This year, Sunday night, December 14, 2025, corresponding to the 25th of Kislev, 5786, we will light the first candle of Hanukka.

The celebration of Hanukka lasts for eight consecutive days.

BLESSINGS

The father or head of the household recites the following three blessings before lighting the first candle. On the following nights, only the first and second blessings are recited.

First Blessing
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ–לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר (שֶׁל) חֲנוּכָּה
“Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Hanukka candle.”

Second Blessing
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ–לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ, בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
“Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days, at this time.”

Third Blessing (Recited on the First Night Only)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ–לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
“Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has allowed us to be alive and present at this moment.”

After lighting the candles, we recite Hanerot Halalu.

הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ אָנוּ מַדְלִיקִים, עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הָפּוּרְקָן וְעַל הָגְּבוּרוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְעַל הַנֶחָמוֹת, שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְמַן הַזֶּה, עַל יְדֵי כֹּהֲנֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִים

וְכָל שְמוֹנַת יְמֵי הָחֲנֻכָּה, הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קֹדֶשׁ הֵם, וְאֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֵם, אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד, כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת לִשְמֶךָ, עַל נִסֶּיךָ וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְעַל יְשׁוּעוֹתֶיךָ׃

Here is the translation:

“We light these candles to commemorate the miracles, deliverance, mighty deeds, salvation, and wonders that You performed for our fathers in those days at this time of year, through Your holy priests. During all eight days of Hanukka, these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to derive benefit from them. We may only look at them to express gratitude and praise to Your great Name for Your miracles, wonders, and acts of salvation.”

At the end, we recite: Mizmor Shir Hanukkat haBayit leDavid… (Psalm 30).

Sephardic Jews, the first Jews to arrive in America in the middle of the 17th century, first settled in New York, then known as New Amsterdam. In the United States, they developed a clear and consistent approach to Thanksgiving, viewing it as a civic day that could be celebrated through Jewish expressions of gratitude. From the beginning of American Jewish history, Sephardic leaders framed Thanksgiving as an opportunity for Hakarat HaTov, thanking God –and the American government–for the freedoms and protections of the United States.

This story begins in 1789, when President George Washington proclaimed the first national Day of Thanksgiving. Rabbi Gershom Mendes Seixas—the first American-born rabbi and the Rabbi and Hazan of Congregation Shearith Israel, “The Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue,” founded in 1654—encouraged his community to participate. Jews gathered in synagogue on Thanksgiving morning to offer prayers of thanks, establishing a precedent for integrating the holiday into Jewish life.

Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, prominent Sephardic rabbis strengthened this path. Rabbi Sabato Morais (see here) and Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes (1852- 1937) —founder and later president of the OU or Orthodox Union, and among the early teachers at Yeshiva University —publicly supported the observance of Thanksgiving within a Jewish framework. Later, Rabbi David de Sola Pool (1885-1970) continued the celebration of Thanksgiving. Serving for nearly half a century, Rabbi de Sola Pool formalized this practice by composing a Minchat Todah—a structured liturgy of praise and gratitude—using traditional Jewish texts without creating a new religious holiday.

In recent decades, Modern Orthodox Jews celebrate Thanksgiving at home. Sephardic families gather with relatives, share a festive meal, and express gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities of the United States.

Congregation Shearith Israel, where many of these practices were shaped, continues this historical tradition up until today.

As their website records:

“Congregation Shearith Israel has been conducting Thanksgiving services since President George Washington first declared this holiday in 1789. Jews participated side by side with other Americans in fighting for and establishing the United States as an independent country. At our services on Thanksgiving Day morning, we chant several chapters of Psalms—parts of the Hallel—at the conclusion of the morning prayers. We also recite the prayers for the governments of America and Israel. ”

A BRIEF HISTORY OF A NAME

The Jewish people were not always called by this name. In the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, three names appear that define our identity: Israel, Hebrew, and Yehudi, each with its own background.

Israel is the oldest patronymic. We are Bene Israel, the descendants of Yaacob, who received the name Israel after struggling with and defeating an angel. Why are we called by the name of Yaacob and not, for example, the people of Abraham or of Yitsjaq?
The simplest answer is that several nations came from Abraham, and the same from Yitschaq. But the children of Yaacob, despite having gone through very deep conflicts, ended up united. From them came the twelve tribes and one single people: Bene Israel.

