Does the Sun Revolve Around the Earth According to Judaism?

Effi asks: "Hello, I have a question related to astronomy. According to the known model, the sun is the central star of the solar system, and all the planets (including Earth) revolve around it. On the other hand, it seems that according to the Bible, the Earth is the center. For example, when Joshua said: 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon in the Valley of Aijalon,' it seems the sun was stopped. Also, in Ecclesiastes it is written: 'The sun rises and the sun sets.' I also saw that the Rambam wrote in the Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah (Chapter 3): 'All these orbits surrounding the world are spherical like a ball, and the earth is suspended in the middle.' How can this contradiction be resolved? Thank you."

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Hello and blessings Effi, and thank you for your question. I will respond in three interconnected ways:

1. The earthly explanation:

Notice that even modern scholars and scientists use expressions like "the sun sets" and "the sun rises," even though it is known that the Earth rotates on its axis, creating day and night. This is, therefore, a correct expression from the perspective of anyone on Earth. Thus, Joshua used this wording to express his request for Hashem to extend the daylight during battle.

As it is written in the Book of Joshua: "Then Joshua spoke to Hashem... and said before the eyes of Israel: Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon in the Valley of Aijalon" (Joshua, Chapter 10, Verse 12). Since this statement was made from the perspective of someone on Earth, it had to be said this way, as we humans see the sun rise and set from Earth and not from outer space.

A supporting reference to this is found in Rabbi Menashe Israel's answer from the Hidabroot team: "In Sefer Habrit it is explained regarding the verse (Joshua 10:12): 'Then spoke Joshua to Hashem on the day Hashem delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said before the eyes of Israel: Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon in the Valley of Aijalon'—seemingly, the phrase 'before the eyes of Israel' is redundant since it was already stated that he spoke before the children of Israel. But here from that perspective of Israel, he stopped the sun at Gibeon, where in physics, indeed, the Earth ceased rotating on its axis."

Our sages taught us an important principle: "The Torah speaks in the language of man" (Nedarim 3a), and therefore, the Bible describes the observable universe as perceived by humans.

(Photo: shutterstock)

2. The scientific explanation:

Here's a challenging question for you: Is it scientifically so clear that the sun is the center? The following innovation may surprise many. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, it cannot absolutely be determined who revolves around whom when two bodies orbit each other in empty space. This means that scientifically, Earth could be considered the center of our solar system, as it is the observer's location, and from this relative point, the entire universe is explored. Similarly, since the whole solar system and stars are visible from Earth, in Judaism, it is said that the stars revolve around us, which is also the language of the Rambam. We find that biblical expressions such as "The sun rises and the sun sets" (Ecclesiastes 1:5) are spoken from the observer's reference point on Earth, and therefore they are also scientifically valid.
Another scientific topic that may reinforce this position is the observer effect in quantum mechanics. A famous experiment called the "double-slit experiment" led several physicists to propose the surprising theory that the universe is shaped by the observer, in other words, the world's existence depends on someone observing it! For these reasons, we can scientifically justify the geocentric model seeing our world as the center. As we will see, this is also the view of Judaism.

3.Here, we arrive at the divine explanation:

Judaism teaches that the Creator made the entire universe for the purpose of man, so without him, the universe would not exist. The world's existence depends on the observance of the Torah: "If not for my covenant day and night, I would not have appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth" (Jeremiah 33:25). Our sages also said: "Each and every person must say, for my sake was the world created!" (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5).

The human being is thus the only creature capable of exploring the universe, deducing the existence of its Creator, believing in Him, and serving Him genuinely. This sets man apart from all other living creatures. Whoever understands this also understands why all celestial bodies should be attributed to him according to Judaism. This is a spiritual-divine standpoint, which requires seeing man's place as central since indeed, all the details in the universe are directed toward him, and without him, they would not continue to exist!

Therefore, the verses you saw do not contradict science, not only because of the scientific facts mentioned but mainly because Judaism examines the universe with a profound perspective rather than a quantitative approach (this is why religion and science will never conflict, as science only deals with the question of "how," while Judaism always deals with the question of "why"!). The Torah teaches us to recognize the divine purpose behind the material nature and view the world with spiritual eyes. According to this sublime idea, the place where a person is located will always be the universe's center.