A User's Guide for the Outreach Professional

Introduction

The Torah Perspective Behind the Site

Why We Believe the Site is Effective

Suggested Uses for Postcards

Hashem Hu HaElokim An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website.
(This material is found in Menu 9 at the end of the last page of the site.)

 Recently, one of the most prominent philosophy magazines on the Internet did two feature articles on "The 2001 Principle" website. Their enthusiasm is apparent in the following excerpt: "The Internet continues to demonstrate its usefulness as a creative medium for philosophy with the appearance of The 2001 Principle. Take this hypertext tour and find out for yourself why the 'argument from design' has persuaded thinkers for centuries. Whether metaphysics is your interest, or merely Kubrick and Clarke's celebrated cinematic collaboration, you'll find The 2001 Principle to be an intriguing stop on your philosophical Web rounds."

"The 2001 Principle" website has been viewed by thousands of people world-wide in just its first ten months on the Internet. Because of its tremendous kiruv potential, it was translated into Hebrew, thus extending its impact to thousands of secular Israelis.

A case in point, this past summer 30,000 people converged upon Binyanei HaUma in Jerusalem to visit the exhibition, Internet World Israel '97. It was sponsored by some of the biggest names in the computer industry, IBM, Compaq, Sun Microsystems, and included a veritable Who's Who of the computer world with speakers such as, John Sculley, former CEO of Apple; John Patrick, Vice President, Internet Technology, IBM; and Ed Zander, President of Sun Microsystems.

Ironically, however, in Yediot Achronot's report on the event, they focused almost exclusively on one site that grabbed their attention, ours. The article is entitled "Sites Flying in the Air: Religious and Mystical Sites Are Taking Over the Internet." It begins with the comment that, "[the fact that] it was precisely the religious exhibits that attracted so many visitors demonstrates that more and more people are thirsty for this type of content on the Internet." It then summarizes our site: "In a round about but gripping and exciting way, the site comes to the following interesting metaphysical-religious conclusion: A Supernatural Power exists that is far more intelligent than we are."

This website has proven to be an especially effective tool for reaching university students and people who respond to an intellectual approach to Torah Judaism. It has generated an unusually large amount of e-mail -- hundreds of enthusiastic letters (see below, Extracts of Letters from Viewers).

The job of an outreach professional is not an easy one. No one tool or approach will work with the all the varied components of our secular Jewish population. For this reason, it is important that he has as many extra tools at his disposal as possible. We are happy to try to provide "one extra wrench" in his tool box.

To be specific, this site and the accompanying glossy postcards are a direct attempt to solve a universal problem: how to open a dialogue about Judaism with a disinterested or neutral individual with whom we have a casual relationship without threatening him (see Section IV).

Introduction

The Torah Perspective Behind the Site

Why We Believe the Site is Effective

Suggested Uses for Postcards

Hashem Hu HaElokim An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website.
(This material is found in Menu 9 at the end of the last page of the site.)

Rav Elchanan Wasserman z"l wrote that were it not for the problem of our very human "negiot" (biases), we would have direct and immediate realization of G-d's existence. In contemporary psychology, this concept is known as "Cognitive Dissonance," meaning, we don't perceive ideas that are a threat to what we have "invested" in.

In Maamar al Emunah, Ot Zain (Kovetz Maamarim, p. 15), Rav Elchanan wrote: "And the commandment to believe in G-d? It is a commandment not to allow one's desires to overcome his intellect so that he will automatically come to believe. In other words, there is no need to struggle to believe. One must simply remove the obstacles that stand in the way of believing. It will then come naturally, of itself..."

As religious Jews, we recognize the truth in what Rav Elchanan is saying. But we also must be aware that from the secular point of view there is a counter-argument which is: "Who is to say which side of the debate is suffering from cognitive dissonance?"

Because of this, until now it was assumed that even those who agree with Rav Elchanan's position could not prove it, and that therefore the hypothesis was to remain a mute point.

UNTIL NOW.

Imagine for a moment that it was possible to define the parameters of a scientific experiment to determine which side of the argument was correct, Rav Elchanan's claim or the secular counter-argument. Let us further imagine that this experiment was done involving millions of people to get a random sampling, and the conclusion is that there is scientific evidence that what Rav Elchanan stated as a given can be proven according to the secular world's own scientific standards. Would this not have far-reaching repercussions?

The 2001 website takes Rav Elchanan's argument and presents it in the language of contemporary secular society. His hypothesis, which we claim we can prove, is: The problem that the secular mind has with the idea of G-d is not a logical problem but a psychological block.

Outreach is, of course, a long process. However, this powerful tool can facilitate an essential step in the process. This step is the "paradigm shift" from the secular (without G-d) to the religious (with G-d) point of view.

