Nuke the Moon

A very serious source sheet to encourage discussion over how Judaism views nuking the moon. Prepared for Shavout 5782.

With thanks to Zara on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarazahavah/video/7104025983946132782?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7056628367458043397

בראשית י״ח:כ״ג-כ״ד

(כג) וַיִּגַּ֥שׁ אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַאַ֣ף תִּסְפֶּ֔ה צַדִּ֖יק עִם־רָשָֽׁע׃ (כד) אוּלַ֥י יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר הַאַ֤ף תִּסְפֶּה֙ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א לַמָּק֔וֹם לְמַ֛עַן חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃

Genesis 18:23-24

(23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? (24) What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it?

Does Abraham seek to stop wanton destruction or is he specifically concerned with the lives of innocents? The moon has no inhabitants, innocent or guilty.

בראשית כ״ו:ד׳

וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֤י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְזַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הָאֲרָצֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑ל וְהִתְבָּרְכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Genesis 26:4

I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs—

Would the destruction of the moon amount to a diminishment of the number of stars in the heavens by one, and so diminish Am Yisrael? Or would the reduction in light polution cause more stars to be visible, and hence increase the Jewish People?

בראשית ל״ז:ט׳

וַיַּחֲלֹ֥ם עוֹד֙ חֲל֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה חָלַ֤מְתִּֽי חֲלוֹם֙ ע֔וֹד וְהִנֵּ֧ה הַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵ֗חַ וְאַחַ֤ד עָשָׂר֙ כּֽוֹכָבִ֔ים מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֖ים לִֽי׃

Genesis 37:9

He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: And this time, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Would the destruction of the moon prevent it from bowing to Jacob? Or would it make the sun and eleven stars rightfully afraid?

במדבר כ׳:י״א

(יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס}

Numbers 20:11

(11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.

Moses strikes the rock. The moon is made or rocks. Would he strike it? If striking the rock was a sin, would striking the moon be a sin?

ראש השנה כ״ד א:י״ח

מַתְנִי׳ דְּמוּת צוּרוֹת לְבָנָה הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּטַבְלָא וּבְכוֹתֶל בַּעֲלִיָּיתוֹ, שֶׁבָּהֶן מַרְאֶה אֶת הַהֶדְיוֹטוֹת, וְאוֹמֵר: הֲכָזֶה רָאִיתָ אוֹ כָּזֶה.

Rosh Hashanah 24a:18

MISHNA: Rabban Gamliel had a diagram of the different forms of the moon drawn on a tablet that hung on the wall of his attic, which he would show to the laymen who came to testify about the new moon but were unable to describe adequately what they had seen. And he would say to them: Did you see a form like this or like this?

Rabban Gamliel had drawings of the moon to help determine if witnesses had indeed seen the new moon and if the Sanhedrin could sanctify the new month. Would he want pictures of the moon after we shatter it?

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ו׳:א׳-ב׳

(א) ברביעי חבר שני מאורות הגדולים לא זה גדול מזה ולא זה גדול מזה ושוין בגבהם ובתארן ובאורן, שנאמר (בראשית א, טז): "וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת" וגו'. נכנס תחרות ביניהם זה אומר לזה אני גדול ממך וזה אומר לזה אני גדול ממך, ולא היה שלום ביניהם.

(ב) מה עשה הקב"ה? הגדיל את האחד, והקטין את האחד, שנאמר (בראשית א, טז): "אֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְאֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה".

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 6:1-2

(1) THE PLANETS; THE COURSE OF THE SUN
ON the fourth day He connected together the two luminaries, of which one was not greater (in size) than the other. They were equal as regards their height, || qualities, and illuminating powers, as it is said, "And God made the two great lights" (Gen. 1:16). Rivalry ensued between them, one said to the other, I am bigger than thou art. The other rejoined, I am bigger than thou art.

(2) What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do, so that there should be peace between them? He made the one larger and the other smaller, as it is said, "The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars he also made" (ibid.).

In this midrash Hashem diminished the moon so that the sun would not be jealous of it. Are we not simply completing Hashem's work by finishing the job?