give proof to it. As the author has said, "Hashem is first of all the Creator of all, and we human beings are commanded to walk in G-d's way, commanded to be, in whatever limited ways we can, creators also."
by Shalom Freedman