Let There Be Light : The Book

I am delighted to announce my new book on recent discoveries in science and astrophysics and the implications they have for our understanding of God, religion, and our spiritual journeys, due out in March 2026.  Called  Secrets of Creation: Mysticism Meets Science and Art, the book is based on a new translation of Rabbi Meir ibn Gabbai’s 16th century kabbalistic classic by Rabbi Art Green, accompanied by his insightful commentary, illustrations and comments by the noted artist Debra Band, and my scientific perspectives on issues from the big bang to free-will to aliens.

In this book I being by stepping back to consider what modern science knows about the world, its origins, and its workings … and also what it does not know.  There is much of both.  I emphasize the ethical implications of cosmology and physics, and in particular highlight the importance of caring for the Earth – our rare and precious planet – and I consider the surprising conclusion that we are probably alone in the universe for all practical purposes (the cosmos is too vast to be able to know.)  My extensive new physical and cosmological commentary includes surprises on the birth epoch of the universe as discovered with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Secrets of Creation is being published by Ben Yehuda Press, and advance copies can be ordered here:

https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/the-secrets-of-creation-by-rabi-meir-ibn-gabbai/

Three advance reviews of the book:

“Mind-bending and spiritually illuminating in every sense! The symbolic vocabularies
of kabbalah, astrophysics, and art converge in most wondrous ways. What a gift!”
— Michael Fishbane, author, Fragile Finitude: A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology

“Delve into this book and you will be amazed!”
— Daniel Matt, author of “God and the Big Bang” and the multi-volume annotated translation,
    The Zohar: Pritzker Edition.

“The inner world and outer world converge in this science-informed and beautifully illustrated
discussion of cabalistic thought about our cosmos.” 
— Dr. Andreas Losch, Universities of Bern/Zurich; Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton; and Theological Faculty of the University of Pretoria; co-editor of Our Common Cosmos: Exploring the Future of Theology, Human Culture and Space Science, T&T Clark, 2019

   ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?  

Read my published articles about modern astronomy, cosmology, religion, and the likelihood that we are alone in the universe for all practical purposes.  Links to pdf copies can be found at the webpage tab “Author’s Articles.” 

  REVIEWS of Let There Be Light 

“A profound and perceptive discussion of science and religion by a thoughtful and knowledgeable scholar of both, written with depth but in a style understandable to the general public.”
—Charles H. Townes, PhD, Nobel laureate in physics, winner of the Templeton Prize, and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Read this book if you want to discover how religion and science can interact harmoniously, how ancient Kabbalah and modern cosmology intersect, and how both of these approaches together can enlighten us
—Daniel C. Matt, author of God and the Big Bang , and The Zohar: Pritzker Edition.

“More than a literate and frequently mind-blowing synthesis of Jewish mysticism and the science of astrophysics, Smith’s book offers us a compelling and instructive glimpse into the mind and the soul of a  man of science who is also deeply religious. There is something amazing or awesome on almost every page.”
—Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author of Kabbalah: A Love Story, and Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Introduction for Christians.

Read more reviews »