[betty boop]

Even a quantum vacuum is not nothing. Nothing comes from nothing.

The quantum vacuum seems to be something. At least, if one is to assess it by its putative "effects" -- some of which, at least, have been rigorously demonstrated under immaculate laboratory conditions. And if the collection of all such experiments to date were considered dispositive to prove the case, I would agree with you -- this would mean that the QV is real and so has a Cause.

En Sof, however, does not seem to fall within the scope of any known human concept of "nothing" -- or of any demonstrated human ability to fully, consciously, finally understand a concept such as "Nothing." Plato called it Chora, "Space (Necessity)". The Arabs of the Middle Ages invented "Zero" to account for its persistent recurrence -- if only as inferred by its persistent "absence" in the formulations of the mathematics of their day -- and also in actual, lived human experience.

But understanding this ancient question seems no longer relevant in a world in which imaginary numbers are often useful and needed (depending on the problem); and rightly so -- so long as we do not forget the logical basis on which imaginary numbers rest.

Diamond, thank you so much for writing.

[RightWhale]

Zero came out of India, by the way. There is no such thing as a total vacuum, not even between the galaxies. There is something there, even if it is simply crisscrossing lightwaves. Every cubic inch of space and vacuum is filled with particles, fields, and processes even inside a steel perfect sphere superconducting goldplated vacuum chamber pumped absolutely dry and chilled to absolute zero if you could do that.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Imaginary numbers (inter alia) have no different basis than the integers do. Historically imaginary numbers were invented before negative numbers.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for pinging me to your excellent reply to Diamond!

En Sof, however, does not seem to fall within the scope of any known human concept of "nothing" -- or of any demonstrated human ability to fully, consciously, finally understand a concept such as "Nothing." Plato called it Chora, "Space (Necessity)".

In the various authentic Jewish meditations I've read on the subject of En Sof - the meaning includes the infinite everything and the infinite nothing as well. IOW, En Sof exceeds all which can be ever be described as spatial, temporal or corporeal - and En Sof also exceeds all which can ever be described as non-spatial, non-temporal or non-corporeal. IMHO, most conceptualizations of God center on the former and ignore the latter.

In further meditations on En Sof, I have concluded that there was a beginning because God wanted to reveal Himself. Thus, everything in creation exists to that end - including spiritual beings, such as we are, some of whom will be of His family or in the community.

Even such things as good and evil serve the purpose of revealing God. For instance, how would one know courage if he never knew fear, or health without sickness - so how would he know that God is good without knowing what evil is? All of creation reveals some of God to us and prepares some of us for Him.

Everything in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation 20 builds to the arrival of the new heaven and earth described in Rev 21 and 22.

My two cents...