| Ask the Rabbi: What is Birkat Hachama? |
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| Thursday, 26 February 2009 09:39 |
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I recently received an e-mail with the following question: Could you please let me know if the Jewish Community Centre in Webb Street is organising something about Birkat Hahammeh (Bless the Sun)? Is it popular amongst the Jewish people to celebrate this day? A: This is a very rare mitzvah and one can only do it once or twice in his/her lifetime. The reason is as follows: The Rabbis of the Talmud tell us that once every twenty eight years, the sun returns to the same place, at the same time of day and the same day of the week as the moment of its creation. (Berakhot 59a). This event will always fall on a Wednesday because the sun was made on the fourth day of creation. This confluence of events, a restaging of the heavens as they were at the beginning of time, was not a moment to be overlooked in the rabbinic imagination, so they bid us to celebrate this re-enactment of the creation of the sun every twenty eight years. At the first rays of sunrise on this day of blessing, we are to go outside, face east and recite: Blessed are You our G-d and G-d of all the universe who makes all things in creation (Ose ma’ase breshit).We will read psalms 19 and sing “El adon” The next solar celebration marking this event, called Birkat Hahammah, the blessing of the sun, will occur on Wednesday morning, April 8 2009 which is Erev Pesach. This celebration will mark the 206th cycle of the sun’s full return to its time and place at creation. P.S. we will be the first in the world to celebrate it in Wellington after Shacharit of Erev Pesach. And siyum for the first born. In the near future there will also be the opportunity to learn about the Jewish Calendar, as a special talk by a scholar is being organised. We will let you know the details as soon as possible. All the best Chag Purim Sameach |