“THE OTHER”

The second name is “Hebrew” (ivri), which means “the one who comes from the other side,” probably referring to the other side of the Euphrates, that is, Mesopotamia. This term, which also has a very deep cultural meaning, appears in reference to Abraham, Yosef, Moshe, and other descendants of the Jewish people.
The Egyptians called the Israelites “Hebrews.” Even in the El Amarna letters—Egyptian documents from the fourteenth century B.C.E., the oldest sources outside the Torah that mention our people—they are identified as habiru (“Hebrews” in ancient Egyptian).

The third name, the most universal today, is Yehudi, and it appears much later. After the death of King Shelomo, the kingdom of Israel split in two: the kingdom of Yehuda, with its capital in Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Israel, also known as the kingdom of “the ten tribes,” with its capital in Samaria or Shomeron. When the Assyrians invaded Samaria in the year 720 B.C.E., the ten tribes were destroyed and exiled. Only the kingdom of Yehuda survived, which in English and Spanish is called Judea. Since then, we became known as Yehudim, “Jews.”
Thus it appears in Megillat Esther: Mordechai is not called Hebrew nor Israelite, but Yehudi. The Greeks and Romans also called us yehudim, and the territory of Israel was always known as “Judea”.

THE ROOT OF YEHUDI

But there is something more in this name. Beyond its fascinating history, the name Yehudi has a very deep spiritual meaning. And it was born in an intimate and special moment described in this week’s parasha, Vayetse.

Yaacob arrives in Haran and marries Lea. Lea had already had three sons, which was, in a certain way, the expected number. Let us remember that Sara had one child and Rivka had two. For Lea, having three children was the “expected evolution” of the next matriarch. But, to her surprise and joy, Lea gives birth to a fourth son, and her happiness overflowed. At that moment, she expressed her feeling in words of gratitude to God. Lea declared:
“HaPaam ode et HaShem — This time I will thank God,”
and thus the name Yehuda emerged, which literally means: “I will thank God.”

This is the first recorded instance in the Torah in which someone verbally expresses gratitude to God. That emotion became sealed forever in the name of her fourth son. And every time Lea pronounced the name of her son, she repeated her desire and need to thank God for the great blessing she had received from Him.

What, then, does Yehudi mean, beyond historical considerations?

In a world where spirituality tends to “activate” only in moments of crisis or convenience, where we forget daily about the Creator even while enjoying His blessings, our own name YEHUDI must remind us that the most genuine connection with God must be a relationship of “thanks,” when there are no urgencies or anguish.

JEWISH IDENTITY

In the United States, Thanksgiving occurs once a year. In the Jewish people, gratitude is a daily act. From Lea, who named her son Yehuda in order to thank God, Jewish identity became organically linked to that gesture.  The root of Yehuda is yod–dalet–he, which is also the root of the modern Hebrew word toda, “thanks ” and of the Hebrew word mode, “I thank.. .”

This is why, every morning, when we open our eyes, the first word we pronounce is mode, “I thank You [God]”:
Mode ani lefanecha melekh chai vekayam — “I thank You, God, for being alive, for the opportunity of this new day that begins.”

The identity of a Yehudi is defined by this act: starting the day with a word of thanks to God.

ארבעה חייבים להודות: יורדי הים, הולכי מדבריות, ומי שהיה חולה ונתרפא, ומי שהיה חבוש בבית האסורים – ויצא.

                                                               (ברכות נד ע”ב)

Our Rabbis taught that there are four specific occasions when we must publicly express gratitude to HaShem for saving us from potentially dangerous situations. This obligation is derived from Tehillim (Psalm 107). During the times of the Bet-haMiqdash, this public expression of gratitude was fulfilled through the qorban todá, the offering of thanks. Today, until the Bet-haMiqdash is rebuilt בביא, we express our gratitude with a special blessing known as HaGomel. The text of this blessing is:

“Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, King of the universe, who performs favors for those in debt [to You], and You have granted me all that is good.”

Let us delve into the meaning of this Berakha. The phrase “Hagomel lachayabim tobot” (“Who grants favors to those in debt”) reflects our understanding of the balance between our debts and credits with our Creator. We recognize that we are constantly receiving innumerable blessings and favors from HaShem. Even if we may possess specific merits (zekhut) that could earn us “credit,” these are insignificant compared to the overwhelming kindness and blessings we owe HaShem. Furthermore, when we consider our transgressions and faults (‘aberot), which diminish our merit, we see even more clearly that HaShem’s saving us is an act of pure goodness (hesed) that we did not deserve.

