Expert: Rabbi Yechezkel Fox - 6/6/2007

Question
Does the Torah say the Sun revolves around the Earth?

Answer
Hello Norman,
            The Torah talks about the sun going up and down, but this is because it speaks in way we can easily relate. If the Torah had said, for example, "..and he came to the city when the earth turned away from the sun" it would have been very confusing. In fact people still speak about sun-rise and sun-set.

In the Oral Law it is clear that the Sages had full knowledge of the earth being round and the movements of
the solar system to very fine details.

Of interest is that the word for the earth in Hebrew is eretz which is related to the the word to run, ratz, clearly implying that the earth is in movement.

Shalom,
Rabbi Yechezkel Fox