Introduction

The Torah Perspective Behind the Site

Why We Believe the Site is Effective

Suggested Uses for Postcards

Hashem Hu HaElokim An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website.
(This material is found in Menu 9 at the end of the last page of the site.)

A glance at the letters we have received from viewers indicates that there is something unusually effective about the website. We would like to list what we believe are the reasons that this site is capable of eliciting such a strong response.

Reason 1 -- The Technology of Persuasion -- Using the Original Method Found in Torah and Chazal

In the following examples we shall see that there is a pattern to the method of persuasion found in Jewish tradition.

A. The Beit HaLevi in his commentary on the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 93:10) explains how Yoseph made his brothers realize their mistake in selling him.

The Midrash says: "Abba Cohen Bardella said: Woe to us on the day of judgment! Woe to us on the day of rebuke! Yoseph was the youngest of the brothers, yet they were stunned and struck speechless when he said to them, 'I am Yoseph your brother; is my father yet alive?!' When the Holy One Himself comes to rebuke each and every individual, according to what he is, how much moreso will they be stunned and struck speechless!"

The Beit HaLevi (Parshat Vayigash, p. 23b) explains that when Yoseph said here, "Is my father yet alive?" it was a rhetorical question. On this trip to Egypt, he had already asked his brothers this question and received an affirmative response. They had not returned home in the interim, so why was he asking the same question again? The answer the Beit HaLevi gives is based on the above midrash. Yoseph was saying, "Is my father yet alive after what you put him through by selling me into servitude?!" This was the moment Yoseph had been waiting for all along. He had gotten his brother Yehudah to make the impassioned plea, "True, Binyamin is apparently the guilty party, and as such, deserves this punishment. However, if you look at how it will impact Yaakov, you will realize that you cannot and must not do this." At this moment, Yehudah, as the presenter of this position, could really feel the Emet of what he was saying. Therefore Yoseph chose this moment to ask the rhetorical question, "Is my father yet alive after you failed to make this very calculation about me?!" Faced with the shock of their total inconsistency, the brothers were stunned and shocked speechless.

The Midrash then goes on to say: This method of shocking someone with a moral inconsistency which he cannot deny is so powerful that pronounced even by the youngest of the brothers it delivers a knockout punch. When Hashem Himself will employ this same method at the end of history to point out our moral inconsistencies, we too will be utterly speechless.

B. Another example illustrating this method is the argument Avraham used against his father's idol worship (Bereshit Rabbah 38:8).

C. A third example is the mashal of the poor man with a single sheep that Natan Hanavi used to rebuke David Hamelech for the way in which he had Uriyah sent to the frontlines in order to be killed so that he could marry Bathsheva (see Shmuel II, 12:1-9).

This method illustrated in Jewish tradition has been relabeled in Neuro-Linguistic Programming as Collapsing Anchors. By this we mean pointing out a contradiction between a person's reaction to a situation in which he has a vested interest, as opposed to a situation which he is able to judge "objectively" because he is unaware of any connection between himself and the situation. When he is told that the two situations are really one, he gets the point most forcefully.

The site utilizes this powerful technique which as we have seen is rooted in Jewish tradition. In our case, we use this technique by showing our viewers that any problems they might have with the idea of an Omnipotent G-d has to be a psychological block.

Reason 2 -- The Argument from Design: Ostensibly, one of the basic problems with the "Argument from Design" is that it is difficult to quantify what constitutes a "level of design" that warrants the conclusion. For example, the statement "This is a fast computer" does not specify how fast. We would want to know the computer's specifications. Our original argument tries to solve this problem by defining the "Threshold for Design" and the parameters of a scientific experiment that could test whether the universe surpasses the required threshold to justify the conclusion.

Reason 3 -- The Anthropic Principle: The August '97 issue of "Science" featured an article entitled "Science and God: A Warming Trend?" Here is an excerpt: "The fact that the universe exhibits many features that foster organic life -- such as precisely those physical constants that result in planets and long-lived stars -- also has led some scientists to speculate that some divine influence may be present."

In his book, A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking refers to the phenomenon as "remarkable." "The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers (i.e. the constants of physics) seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life."

It is for this reason that we focused in our site on the non-controversial fact of the fine-tuning, and not on the various interpretations of the Anthropic Principle. In light of the above, we are not the first to reformulate the argument from design on the basis of the uniqueness of the values that we find in the constants. "For example," Hawking writes, "if the electric charge of the electron had been only slightly different, stars would have been unable to burn hydrogen and helium, or else they would not

Reason 4 -- The Use of Scientific Material Available on the Internet: At the conclusion of the website we have provided additional material dealing with all of the philosophical, psychological and scientific issues that are raised in the website on a high academic level. There is a link to an animated graphic illustrating irreducible complexity and a link to a 20 page document describing the fine-tuning of the universe. None of these links interfere with the basic presentation of the website which is highly entertaining (and convincing) to a large cross-section of individuals from high school age up.