This is why a minor child does not recite HaGomel. At their age, they are not yet fully accountable for their actions and transgressions. Hence, they cannot be classified as “chayabim” (debtors), which is central to the meaning of the Berakha (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef).

When is HaGomel recited?

We recite this Berakha when one has emerged unharmed from any of the four situations typically considered dangerous, as mentioned in Tehillim (Psalm 107):

a) Upon being released from prison (in ancient times, from a dungeon).

b) After traveling safely across the ocean.

c) Upon recovering from a serious illness.

d) After successfully crossing a desert.

In Hebrew, there is a mnemonic to remember these four situations: the word חיים (Hayyim, meaning “alive,” which here signifies being “unharmed”). It corresponds to the initials of חבוש (prison), ים (ocean), יסורין (suffering, referring to illness), and מדבר (desert).

The classic English translation in most Siddurim of the Hebrew words “Birkat haGomel is: “Blessing of Thanksgiving.”

Jacob leaves Beer-Sheba and heads to Haran, Syria. He is fleeing from his brother Esau, who sets out to kill him. He also goes to Haran with the intention of finding a wife in his mother’s hometown. Shortly after starting his long journey, Jacob had a beautiful dream when he arrived at Bethel: angels ascending and descending on a ladder. God promises Jacob His blessing and protection and guarantees that he and his descendants will inherit the land of Israel.

After several days, Jacob arrives in Haran and heads to the well of water. There, he meets a young woman who turns out to be his cousin, Rachel, and he falls in love with her. Rachel takes him to her home. Jacob is welcomed by his uncle Laban. They quickly reach an agreement: Jacob will work for Laban for seven years, and in return, Laban will allow him to marry his daughter. But when the wedding day arrives, Laban gives Jacob his daughter Leah instead of Rachel, something that Jacob only discovers the next day. How is it possible that Jacob did not recognize Leah? There are several explanations, but the simplest is that 1. Rachel and Leah were sisters, and they must have been very similar physically and in their voices. 2. Women in ancient times wore a very thick veil, like the burqa worn by women in Afghanistan. 3. Everything happened in the shadow of night. 4. Jacob did not expect it. Many commentators explain that Jacob was now a victim of a case of “identity theft” similar to what he had caused when he disguised himself as his brother Esau to receive his father Isaac’s blessing, who was blind. The similarities between these two episodes cannot be a mere coincidence.

Jacob had to work for another long period of time to marry Rachel. Before the giving of the Torah, there was no prohibition against marrying two sisters. Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah give birth to several sons for Jacob. Rachel was barren, but ultimately, she gave birth to a son named Joseph. Jacob now has eleven sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and a daughter, Dinah. The birth of his twelfth son, Benjamin, will be mentioned only in next week’s Parasha. Each of his sons will establish one of the tribes of Israel. There is a very important difference between Ishmael’s sons and Jacob’s sons: we read a little earlier that Ishmael also had twelve sons, and each of those sons created a separate nation (shneim asar nesi’im le’umotam). Jacob, however, managed to have all his sons form 12 tribes of one people.

After working for Laban for many years, Jacob expresses his desire to return to the land of his fathers, Eretz Israel. But Laban convinces him to stay longer and offers to pay him with a portion of the flock so that Jacob can have his own inheritance. After a few years, Jacob’s flock miraculously increases, and our patriarch returns to his homeland without seeking Laban’s consent. He gathers his family and tells them that God revealed Himself to him in a dream, announcing that it was time to leave.

Jacob and his family practically flee without Laban’s knowledge. And when Laban finds out, he goes after Jacob with ill intentions. God reveals Himself to Laban and warns him not to harm Jacob. Laban reproaches Jacob for taking his daughters and grandchildren away. Jacob and Laban finally reconciled and made a peace treaty in Gal-ed. Jacob continues his journey, destined for the land of Canaan, and arrives in the city of Mahanaim. Jacob’s next challenge will be to confront his brother Esau, who had decided to kill him 20 years earlier.

