By Dr. Rabbi Moshe Dror
In this image we can see the combination and integration of the Biblical PAST traditions of the vestments and garments of the High Priest, with the later addition of the Tallit (Prayer Shawl) used at PRESENT and the FUTURE oriented virtual reality technologies with the Virtual Reality helmet and silicon based buttons of the High Priest Hoshen (breastplate).
The central image is that of the Hoshen and the Ephod worn by the High Priest during the sacred rituals in the Tabernacle and the two Temples- for close to a thousand years. As part of this system was also added the Urim VeTummim. These were the principle vehicles for making inquires of God.
In the ancient Israelite religion: dreams, prophecy and the Urim VeTummim, were seen as legitimate means by which one could seek the council of God and obtain a revelation of His will. The Biblical technical term for consulting the will of God is called To come before the Lord (Exodus 28:30).
That is what we are doing in this project. We are coming before the Lord for consultations about our futures, the spiritual dimensions of the vast technologies that are transforming our lives as Jews and as global citizens of Cyberspace.
The Hoshen was adorned with twelve semi-precious stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel, for the purposes of divining the Divine will and our relationship to it. On each of these stones was engraved the name of each of the Twelve Tribes, to signify the totality of the community of Israel.
We are dealing with a number of different systems, so a few words of clarification.
Ephod: an apron like garment worn on the chest of the High priest.
Hoshen: a breastplate inlaid with 12 semi-precious stones, each engraved with the name of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Urim veTummim: some device that held the Urim and Tummim.
(See Exodus 28:15-30; Leviticus 8:8)
The Bible mentions that the Urim ve Tummim were consulted about the needs of the Israelite community (Numbers 27:21 and 1 Samuel 14:41)
The Urim ve Tummim seemed to be some sort of oracle. The person who consulted them sought to determine which of only two possibilities were right. They seemed to provide a yes or no response (1Samuel 23:10). It would seem that this is analogous to our contemporary binary- digital information systems that we designate as 1 and 0.
The term Urim is associated with the Hebrew term for LIGHT – (OR) in the plural. The term Tummim seems to be associated with the theme of Pure, Whole, Truth.
The earliest speculation on the specific techniques that was actually used is reflected in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 3:217) of the Roman period. He writes that victory in battles were forecast by lights that became bright in each of the names of the tribes, spelling out some word or specific response to the question asked. Later, the Rabbis of the Talmud suggest that the oracle was spelling out a message by the protrusion of specific letters of the names of the tribes that were engraved on the stones, (Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 73b; Maimonides, Yad, Kley HaMikdash, 10:11).
The Rabbis interpret the Urim to mean those whose words give light and Tummim as those whose words are fulfilled.
In other words, the way in which the will of God was consulted was through some sort of system where specific sequences of lights were illuminated to make a coherent message that was able to be interpreted by the Priests of the Temple.
It would seem that this is a fascinating analogue to the information technologies we now use and are becoming such a powerful part of our knowledge culture.
The stones are made up mostly of various combinations of complex compounds based on the Silicon atom with other elements added to create the various minerals from which the gems stones were made.
Silicon is a semimetallic element that is the second most common element on earth, after Oxygen. Silicon constitutes about 28% of the earth’s crust. Silicon containing minerals constitute nearly 40% of all common minerals, including more than 90% of igneous-rock-forming minerals. Silicon dioxide is the principle constituent of sand, and the various silicates are the chief constituents of rocks and the semi-precious stones.
These Urim were various forms of lights.
We are the generation who grew up on the power of precisely controlling the electronic aspects found in these silicon compounds. Indeed, we talk about Silicon Valley in California, as the home of the modern electronics world. We are also the generation that is dealing with electrons as controlled through packets of light-photons and we call that Photonics.
The way that we control these photons and the messages are through some form of buttons- we call it a key pad. Nearly all of the computers, cell phones, and the untold gadgets we use are based on the same basic model
The basic idea was to inquire of the Lord.
You are reading this because you are able to access the Internet through the World Wide Web. I imagine that you are looking at this on some screen, somewhere in the world of cyberspace.
We have not even begun to deal with the fascinating powers of Virtual Reality.
Ratner has the High priest wearing a sort of Virtual Reality helmet. Virtual Reality is an emerging technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment-both real and imagined. The entire world of computer gaming is using these systems and who knows where they will advance in the near future.
The helmet has on its front the Hebrew letter Shin, one of the names of God for Shaddai. It is the same letter shin that is found on most of the Mezzuzot that are placed on the doorpost of a Jewish Home.
This shin is placed on the center of the forehead—the same place where the traditional Jew places the Tefillin of the head.
It is also on the Third Eye the sixth Chakra of the Oriental Way of Knowing.
We are dealing not so much with sight, but rather with IN sight. It is not so much surface seeing but rather seeing the deeper levels of reality.
As you can see from the Title of this image- through Virtual Reality you can see and be anywhere, anytime- and experience being there– just by pushing the buttons with the right codes.
In accordance with the traditional view that Urim and Tummim should be translated as Light and Truth, the Latin equivalent is: LUX ET VERITAS. Both the Hebrew and the Latin are emblazoned across the open book pictured as the seal and shield of Yale University- a legacy of the founding president of Yale College- Ezra Stiles, who was a Bible scholar in Colonial America.
And, for us Star Wars fans, we might remember that the hero of the great story and mythos of these past 30 years is Luke (derived from Lux) Skywalker. What was his weapon?
Right again- the LIGHT Saber.
From the LIGHT the first thing created o day one of creation, to today in our world based on photonics, we are all dealing with the many manifestations of the various forms of: The LIGHTS of CREATION.
Welcome to a world of wonder.
