A Thirteenth Tribe of Yisrael?

Most people are familiar with the concept that there are twelve signs of the zodiac. This idea comes from the fact that throughout the year the sun appears to travel through twelve of the eighty-eight modern constellations. As we circle the sun throughout the year, we continue to get a different vantage point relative to the stars of space. Since we perceive earth as being stationary, it looks as if the stars that create the backdrop of night are moving. As such, the arrangement of stars that occupy the area of the eastern sky at the time of sunrise change from day to day. Therefore, it appears as if the sun is moving from one constellation to another. It takes a month for one constellation to fully move from this position to the next. The constellation that occupied this position was considered to be the constellation of the month. Since there are twelve constellations that cross this area, there are twelve signs of the zodiac. (see Rashi Rosh Hashana 11b)

While the above statement is certainly an accurate account of the system, it has one major issue with it (besides the fact that the attributed signs have shifted since this system was implemented, but that is something for another discussion). THERE ARE THIRTEEN CONSTELLATIONS THAT OCCUPY THIS AREA, NOT TWELVE!!! These thirteen are: T'leh/Aries, Shor/Taurus, Teomim/Gemini, Sartan/Cancer, Aryeh/Leo, Besulah/Virgo, Mozayim/Libra, Ophiuchus, Akrav/Scorpius, Keshes/Sagittarius, G'di/Capricorn(us), D'li/Aquarius and Dagim/Pisces. (In case you haven't guessed it, Ophiuchus is the one with no corresponding sign of the zodiac.) This was true even in the times of Chazal and the Ibn Ezra records all thirteen, yet does not mention the issue that there are only twelve signs.(see Ibn Ezra Reishis Chachma) And no, it does not make sense that one should be reserved for a leap year and correspond to Adar Sheini because the sun passes through all thirteen every year and at the time it is in Ophiuchus it is considered to be in the sign of Akrav/Scorpius.

After reading a comment by Rav Yonasan Eibshitz on this week's haftarah, I came up with a theory to resolve, at least partially, the mystery behind this discrepency. The haftarah starts with:

עם זו יצרתי לי תהלתי יספרו: ולא אתי קראת יעקב כי יגעת בי ישראל

"This nation I have created to tell of my praises. But Yaakov has not called to me; for Yisrael has become tired of me."

In his Ahavas Yehonasan, Rav Eibshitz explains that Hashem has thirteen attributes and it is through Klal Yisrael that the world can recognize that all these thirteen attributes are really just expressions of the one God. It is, therefore, through Klal Yisrael that Hashem's oneness is perceived. This is accomplished via the thirteen shevatim. Each shevet embodies a different one of Hashem's attributes. When the world recognizes that these thirteen tribes are really one nation, they also can comprehend that the thirteen atrributes of Hashem are not all separate entities. In this way Klal Yisrael was created to tell of Hashem's praises

Although we generally refer to the shevatim as being only twelve, if one counts Levi, who is a shevet, and Menashe and Ephraim, who divided Yosef into two shevatim, there are thirteen. They are: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar, Zevulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim, Menashe and Binyomin. Rav Eibshitz then cites from the pasuk in the haftarah that said עם זו, "this nation". The numerical value of זו "this" is thirteen. This displays that "this nation, meaning the thirteen tribes of this nation, were set aside to express Hashem's praises.

When I saw this I realized that the same issue that seems to be expressed in the constellations (there being thirteen and only recognized as twelve) exists within the shevatim, too. There are thirteen shevatim, but we generally refer to them as only twelve. When Levi is included then Menashe and Ephraim are counted as one, Yosef. When Menashe and Ephraim are included, then Levi is not. Since Chazal compare the twelve shevatim to the twelve signs of the zodiac (see Bamidbar Rabbah 2), this oddity, occurring in both the constellations and shevatim, must be more than coincidental.

The mystery unravels a little more when one delves deeper into the symbolism of Ophiuchus. Every constellation is depicted as some sort of object, creature or human. Ophiuchus is the Serpent Bearer and carries the snakes of the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus is symbolic of man's familiarity with sin and his willingness to handle snakes, the symbol of sin (it was the snake that tempted the first humans to eat the forbidden fruit). Since the twelve signs of the zodiac correspond with the twelve tribes, then this element must be showing an element that still requries perfection.

The tribes only display Hashem's praises when they act in unison and follow God's commandments. Ophiuchus is displaying the element present in Klal Yisrael, and every individual, that has not yet decided to do so, rather, this element is still familiarizing itself with sin. Therefore, the tribes can only be expressed as twelve and not thirteen. The zodiac is, therefore, also expressed as being somewhat deficient. Perhaps, when Klal Yisrael perfects herself, we will find a more complete representation of her in the sky and the thirteenth constellation will be realized as a sign of the zodiac, as well.

Utilizing the same methodology of Rav Eibshitz, this can be seen in the pesukim cited above. The latter part stated:

ולא אתי קראת יעקב כי יגעת בי ישראל

"But Yaakov has not called to me; for Yisrael has become tired of me."

The wording "for Yisrael has become tired of me" has in it the word בי "of me". Technically, the Hebrew could also be read as "for Yisrael has reached בי". The word for tired has the same pronounciation and spelling as that of reached, יגעת. The numerical value of בי is twelve. The new meaning is then "For Yisrael has reached twelve." In this context, Hashem is saying that Yisrael is not telling His praises because they have reached twelve. Based on the understanding above, it is thirteen that they are striving for, but they are still falling short. We are still waiting for the realization of all thirteen shevatim.