I have never had any direct or indirect “extraterrestrial experiences”: I was not abducted by a UFO, I did not see strange lights in the sky, and I did not go through any unusual experience. Nor did I ever deliberately believe or disbelieve in extraterrestrial life. But I was always curious about two very specific things in this area. The first was to distinguish between evidence and imagination (or deception) in this subject. And the second was to find out whether the Torah, any contemporary rabbi, or any modern Jewish book seriously refers to the possibility of other forms of life beyond this world.

Regarding the first topic: I read a lot, and lately I heard a lot from very serious and thorough scientists from the Sol Foundation.  On the second point, however, I found very little—or almost nothing —to my surprise.

So I had to conduct my own research.

Let us begin with the basics: what is known about extraterrestrial life?

This weekend, a documentary will be released in the United States — and I believe also in the rest of the world — that will undoubtedly fuel the debate about extraterrestrial life and non-human intelligence. The documentary is called “The Age of Disclosure” and features testimonies from United States government officials, such as the current Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio, military personnel; members of intelligence agencies; and high-level scientists, who for the first time in human history speak openly about the existence of “aliens,” non-human intelligences, and their possible interaction with human beings.

The use of the term NHI—non-human intelligence — is more in use today than UFOs is not accidental. It is connected to the rise of quantum physics, which has increasingly demonstrated the primacy of “consciousness” — the observer — over the physical world. Over the past five to ten years, science has taken a radical and completely unexpected turn. It has moved away from the idea that the human mind is merely the product of chemical and electrical reactions in the brain, and toward the possibility — now far less disputed — that human consciousness is something much more primordial and profound than the physical universe itself.

Some of the most modern theories, known as “simulation theories,” view the physical universe — time and space — as an interface: a kind of screen or stage that allows consciousness to experience a “virtual reality,” an artificial reality created by a Higher Intelligence. This represents a 180-degree turn in the understanding of reality. Without exaggeration, it is a giant step by science toward a spiritual plane, in which reality is no longer defined by particles and atoms, but by “consciousness, perception, and meaning.” One might even say that, unintentionally, modern science is beginning to discover the dimension of the Divine.

Some of the most recognized scientists in extraterrestrial life research, such as Jacques Vallée and Gary Nolan, insist that reducing everything to “spaceships” traveling from one planet to another is a very limited conceptual error. They argue that we are surrounded by non-human intelligences that can materialize in very diverse forms and that they do not necessarily come from other planets but from different levels of existence.

This leads inevitably to my question: does anything in the Jewish tradition refer to this phenomenon?

Surprisingly, yes.

MAIMONIDES AND NON-HUMAN INTELLIGENCES

The great Sephardic rabbi, Moshe ben Maimon, or Maimonides, wrote nearly 900 years ago a text that, when read in contemporary language, is astonishingly relevant. In Chapter 2 of his monumental work Mishneh Torah — which contains exactly 1,000 chapters distributed across fourteen books — Maimonides describes the existence of what he calls “separate intellects” (tzurot nifradot): non-human intelligences or consciousnesses that have no physical body, do not occupy space, are not bound by time in the same way we are, and do not operate through physical senses.

For Maimonides, the existence of these non-human intelligences is an essential part of the Divine design of the universe. They exist on the highest planes of being, can interact with our reality/simulation, but do not belong to our material dimension.

In Hebrew, this category of beings is called malakhim. I must note that translating malakhim as “angels” can be misleading, because those of us who grew up in a Western culture tend to automatically associate “angels” with chubby babies, curly hair, and rosy cheeks, as in the paintings of Goya or Botticelli. But for Maimonides, and within Judaism, malakhim are forms of consciousness —bodiless intelligences —that can “descend,” or temporarily materialize, as in the episodes of Abraham and Lot, to fulfill a specific function.

In other words, according to Jewish tradition, the universe is definitively multidimensional and is populated (or over-populated) by non-human entities that do not follow the biological rules of our species.

The idea of non-biological and non-physical intelligences has never been foreign to Jewish thought.

It is a concept so deeply integrated into Judaism that, although many people may not realize it, we mention it every morning in some of the most important parts of our daily prayer, when we refer to the different levels of the universe God created.

It is difficult not to notice the conceptual affinity between what is being discussed today in scientific circles and what Judaism had already been articulating for centuries.

Perhaps it is time to reread what Maimonides and our Sages wrote with new eyes and once again marvel at how modern science is now beginning to discover what the Torah and Jewish thought declared so long ago.

