This historical artifact, an extremely rare letter by Einstein, is making headlines as it goes up for auction for the very first time, offering an exclusive glimpse into the mind of the father of modern physics.
The letter, typed on 11 April 1950, was addressed to Mrs. Martha Munk, the wife of a well-known rabbi and religious studies teacher, who sought Einstein's wisdom on behalf of a group of Jewish students in America. In her inquiry, she pondered whether it was possible for a modern scientist to reconcile the idea of God's creation of the universe with scientific knowledge.
Writing to Munk in German from his home in Brooklyn, a decade after becoming an American citizen, he shared his perspective that a scientist, shaped by the principles of scientific thinking, would find it challenging to embrace the religious creation account found in the book of Genesis.
According to him, science "replaces and supersedes" such religious notions, suggesting that the Torah's creation story should be interpreted symbolically or metaphorically. “If you are however to interpret the Bible symbolically (metaphorically), it is not clear anymore whether God is in fact to be thought of as a person.”
"The person who is more or less trained in scientific thinking is alien to the religious creation (in the original sense) of the cosmos because he applies the standard of causal conditionality to everything," Einstein expressed in his letter.
The letter's was acquired from descendants of Mrs. Munk, and has remained hidden from the world, never before sold publicly, until now. Valued at $125,000, the letter will soon be offered to the highest bidder by the esteemed US autograph dealer The Raab Collection.