by Rabbi Yair Hoffman
The Chovos HaLevavos, in Shaar HaBechina (the Gate of Reflection), teaches us that one of our most important obligations is to examine and contemplate the wonders of Hashem’s creation. The Rabbeinu Bachya writes that through careful observation of the natural world, we come to recognize the infinite wisdom, power, and kindness of the Borei Olam. He explains that every created thing, from the largest mountain to the tiniest insect, contains countless details that demonstrate the Creator’s perfection.
Today, we have an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill this mitzvah of reflection through new scientific tools that reveal the hidden workings of life itself. The latest issue of Nature Magazine explains that now scientists have developed amazing technology that allows us to peer deeper into creation than ever before, uncovering layers of complexity and wisdom in cells in, yes, real-time – something that previous generations could never have imagined.
The Problem Scientists Had
For thousands of years, studying cells was like trying to understand a story by only seeing the very last page. Imagine if you walked into a room and saw the final scene of a play, but had no idea what happened before. When scientists looked at cells under a microscope, they could see what the cells looked like at that moment, but they had no way to know the amazing journey each cell had taken to get there.
Cells live incredibly complex lives. They grow, divide, move around, and respond to their environment with perfect precision. But once scientists removed them from the body to study them, all that history was lost forever. It was like trying to read a book after all the pages except the last one had been erased.
The Amazing New Discovery
With siyata d’Shmaya, scientists have found a way to give cells something like a tiny diary that records everything that happens to them. They call these “molecular recorders” or “DNA recording tools.” Each cell now receives a special notebook that automatically writes down every important event in the cell’s life.
Scientists can add special genetic instructions to cells, writing in a secret code that only the cell can understand. These instructions tell the cell to write down important information about itself directly into its own DNA, the instruction manual that tells the cell how to work.
Three Different Types of Cellular Recording
Scientists have developed three main approaches to cellular recording.
The first method works like a light switch that can only be turned on once. When something important happens to the cell, it flips the switch and changes color permanently. Scientists can then see which cells experienced different events by looking at their colors.
The second method uses a tool called CRISPR to make tiny changes in the cell’s DNA every time something important happens. Each change is like making small marks on a piece of paper, with every mark telling part of the story. By reading all these marks later, scientists can figure out the complete history of what happened to each cell.
The third method builds special proteins that stack up like LEGO blocks every time the cell experiences something important. Each new block added to the stack represents a different event, creating a permanent record that scientists can read later.
Revealing the Niflaos HaBorei
This technology helps us appreciate the incredible wisdom of Hashem’s creation in completely new ways. Scientists can now trace how cells are related to each other, just like we trace family histories. They discovered that cells have complex family relationships we never knew about before.
By watching cells over time, scientists found that Hashem’s creation follows amazing patterns and rules that were completely hidden before. They learned new things about how blood cells develop and how different organs form during pregnancy. The research shows that cells know exactly when to do different tasks, following a perfect schedule that demonstrates the incredible planning in creation.
Scientists also discovered that cells “talk” to each other in sophisticated ways, sharing information and coordinating their activities like members of a well-organized community. Every discovery reveals more about the incredible complexity and wisdom built into every living thing.
Real-World Applications
This technology is already helping scientists fight disease by tracking how cancer cells spread and finding better ways to stop them. They can watch how a single fertilized cell grows into a complete organism with trillions of specialized cells, each knowing exactly what job to do and when to do it.
Special bacteria can be programmed to patrol the body and report signs of illness without needing invasive medical procedures. Researchers can track how brain cells change and develop throughout life, helping them understand both normal development and what goes wrong in diseases.
A Tool for Deeper Understanding
Dr. Jay Shendure from the University of Washington said this technology “opens up all kinds of frontiers.” From our perspective as Orthodox Jews, these frontiers allow us to see the niflaos HaBorei with unprecedented clarity.
When scientists trace the perfect timing of cellular events or discover the sophisticated communication networks between cells, they are really uncovering more evidence of Hashem’s infinite wisdom and planning. Every new discovery confirms what the Chovos HaLevavos taught us centuries ago about the importance of contemplating creation.
The Talmud teaches us that “whoever increases knowledge, increases life.” This new technology gives us tools to increase our knowledge of creation in ways our ancestors could only dream of. We can now observe the incredible precision with which Hashem designed every aspect of life, from the molecular level up to complete organisms.
Looking to the Future
Scientists are still working to make these tools better and easier to use. They want to create even more detailed recordings that can capture every aspect of cellular life. Some researchers are developing ways to monitor health by reading the molecular diaries that cells write about their experiences.
As this technology advances, we will surely discover even more layers of complexity and wisdom in creation. Each new finding gives us more opportunities to fulfill the mitzvah of contemplating Hashem’s works and recognizing His infinite greatness.
The Chovos HaLevavos reminds us that this contemplation should lead us to greater awe, gratitude, and devotion to our Creator. Through these amazing new tools for seeing into the hidden workings of life, we have more reason than ever to say with genuine understanding: “Mah rabu ma’asecha Hashem, kulam b’chochma asisa” – “How numerous are Your works, Hashem; You made them all with wisdom.”
As reported by VINnews