Whether or not believing in an ancient world is kefirah is not as clear cut as some might think. For example, the Rambam clearly says in the Moreh that had Aristotle made a convincing argument that the universe had always existed, he would have reinterpreted the torah to be in allignment with Aristotle. In a more clear cut, and modern, example, Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch states that were evolution to be proven, it would simply be more grounds for us to praise and honor HKB”H who is capable of bringing forth ordered life from a single nucleus, and would not disprove the Torah in any way shape or form. The rabbis who make up the RCA state that, if properly understood, evolutionary theory is not in any way contradictory with Judaism. Are they all kofrim ch”v? In fact, there is a mesorah which can be traced going back centuries which holds that the first two perakim of bereishit are meant to convey deep spiritual messages, and are not meant to be taken literally. It would seem very clear, and if these aren’t enough I can provide more mekorot, that those who wish to say that the world is more than 5772 years old have al mah lismoch.
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