Introduction

The Torah Perspective Behind the Site

Why We Believe the Site is Effective

Suggested Uses for Postcards

Hashem Hu HaElokim An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website.
(This material is found in Menu 9 at the end of the last page of the site.)

2. After a seminar or lecture the postcards can be given out to the participants as a way of reinforcing their positive exposure to Judaism.

3. For those of you who do follow-up by mail, the postcards provide a unique way to keep in touch.  

We look forward to your comments and suggestions. If you have any questions please contact the 2001 Principle Team at:

Tel: 972-2-533-2144
Fax: 972-2-533-6360

These postcards are being offered as a free service, sponsored by donations from the Jewish community. Any offers concerning dedications and/or donations would be most welcome.

Introduction

The Torah Perspective Behind the Site

Why We Believe the Site is Effective

Suggested Uses for Postcards

Hashem Hu HaElokim An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website.
(This material is found in Menu 9 at the end of the last page of the site.)

An Example Of How To Follow Up The Website

Websites, even interactive ones, are limited. On its own our site might be helpful in bringing an individual to belief in a Creator, but we are interested in going for a much higher goal. It is only you, the human Jewish outreach professional, who can channel an enthusiastic response to the site (see Reactions from Viewers) and turn it into the beginning of a long term process which will bring the individual to a lasting commitment to Hashem's Torah and Mitzvot. Hopefully, this process will lead into Shabbasim, seminars, learning b'chavrusa, and long hours of friendly, heated discussion.

We would like to suggest an example of a follow up discussion to the site. As an outreach professional you have your own style and don't necessarily need our suggestions. We offer it only by way of example.

Hashem Hu HaElokim

But the discovery of the fine-tuning of the universe goes far beyond the foregone conclusion that the universe cannot be a chance happening. It seems to indicate that the laws and constants of physics were designed so that life could arise. This has caused some scientists to adopt "the Anthropic Principle" which states that Man, being the conscious observer capable of appreciating the awesomeness of the universe, is in fact its purpose.

The list of examples of the fine-tuning of the laws and constants of nature is so long that it has  been compiled into an entire book on this topic. We refer to Professor Michael Rees's book entitled "Cosmic Coincidences." Likewise, Professor Frank Tipler's classic book on the topic, "The Anthropic Cosmological Principle," demonstrates how extensive this list is.

We thus found ourselves faced with an extremely large set of startling facts that seem to point to the existence of an All Powerful Being (i.e. G-d) with a special interest in the emergence and survival of human-like creatures.

We have not dealt at all with the possible proposition of this Being's involvement in human affairs. This proposition states that this Being (G-d) is the Director of History and is involved on a personal level in the life of each and every individual human soul.

The first proposition of G-d as Creator of the universe is alluded to in the Bible by the name Elokim. Elokim is the sole name that is used throughout the entire Creation narrative (the first chapter of Bereishis). Elokim connotes that G-d runs His world according to the rule of law (i.e. the laws and constants of nature). The second proposition of G-d as Director of History is alluded to in the Torah by the name YHVH (usually spoken of as Hashem). According to traditional sources, these names represent different ways we experience and perceive G-d in His relationship with the world.

"In the beginning, Elokim created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). As the great medieval commentator Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) writes, the meaning of name Elokim is "Master over all forces." Ramban continues, "For the word itself is a compound construction. 'El' means Ruling Power or Master Power and 'Him' [like the Hebrew 'Hema,' meaning 'These'] alludes to all the forces [i.e. laws and constants that G-d created with which to run His universe]. 'Elokim' thus means 'Master Power over all forces.'"

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ.

רמב"ן: אלקים - בעל הכוחות כולם, כי המלה עיקרה "אל", שהוא כח, והוא מלה מורכבת - אלקים - "אל" "הם", כאילו "אל" סמוך, ו"הם" ירמוז לכל שאר הכוחות. כלומר כח הכוחות כולם...

YHVH - Hashem's Involvement in Human Affairs

"Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, 'This is what YHVH, God of the Hebrews, declares: Let My people go, so they can sacrifice to Me in the desert.' Pharaoh replied, 'Who is YHVH that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not recognize YHVH. Nor will I let Israel go'" (Exodus 5:1-2).

Ramban explains: “Pharaoh was very wise. He knew Elokim and acknowledged His existence, as he (or his predecessor) said to Joseph, ‘Since Elokim has informed you of all this...’ (Genesis 41:39), and ‘Can another man be found who has the spirit of Elokim in him as this man does?’ (41:38). He did not, however, recognize the Unique Name [YHVH].”

