Do Aliens Exist? What Judaism Really Says About Extraterrestrial Life

One of the questions that fascinates almost every human being on Earth is if aliens really exist. What does Judaism say about them? Did the Creator make other intelligent beings besides humans?

What Are “Aliens” According to Common Usage?

“Aliens” or “extraterrestrials” are names given to beings whose origin is outside planet Earth. To this day, there has never been definitive proof that such creatures exist. According to Judaism, the human being is the crown of creation, and the Torah does not indicate that human-like beings live on other planets.

Rabbi Yitzchak Fanger explains that from a scientific perspective, the conditions required for life to emerge elsewhere are so numerous and precise that the likelihood is not merely extremely small, but virtually impossible. Life requires far more than oxygen, water, sunlight, and a moon; many additional conditions must be met. And even if such beings did exist on distant planets, the vast distances — measured in many light-years, would make any contact implausible.

Other Intelligent Beings in Jewish Thought

That said, both the Torah and Kabbalah have taught for hundreds and even thousands of years that the Creator formed other intelligent beings besides humans. These include angels, seraphim, the “holy wheels” (ophanim), demons, spirits, destructive forces, and more.

The crucial difference between humans and these spiritual beings is free will. These beings do not choose between good and evil. Man is the crown of creation precisely because he was given free choice, received the Torah, and is capable of observing its commandments.

Life Beneath the Earth or on Other Planets?

Rabbi Zamir Cohen presents several fascinating possibilities in a brief explanation.

He notes that the Zohar states there are places beneath the Earth composed of seven subterranean layers, each inhabited by different types of creatures. The Zohar even describes what these beings look like and recounts that, in ancient times, a Torah scholar once saw one of them. Rabbi Zamir expands on this idea in his book HaMahapach (The Revolution), Part One.

Rabbi Zamir also explains that the Kabbalist Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi refers to a teaching in the Talmud concerning the verse “Curse of Meroz,” suggesting the existence of a star named Meroz whose inhabitants were cursed by Barak son of Avinoam. Based on this, he argues that life on other planets may exist — though this view is disputed, and other commentators strongly disagree. As for the beings beneath the Earth, they sometimes emerge to the surface.

Alleged Sightings of Strange Creatures

Addressing claims of alien sightings, Rabbi Zamir explains that many reports are fraudulent, exaggerated, or the result of imagination. However, there are also credible testimonies from responsible scientists who describe strange creatures unknown in our world.

If such sightings are genuine, Rabbi Zamir suggests there are only two possibilities:

1. These beings originate from deeper layers within our own world.

2. They are shedim (demons).

What Is a “Shed”?

According to Jewish sources, there are three categories of beings:

• Angels – entirely spiritual

• Humans – a spiritual soul within a physical body

• Demons (shedim) – beings in which spirituality and physicality are intertwined

The Sages teach that demons resemble humans in three ways: they live, reproduce, age, and die. Yet they also resemble angels in three ways: they can fly, assume different forms, and know limited aspects of the future.

Rabbi Zamir adds one final point: in the Land of Israel, demons are not permitted to enter.

This perspective offers a fascinating and uniquely Jewish framework for understanding the mystery behind “aliens,” without departing from Torah, tradition, or reason.