Population Explosion

Question

Dear Rabbi, I should open by saying how much pleasure I have reading your answers which are full of wisdom and good sense. A friend asked me a beautiful question recently: In the future, when the dead are resurrected, won’t the world be surely overpopulated? Thanks!

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    I’m glad you are not asking a difficult question like how to understand “resurrection,” but rather an easy question about the issue of an overpopulated world. I assume the main concerns are how we will feed all those people? Where will we put them?

    Classical Jewish sources say that a newborn baby “brings his bread with him” into the world. That is, the miracle of a new life brings with it the blessing of more sustenance.

    You know, in the sixties it was predicted that in a decade or two population growth would outstrip food production. What happened? God enlightened us to new technology and new farming methods, and, presto! Food production kept up with population growth. God has no limit to the resources with which to provide for the world.

    Your friend’s concern reminds me of a story: During an astronomy lecture, a professor told his class that in 10 billion years the sun would burn itself out. A young woman jumped to her feet and cried, “What are we going to do about this!”

    “Really,” said the professor, “are you so concerned about what happens 10 billion years from now?”

    “10 billion?” said the young woman, and she let out a sigh of relief. “I thought you said 10 million.”

    The comparison is not exact, for the mashiach and the resurrection can come any day; but the point is the same: We need to concern ourselves with the world as it is today and let God “worry” about providing for us in the miraculous future epoch.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team