MAIMONIDES

Mishne Tora, Yesode haTora, Chapter 2: 4-6

והמלאכים אין להם גוף וגוויה אלא צורה לבדה נפרדת זו מזו. ואינן שווים במעלתן, אלא אלו למעלה מאלה. כולן קיימים, ויודעים הבורא וגדולתו ביותר מדעת בני אדם ומן החכמים.

שמות המלאכים נחלקים לעשרה שמות לפי מדרגות מעלתן, והן:

חיות הקודש, אופנים, אראלים, חשמלים, שרפים, מלאכים, מלכים, אלהים, בני אלהים, כרובים.

וכל אחת ואחת ממדרגה יש לה מדרגות אחרות ומספרן אינו ידוע לאדם.

כל המלאכים הם בעלי צורה בלבד ואין להם גוף וגויה, ואינם תופסים מקום, ואינם מקבלים משקל ולא גבורה, ולא חולשה ולא שינוי, ולא יכולים לראות אותם אלא בנבואה בלבד.

Angels have no body or physical form, but only form (i.e., categories), which distinguishes one from another. They are not equal in their level; rather, some are above others. All of them know the Creator, and their perception of God is at a higher level than the knowledge of human beings and even of the wise.

Angels are divided according to ten names, corresponding to the level of their category, and they are:

Chayot HaKodesh, Ofanim, Arelim, Chashmalim, Serafim, Malakhim, Melakhim, Elo-him, Bene Elo-him, Kerubim.

Each of these levels also has further subdivisions, and their number is unknown to man.

All angels are purely entities of form, without body or physical substance. They do not occupy space; they have no weight, no strength or weakness, no decay, and no change of any kind, and they can only be perceived through prophecy.

Rabbi Yosef Bitton

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, z”l, was one of the only modern Rabbis who wrote on extraterrestrial life.

I copy here his article:

Extraterrestrial life
by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
[Article from Innernet]

Excerpted with permission from “THE ARYEH KAPLAN READER” Published by ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications Ltd., Brooklyn, NY

One of the unique aspects of Judaism is its far reaching universality. Not only does Judaism provide a lesson for every human being, its teachings extended to the very boundaries of the universe.

It is an axiom of Judaism that the entire universe was created for the sake of man. In one place, the Talmud reckons that there are some [10 to the 18th power] stars in the observable universe, and explicitly states that they were all created for the sake of man. It goes further to state that all the angels and spiritual worlds also only exist for this purpose.

Of course, this immediately raises a question that many find quite difficult. How is it possible that man, living on a dust mote called planet Earth, should be the center of the universe? Our Sages realized the vast number of stars in the universe, and also realized that many of them were many orders of magnitude larger than the earth. (Maimonides – Foundations of Torah 3:8)

…It should be quite simple to understand that size and quantity alone are meaningless to an infinite God. There is absolutely no question that the human brain is vastly more complex than the greatest galaxy, and furthermore, that it contains more information than the entire observable inanimate universe. Beyond that, man is endowed with a divine soul that towers over even the highest angels.

Although the creation of such a vast universe for the sake of man does not defy logic, we still need to seek out a reason for its necessity. Some sources state that by contemplating the greatness of the universe, one can begin to comprehend that of God, and thereby fear Him all the more (Maimonides – Foundations of Torah 2:2).

However, if we speak of the possibility of extra terrestrial life, we must explore the question somewhat further.

THE FREE WILL QUESTION
One of the first to discuss the question of extraterrestrial life in general was Rabbi Chasdai Crescas (Or Hashem 4:2). After a lengthy discussion, he comes to the conclusion that there is nothing in Jewish theology to preclude the existence of life on other worlds.

As possible evidence for extraterrestrial life, he quotes the Talmudic teaching (Avoda Zara 3b) that “God flies through 18,000 worlds.” Since they require His providence, we may assume that they are inhabited.

Of course, this Talmudic quotation is by no means absolute proof, for it may be speaking of spiritual worlds, of which an infinite number were created.

One could also attempt to support this opinion from the verse (Psalms 145:13), “Your kingdom is a kingdom of all worlds.” However, here, too, this may be speaking of spiritual universes.

