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About
Where the telescope
meets the text
The Torah and Science Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Dr. Yosef Wolf, a PhD astrophysicist from UC Irvine, dedicated to rigorous scholarly research at the intersection of Torah and modern physics, neuroscience, and economics.
I defended my PhD in Astrophysics at 25. My doctoral work in galactic dynamics produced the Wolf et al. Mass Estimator, an equation used across the field to calculate galaxy masses from stellar velocities. I finished eight years ahead of the national average.
And I was still terrified that believing in God made me less credible as a scientist.
That tension pushed me to do something most people avoid: take both sides seriously. Not as metaphor. Not as apologetics. I wanted to understand whether the universe described by physics and the reality described by Torah are actually the same universe, examined at different resolutions.
After a decade of teaching and research, the answer is yes. The expansion of spacetime maps onto what Nachmanides described eight centuries before Hubble. The measurement problem in quantum mechanics tracks with the deepest Chassidic teachings on trust. The mathematics of neural networks parallel the Alter Rebbe's model of competing drives in Tanya.
I teach these intersections weekly on my YouTube channel and in my Torah UMaddah newsletter on Substack.
- PhD, Astrophysics, University of California, Irvine
- Wolf et al. Mass Estimator
- Weekly Torah & Science lectures
- Torah UMaddah newsletter
Research & Lectures
Torah & Science Research Topics
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Astrophysics + BereishisThe Observable Universe and Day One
The age of the universe, the expansion of spacetime, and what Nachmanides wrote eight centuries before Hubble.
Read the article -
Neuroscience + TanyaThe Architecture of Consciousness
How modern brain research illuminates the Alter Rebbe's model of competing drives in Tanya (Likutei Amarim), the foundational text of Chabad Chassidic thought.
Read the article -
Quantum Physics + EmunahThe Measurement Problem and the Nature of Trust
The measurement problem, wave function collapse, and why Heisenberg's insight resonates with bitachon.
Read the article -
Biology + TorahDesign, Evolution, and the Space Between
Engaging the origins debate with intellectual honesty and Chassidic metaphysics.
Watch the lecture -
Economics + HalachaMarkets, Money, and the Talmudic Framework
Monetary theory, fiat currency, and what davar she'lo ba l'olam teaches about modern finance.
Read the article -
Data Science + HashgachaPatterns, Providence, and the Limits of Prediction
Statistical inference, Bayesian reasoning, and the Torah's view of hidden order.
Read the article
Read
Torah UMaddah Newsletter: Latest Articles
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Pesach
God's Encrypted Transmission From Antiquity
What RSA encryption reveals about the Seder's 3,300-year signal chain.
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Parshas Yisro
You Are the Metaphor in God's Holographic Reality
The holographic principle says you're a projection. Torah says the same thing, but means it literally.
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Parshas Shemos
The Butterfly Effect of Bitachon
Lorenz proved that 0.025% changes everything. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explained why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Torah & Science:
Common Questions
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Can Torah and science be reconciled?
Yes. The Torah and Science Research Institute demonstrates that the universe described by physics and the reality described by Torah are the same universe examined at different resolutions. The expansion of spacetime maps onto what Nachmanides described eight centuries before Hubble. The measurement problem in quantum mechanics tracks with Chassidic teachings on trust. These are not metaphors or apologetics but structural parallels examined with peer-review rigor.
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What does the Torah say about the age of the universe?
Nachmanides, writing in 13th-century Spain, described the initial creation as a substance so thin it had no tangible existence, which then expanded into everything we observe. This description, written centuries before modern cosmology, maps onto the scientific account of the Big Bang and the expansion of spacetime. Dr. Yosef Wolf's astrophysics research and Torah scholarship explore this convergence in depth through weekly video lectures and newsletter articles.
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Who is the Jewish Astrophysicist?
Dr. Yosef Wolf is the founder of the Torah and Science Research Institute. He holds a PhD in Astrophysics from UC Irvine, where his doctoral work produced the Wolf et al. Mass Estimator, an equation widely cited in galactic dynamics. He teaches weekly on the intersections of Torah and modern science through his YouTube channel and Substack newsletter, Torah UMaddah.
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How can I book a Torah and science lecture or Shabbaton?
Dr. Wolf is available for Shabbaton scholar-in-residence programs, community lectures, school presentations, and research collaborations. Use the contact form below or reach out via LinkedIn.
Support the Institute
Bringing peer-review rigor into the synthesis of Torah & science, free YouTube lectures, and an open-access newsletter. Your tax-deductible contribution supports independent scholarship at the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern science.
Support the MissionTorah and Science Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Book a Lecture or Contact Dr. Wolf
Interested in booking a lecture, arranging a Shabbaton scholar-in-residence, research collaboration, or learning more about supporting the institute? Send a message and I'll get back to you personally.