Do the Rishonim Contradict Modern Science?

Ruach hakodesh isn’t prophecy — even the Rambam expected to be corrected by later science.

Q. Shalom, I have no problem accepting that when the Rabbis are speaking in the Talmud there is a lot more behind the scenes, i.e. kabbalaistic interpretationsת which takes care of a lot of statements which scientifically would not hold today. But if the ‘rishonim’ were writing with as I have been told ruach Hakodesh, how do we explain statements that contradict modern scientific facts?

There is a significant difference between the prophecy of the n’vi’im and the ru’ach hakodesh of the rishonim, where you could go to the former and he would answer where you lost your keys (or donkeys, see Shmuel I, 9), while the rishonim had siyata d’shmaya, Divine guidance, but didn’t have a “pipeline” to Hashem on each and every issue. Rabbenu Tam and the Rambam’s greatness lie in their Torah learning which is based upon their knowledge, their dedication, genius, spirituality, and which also relies to a certain extent on the scientific understanding of their time. They would be the first to tell you not to listen to their medical advice or knowledge of biology if modern science has proven otherwise (Rambam, Guide for the Perplexed 2, 14). The fact is that they even often disagree with each other, so we’re clearly not talking about absolute prophecy, but to a certain degree of Divine aid, which is still found to an extent in modern times, by great rabbis, such as Rav Mordechai Eliyahu.