Q:
Did Newton earn reward for discovering the Law of Gravity and other laws of physics?
A:
Now, you must understand there’s a reason why Newton discovered those things. He discovered the laws of motion and universal gravitation; very important discoveries. Why didn’t somebody else discover it? I think it’s because Newton believed in the Borai. It’s known; he believed in a Creator. So Hakodosh Boruch Hu rewarded him and He gave him this as a gift. He gained great honor in his lifetime from his discoveries. And therefore, it’s like asking, “Does a man get a reward for becoming wealthy?” The wealth itself is his reward! So Newton gained fame because of his contributions to science and that was his reward. But these contributions were given by Hashem to him because Hashem wanted to reward this man for certain forms of virtue.
Now sometimes, it could be, I’m not capable of saying, sometimes a person who’s not virtuous may achieve something. It could be. There are reasons why Hakodosh Boruch Hu sent that person the achievement of a scientific discovery. But sometimes his good fortune is his undoing. There have been cases of people who made great discoveries and they became wealthy as a result, and it ruined their lives. Therefore, it’s not easy for an outsider to know exactly what is the motivation of Hashem for giving this person and that person the honor of making discoveries. But there’s no question that the discoveries themselves are gifts which Hashem bestowed on them.
TAPE # 924