The exact opposite opinion is that of Rabbi Yosef Albo, author of the “Ikkarim.” He states that since the universe was created for the sake of man, no other creature can exist possessing free will. Since any extraterrestrial life would neither have free will nor be able to serve a creature having free will (as terrestrial animals and plants serve a terrestrial man), they would have no reason for existing and therefore be totally superfluous.

One could bring some support to the second opinion from the Talmudic teaching that every land where it was not decreed for man to live was never subsequently inhabited. However, here again, it is not absolute proof, since this may only refer to our planet.

THE STAR OF MEROZ
Between these two extremes, we find the opinion of the Sefer Habris who states that extraterrestrial life does exist, but that it does not possess free will. The latter is the exclusive possession of man, for whom the universe was created. The 18,000 worlds mentioned earlier, in his opinion, are inhabited physical worlds.

The proof that he brings for his thesis is most ingenious. In the song of Deborah, we find the verse, “Cursed is Meroz… cursed are its inhabitants” (Judges 5:23). In the Talmud, we find the opinion that Meroz is the name of a star. According to this opinion, the fact that Scripture states, “Cursed is Meroz… cursed are its inhabitants” is clear proof from the words of our Sages for extraterrestrial life.

Of course, even this proof is subject to refutation, for the Zohar also follows the opinion that Meroz is a star, yet states that “its inhabitants” refers to its “camp,” that is, most probably, to the planets surrounding it. Nevertheless, the simple meaning of the verse seems to support the opinion of the Sefer Habris.

The Sefer Habris goes on to say that we should not expect the creatures of another world to resemble earthly life, any more than sea creatures resemble those of land.

He further states that although extraterrestrial forms of life may possess intelligence, they certainly cannot have freedom of will. The latter is an exclusive attribute of man, to whom was given the Torah and its commandments. He proves the latter thesis on the basis of the above-mentioned Talmudic teaching that all the stars in the observable universe were created for the sake of man.

WINGS TO ESCAPE THE EARTH
…The basic premise of the existence of extraterrestrial life is strongly supported by the Zohar. The Midrash teaches us that there are seven earths. Although the Ibn Ezra tries to argue that these refer to the seven continents, the Zohar clearly states that the seven are separated by a firmament and are inhabited. Although they are not inhabited by man, they are the domain of intelligent creatures.

We therefore find the basic thesis of the Sefer Habris supported by a number of clear-cut statements by our Sages. There may even be other forms of intelligent life in the universe, but such life forms do not have free will, and therefore do not have moral responsibility.

Freedom of will, however, is not at all an observable quantity. Even its existence in man has been hotly debated by the secular philosophers. Indeed the main proof that man does indeed have free will comes from the fact that God has given him moral responsibility, namely the Torah. It is in this sublime, yet unobservable quality, that man is unique.

However, if we assume this to be true, we would return to the basic question of Rabbi Yosef Albo, mentioned earlier: If such creatures never have any utility for man, what is their reason for existence?

We find a most fascinating answer to this question in the Tikunei Zohar. Speaking of the verse (Song of Songs 6:8), “Worlds without number,” the Tikunei Zohar states: “The stars certainly are without number. But each star is called a separate world. These are the worlds without number.”

The Tikunei Zohar further states that every tzaddik (righteous person) will rule over a star, and therefore have a world unto himself. The 18,000 worlds mentioned above would therefore be that number of stars, presided over by the 18,000 tzaddikim that are alluded to in the verse (Ezekiel 48:35), “Around Him are 18,000.” However, these may only refer to those worlds visited daily by the divine presence, but there may be innumerable worlds for the lesser tzaddikim.

We therefore have a most fascinating reason why the stars were created, and why they contain intelligent life. Since an overcrowded Earth will not give the tzaddikim the breadth they require, each one will be given his own planet, with its entire population to enhance his spiritual growth.

Once we know that the stars and their planets were created as an abode for the tzaddikim, we might naturally wonder how they will be transported to them. However, the Talmud even provides an answer to this question. Discussing the passage (Isaiah 40:31), “They shall mount up with wings as eagles,” the Talmud states that in the future world, God will grant the tzaddikim wings to escape the earth. The Zohar goes a step further and states that “God will give them wings to fly through the entire universe.”

In a way, this teaching predicts the advent of space travel. But more than that, it provides us with at least one of the reasons why space flight would be inevitable as part of the prelude to the messianic age. This, of course, could bring us to us general discussion of the role of modern technology in Torah perspective, a lengthy subject in its own right.