ויאמרו [משה ואהרן] אל פרעה: כה אמר יקוק אלקי ישראל, שלח את עמי ויחגו לי במדבר. ויאמר פרעה: מי יקוק אשר אשמע בקולו לשלח את ישראל. לא ידעתי את יקוק וגם את ישראל לא אשלח. (שמות ה:ב)

רמב"ן (שם, פסוק ג): פרעה היה חכם גדול ויודע את האלקים ומודה בו, כאשר אמר ליוסף "אחרי הודיע אלקים אותך" (בראשית מא:לט), "איש אשר רוח אלקים בו" (שם לח), אבל לא היה יודע את השם המיוחד [יקוק].

Pharaoh had no trouble with the first concept of G-d. Belief or knowledge of a "Creator" caused no cognitive dissonance in him. The second concept of G-d as Director of History, embodied in the name YHVH, did bother him. Because Pharaoh did not have this second concept of G-d, he reacted to Moses' demand to release the Jewish people from bondage as pure fantasy, inconceivably absurd.

That is, he was willing to admit the existence of a Higher Power as long as it remained impersonal and "out there." He balked, however, when faced with the existence of a G-d who was involved in human affairs, who commanded the world into existence for a reason that transcended mere physical existence. That kind of G-d was, for him, a threat. Consequently, like the main character in the Breakfast of Champions, when faced with this,  he experienced acute cognitive dissonance.

It is this idea that Pharaoh fights tooth-and-nail. It somehow threatens his claim to power. Pharaoh's false assumption is that G-d wants to usurp man's free will. His cognitive dissonance is so loud that he can't see the flaw in his reasoning. The truth is that G-d's providential care and concern for man is not a threat to his autonomy. On the contrary, man’s greatness lies in his ability to consciously bond with his Creator and align himself with His Will. But this is too profound for Pharaoh and his magicians to fathom.

Dual Perception of a Single Unified Reality

אתה (ישראל) הוראת לדעת כי יקוק הוא האלקים אין עוד מלבדו. (דברים ד:לה)

You have been shown, so that you could know, that YHVH is Elokim; there is no other.

 (Deuteronomy 4:35)

The verse is stating that, as a result of the experience of the Exodus and the Revelation at Sinai, Israel attained direct empirical knowledge of a fact that would eventually be shared by all mankind. However, the verse itself is in the past tense: "Atah horesa ladaas," i.e. You (Israel) have already been shown, and you can now know through your own direct experience, that "YHVH" (the Master and Director of History) "Hu HaElokim" (is the Same One who is responsible for having brought the cosmos into existence and continues to sustain it at every moment). The One who created the world is the One who supervises human history.

Divine Providence in History

The following two quotes are from world renowned historians. Both have added profoundly personal remarks at the conclusion of their respective works on the history of the Jewish people:

Cecil Roth concludes his History of the Jews:

"The preservation of the Jew was certainly not casual. He has endured through the power of a certain ideal, based on the recognition of a Higher Power in human affairs. Time after time in his history, moreover, he has been saved from disaster in a manner which cannot be described excepting as 'providential.' The author [Cecil Roth] has deliberately attempted to write this book in a secular spirit; he does not think that his readers can fail to see in it, on every page, a higher immanence" (Cecil Roth, History of the Jews, New York, 1963, p. 424). Paul Johnson is one of the most distinguished historians of our generation. A History of the Jews is only one of his many serious works. He concludes:

"The historian should take into account all forms of evidence, including those which are or appear to be metaphysical. If the earliest Jews were able to survey, with us, the history of their progeny, they would find nothing surprising in it. They always knew that Jewish society was appointed to be a pilot-project for the entire human race. That Jewish dilemmas, dramas and catastrophes should be exemplary, larger than life, would seem only natural to them. That Jews should over the millennia attract such unparalleled, indeed inexplicable, hated would be regrettable but only to be expected. Above all, that the Jews should still survive, when all those other ancient peoples were transmuted or vanished or vanished into the oubliettes of history, was wholly predictable. How could it be otherwise? Providence decreed it and the Jews obeyed" (Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews, New York, 1987, pp. 586-7).

Hashgacha Pratit in the Life of the Individual

בונה ירושלים יקוק נדחי ישראל יכנס.

הרופא לשבורי לב ומחבש לעצבותם.

מונה מספר לכוכבים לכולם שמות יקרא.

Hashem is the Builder of Jerusalem.He will ingather Israel's dispersed.

He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds.

He counts the number of stars, and calls each by name.

These three verses embody three levels through which we perceive Hashem, namely, in nature, in history, and in our personal lives. The first verse (Builder of Jerusalem), is the level Hashem’s involvement we perceive in history. The second (He heals the broken-heart), involves perceiving Hashem on the most personal level at which each and every one of us can experience His providence acting in our own lives. The third (He counts the number of stars), is the level we perceive in the fine-tuning of the cosmos. Man begins by perceiving G-d in nature and/or in history. Sandwiched in between these two, he eventually discovers G-d in his own life...