According to a report by The Times Of Israel, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who also serves as the spiritual leader of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party, has urged his followers to confront educators who teach that the world is older than what is stated in the Book of Genesis.
In a recently circulated video of one of his sermons, Rabbi Yosef asserts that the biblical account of creation is literal and should not be challenged by scientific claims suggesting that the Earth is millions of years old.
He also made a striking prophecy during his address, saying that the Messiah is expected to arrive in 15 years and that the world itself will come to an end 200 years later.
“If there are teachers who explain [to students] that the world has existed for millions of years — gentlemen, stop them, don’t stay silent and listen because it’s unpleasant to comment,” Yosef says in the video. “Don’t tell me when the world was created. The world was created less than 6,000 years ago.”
Yosef’s remarks reflect a deep-rooted conflict between religious tradition and modern science within segments of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community. His comments are consistent with a literal interpretation of the Torah, which places the creation of the world around 5,784 years ago, according to Jewish chronology.
Critics argue that such statements discourage scientific education and free inquiry, while supporters say the rabbi is defending the sanctity of Jewish teachings against secular influence.
The sermon has sparked renewed debate in Israel about how religious and secular perspectives on creation and science can coexist within the country’s education system. View, More,
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