Einstein’s Views on G-d and Judaism May Surprise You

We’ve all studied about the genius of Albert Einstein. When it came to physics, Einstein came up with theories that have been proven decades after he postulated them. We all know that he was a genius, and a Jew. What you might not know is that, according to a letter that is being auctioned off later this year in New York, Einstein had a definitely negative view of G-d, and questioned the legitimacy of Judaism.

The letter, written in German in 1954 to philosopher Eric Gutkind after reading his book ‘Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt’, offers a window into the religious views of the acclaimed physicist.

“The word God is for me is nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish,” wrote the Jewish Nobel Prize-winning scientist. “No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change this.”

Einstein continued, “For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstition,” Einstein continued in his letter. “And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and whose thinking I have a deep affinity for, have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them.”

Einstein died the following year, in 1955. The letter is slated to be auctioned off at Christie’s in New York on December 4, after being available for viewing for five days.

The auction house estimates it could be sold for at least $1 million.

There is a word, ‘iconoclast’, that certainly fits Albert Einstein. It’s a good word to add to your vocabulary. You might want to look it up. Also, it would be interesting to know how this article changed your perception of this great scientist. Please send us an email at info@thedreidel.com and let us know your thoughts. We’ll publish them in a future article.