Orthodox Involvement in Israel's Historic Moon Mission: The Story Behind 'Beresheet'

Last week, the Israeli spacecraft 'Beresheet', made history by joining the three other nations—United States, China, and Russia—that have previously sent a spacecraft to the Moon.

The 'Beresheet' project is led by the nonprofit SpaceIL, which was founded in 2011 and has since dedicated itself to achieving this significant breakthrough, alongside considering numerous halachic issues.

One person grappling with these considerations is Alex Friedman, a mathematician and Chabad follower, working as the system engineering manager at SpaceIL. "I'm a mathematician and I've always been involved in space and satellites, but I'm not unique," Friedman shared in an interview with 'Israel Hayom'. "Maimonides was a physician and astronomer, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe studied electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. So, combining orthodoxy with science is not so unusual."

Alongside Friedman, the SpaceIL team of scientists and engineers includes a halachic consultant named Rabbi Shraga Dahan, who assists when complex halachic issues arise.

When the question of how the spacecraft could be operated remotely on Shabbat came up, it was referred to Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who ruled that "in case of necessity, a non-Jewish person can be instructed to perform the work," as failing to do so risks the craft going off course, potentially leading to its loss.

"Pikuach nefesh (preserving human life) can be a tricky question in this field," Friedman asserts. "If a problem arises on Friday morning and extends into Shabbat, I'll stay in the control room, and I'll make sure to have a sleeping bag, prepared food, and a tallit with me," he explains.

A copy of the Torah

During an emotional ceremony held about a month and a half before launch, a copy of the Tanakh was placed inside the spacecraft on mini-disks, along with children's drawings from Israel, the Declaration of Independence, and more, with the words 'Am Yisrael Chai' inscribed on the spacecraft itself. During the launch, Friedman recited a special Traveler's Prayer composed for the occasion by Rabbi Gideon Benyamin:

"May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and God of our ancestors, that You send blessing and success in all our endeavors. May You lead our spacecraft safely and support it towards peace, saving it from all kinds of malfunctions, and grant us the merit to see it reach the Moon safely. May you bring it back to us in joy and peace. For Hashem grants wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. For You hear prayer and supplication. Blessed are You, who listens to prayer.”

What Halachic Questions Arise for Those Observing Mitzvot in Space, Including on the Moon?

The Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, of blessed memory, who was aboard the American space shuttle 'Columbia' and tragically lost his life, first raised this issue.

Shortly before his launch, Ilan Ramon reached out to Rabbi Chaim Zvi Konikov—a Chabad emissary and the official rabbi of NASA—and posed several halachic questions, the answers to which were later published by the Rabbi in a pamphlet titled 'Ohr Yisrael'.

Among the questions Ramon asked were how to determine Shabbat times and their conclusion in space, whether this should be done according to Israeli time, when to recite the Shema and pray, when to wear tzitzit and lay tefillin, when to observe Shabbat, and how to calculate the yearly calendar. 

Other questions included whether it's possible to study the laws of mitzvah observance related to determining day and night even in northern countries, whether it's permissible to be on a space shuttle known to travel on Shabbat, whether someone standing on the Moon can bless the new month, and whether an astronaut can perform the Kiddush on wine without a Kiddush cup on Shabbat.