Vayelech: Entropy

Vayelech: Entropy

Vayelech deals with the inevitable.  Moshe is about to die. He is to  write  a poem predicting catastrophe  and redemption.  After his death ( an inevitable loss)  Israel will  rebel and punishments will rain down upon them.  This has  all  been validated.  The prediction was true. 

This science of  predicting loss is modern and important.  It is the essence of the  second law of thermodynamics.  Some of the  energy invested in any change  is always, irretrievably, lost to entropy, randomness On the level of quantum mechanics, it means that particles/energies are distributed  in their most probable   manner. Every system will degrade to its most probable state  over time  In the end, everything is reduced to a random distribution,, a bell curve. .  In the end, the most likely distribution is...most likely (by far), it is what will happen 

This predicts that every person will die ( there are far more ways to be dead than alive, hence death is more probable).  If it can be applied to history, it predicts rebellion (staying the same is unlikely, unless the energy barrier to change is prohibitive) and it predicts destruction (disorder is generally a maximum entropy state, the state of greatest disorder). 

From this knowledge of eventual decline, we can gather strength.  The time limit of our lives, the finite span of our constructions and institutions, motivates prompt action.  We have what we have and our recognition of the inevitable does not relieve us of our obligations  The big picture is Gd's business, we make do with what we have. May entropy destroy evil and leave the good to flourish.