The astronomy tag has no wiki summary.
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1answer
168 views
What Blessing Does One Make on a Solar Eclipse?
What Blessing Does One Make on a Solar Eclipse? I will be in Nevada next week and would like to make a blessing over the May 21 Solar Eclipse. Thanks!
6
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1answer
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Is there an exhaustive list of astronomical/environmental events for which there are blessings?
Inspired by:
What Bracha do you say on a Hurricane?
What Blessing Does One Make on a Solar Eclipse?
Bracha for the transit of Venus?
Is there anywhere in the Halachic literature that lists all of ...
6
votes
1answer
144 views
New date at sunset: question on Sifse Chachamim
Avoda Zara 25 cites a difference of opinion as to how long the sun stood still for Y'hoshua: twelve hours, twenty-four, or thirty-six. According to those who say twelve or thirty-six, the sun finally ...
6
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4answers
349 views
Eclipse of the moon, bad sign for the Jews
Tonight, December 20, 2010, there will be a full lunar eclipse visible from North America and many other areas. I recall there is a Gemara that says that a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for the Jews as ...
3
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1answer
98 views
Good and Bad Omen - on something that can be calculated in advance
Inspired by Why make a bracha on an earthquake but not on an eclipse?
When something can be predicted in advance to an exact moment - for example an eclipse which Chazal say it is a bad Omen (Sukkah ...
8
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3answers
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Permissibility of images of celestial bodies
There is precedent in halachah that one may not create images of celestial bodies such as the moon and stars; see here for background. This is derived in the Gemara from the pasuk "Do not make [images ...
4
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6answers
668 views
What's with Kiddush Levana?
In general Kiddush Lavanah has always seemed to me to be akin to "Avodas Kochavim" - so does anyone know of a satisfying answer that works with Occam's razor?
More specifically:
We say Just as I can ...
13
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7answers
331 views
How did the moon shrink?
The Bavli, Chulin 60:2, says (in my own loose translation):
Rabbi Shim'on ben Pazi noted a contradiction: [B'reshis 1:16] says, "God made the two big luminaries" and "the big luminary… and ...
9
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2answers
154 views
Bracha for the transit of Venus?
Venus is transiting today for the last time until 2117 (or 5878, if you prefer). Is there a specific bracha that should be made upon witnessing this spectacular event?
9
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2answers
248 views
Latest shabbat not longest day…?
I was under the impression that the longest day was June 22nd, and yet, year after year- the latest time for candle lighting takes place about a week and a half after that. Intuitively, the latest ...
4
votes
1answer
98 views
Why make a bracha on an earthquake but not on an eclipse?
According to this page, Chaza"l intentionally omitted solar and lunar eclipses from the list of natural phenomena upon which we make a bracha. The following explanation is given:
"The Hebrew term ...
0
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2answers
109 views
When did hashem stop the sun?
As in the time of milchemes Ay, Hashem stopped the sun for 36 hours . Where else in Tanach did it happen? I need more then one.
