RESPONSE: The Ani Ma’amin of Anti-Aging
We must formulate a fourteenth principle of faith, an ani ma’amin, which states that this Torah is given to be observed, realized and fully carried out in every place and at all times, within every social, economic and cultural framework, in every technological circumstance and every political condition Actually, this ani ma’amin is intimated in the ninth of the thirteen principles of faith: That this Torah will never be changed. The Torah was given for realization in the simple society and homogenous economy of the ghetto as well as in modern, developed society with its scientifically planned technological economy. The Torah is given for realization both in galus (exile), where it relates to the private life of the individual, and to a Jewish State which must deal with communal issues (R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Chumash Mesoras HaRav, p. 243).
Classes on contemporary halakhic issues are increasingly popular. For many, this interest is primarily practical; applying classic halakhic frameworks to emerging technologies carries a certain “coolness” that naturally garners broader attention. For me, however, the study of new technologies—and the insistence that halakha has something meaningful and profound to say about life no matter how the world changes—is itself an act of faith. As Rabbi Soloveitchik argues, believing that the Torah is eternal and unchanging means believing that it can speak compellingly to modern dilemmas. Articulating the Torah’s vision for the newest technological or social challenges is therefore a religious act, not merely a creative exercise.
I would add that as important as this perspective is for evaluating how we use technology, it is even more critical when considering what technologies we ought to develop. To this end, I teach a weekly shiur on contemporary and emerging halakha, aiming to empower my students to cultivate a lens through which to approach the issues shaping the modern world.
Some of the topics we explore are those that naturally interest me; others arise in current ethical or technological literature. Still others come into focus simply because thoughtful people are writing about them in leading journals. Recently, several books—including Eric Topol’s Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity (Simon & Schuster)—have examined the technological, ethical, and existential dimensions of anti-aging interventions. The drive to extend life, both quantitatively and qualitatively, well beyond current human experience raises profound questions about what it means to be human, the goals of life, and what kinds of lives are worth living. Aging and death create space for new generations to emerge, as earlier generations eventually step aside. Prospects of radically extended life challenge these processes in significant ways.
I was therefore delighted to see not only Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner’s thoughtful article, “A Jewish Approach to Anti-Aging Interventions” (TRADITION, Summer 2025), but also the response by my longtime havruta, Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier, “Anti-Aging & Resurrection” (TraditionOnline.org, September 21, 2025). R. Weiner masterfully considers the value of long life, the significance of finitude and death, and the opportunities and costs inherent in extending human lifespan. R. Zuckier explores related philosophical issues, including how we conceive of tehiyyat ha-metim, drawing on recently published lecture notes from R. Soloveitchik.
I used these articles to frame a multi-week conversation in which my students at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah in Modi’in brought halakhic, midrashic, and philosophical texts into dialogue with cutting-edge technological questions (archived at YUTorah.org). Together, they worked to formulate a Torah perspective on how we value life and on the implications for the kinds of technologies we should pursue.
R. Weiner’s essay stands as a paradigmatic example of one who takes R. Soloveitchik’s call seriously—demonstrating how the Torah’s enduring wisdom can guide us in confronting groundbreaking questions that touch the deepest dimensions of human existence.
Jonathan Ziring, a Rosh Yeshiva at Migdal HaTorah in Modiin, is the author of Torah in a Connected World.