Too Much Chiddush for Rosh Chodesh!

Rav Shternbach (Moadim UZ'manim vol. 1 19) presents an interesting and brilliant suggestion to explain why it was necessary for Moshe Rabbeinu to view the new moon of Nisan of the Exodus prophetically. The questions one may ask regarding this opinion, though, are:

1) Is Rav Shternbach taking too literal of an approach to a piyut, perhaps, it is meant to be taken metaphorically?

2) What does one do when the information provided does not work out historically/astronomically?

Rav Shternbach quotes from the yotzer to Parshas HaChodesh that the lunar conjunction (the moment the sun, moon and earth are in a direct line) of Nisan in the year of the Exodus was at midday. Since the new moon is visible only after six hours from this point in time (see the Superhuman Sight post from August 5 in order to reconcile this seemingly impossible fact), Moshe Rabbeinu required seeing it prophetically. Moshe was located in Egypt and the conjunction is calculated, halachically, based on Yerushalayim time, therefore, the moon would really be big enough to be visible approximately ten minutes before sunset. Although it would be big enough, the fact that the sun would not have set in Moshe's location would mean that he would not be able to see such a faint moon. Therefore, Hashem allowed him to view it prophetically.

Let us first address the second question raised earlier. What does one do with the fact that this information does not work out historically. If one recalculates the year of the Exodus (based on the classic midrashic literature) he will find that the lunar conjunction was not at midday precisely, rather, it was in the middle of the afternoon!

Perhaps, the reconcilliation comes from the answer to the first question asked above. If one looks at the source of the piyut, Bereishis Rabbah (6), he will notice that the purpose of the fact of the conjunction being expressed as midday is not to be specific, rather, it is to say that it happened post midday. That being the case, one could suggest that these words were not meant to be taken literally as "midday", rather, just used to convey the general purpose of the Midrash. Once that has been resolved the question no longer starts. Of course, once resolved in this fashion, the pshat expressed in Moadim U'Zmanim no longer seems viable. The proof of this suggestion is that it is the one taken by the earlier commentaries. Rashi's comments to the Midrash explicitly state that midday is not to be taken literally, rather, the author of the Midrash is to be understood as expressing the conjunction as happening in the afternoon.

With this information (and reading the rest of the astronomical information provided by the Midrash and piyut) one can actually see how the Midrash and piyut astoundingly are synchronized with the actual celestial happenings of that day!

Holy Cosmic Cows!

In this week's parsha we read of the Egel HaZahav and in the maftir of the Parah Adumah. Rashi teaches that many nuances of the Parah Adumah were in order to bring forgiveness for the sin of the Egel HaZahav. A parable is given that a child of a maidservant of the palace dirtied the palace. When this was noticed, the king ordered the mother to clean up for her child. So too, the mother cow, the Parah Adumah, is required to clean up after her child, the Egel HaZahav.

One can ask (as the Rishonim have), why did Klal Yisrael decide to make an image of a calf as opposed to a different form. The Ibn Ezra in his short commentary suggests that it may be based on similar reasons as to why the people of India worship cows, but he does not elaborate on this concept. It has been suggested that these people worship these animals because of the following astronomical reason.

As has been posted in the past, over hundreds of years the stars' positions in the night sky shift slightly. For example, the constellations have moved enough from the time of Chazal until the present that based on the constellations themselves we should say that Nisan is the month of Dagim because the stars of Pisces rise with the sun in Nisan.

If one looks at the positions of the stars as they were at the time of Creation he will notice that the spring equinox occurred in the constellation Shor/Taurus. Essentially this means that on the first day of spring the sun would be located in this constellation. This eventually shifted into T'leh/Aries and is now in Dagim/Pisces.

This point in the sky was given extreme significance in ancient times because it coincided with the beginning of the growing season and was symbolic of development. In fact, it was often seen as symbolic of that entire time period in history. Therefore, people at the time worshipped cows which are the physical representation of the constellation Shor. Even after the stars shifted, the people held onto their old beliefs and continued to worship these animals, hence the practices in India.

Interestingly enough, we are taught that Bnai Yisrael corrected Adam HaRishon's sin when they received the Torah at Har Sinai. Perhaps, the people felt, incorrectly, that they wanted to replicate the order of the world as it was in Creation. Therefore, when they chose symbol of the nature of their worship, they chose that which represented the time period of the time of Creation, a calf. Of course, this was incorrect and this was not what Hashem wanted.

Fascinatingly, the brightest and most recognizable star in Shor is Aldebaran. Aldebaran is an extremely red star. When Hashem granted a way to eradicate the sin, He did so through the Parah Adumah (as mentioned above). Perhaps, this alludes to the redness of the most recognizable star in the constellation. It could be a way to show that we are, in fact, becoming purified and reaching the level of Adam HaRishon prior to his sin. We are restoring the world to its original perfected form prior to sin as the people in the Wilderness intended. This world has Shor in its leadership post, but the proper method of expressing this is not with idolatry and images, it is through the exact method prescribed by Hashem!

Esther's Astronomical Identity Crisis

Various Midrashic and rabbinic sources compare Queen Esther to astronomical objects or phenomena. One of the interesting things about this is that there are several different possibilities suggested. It seems so peculiar that all these sources agree that Esther represents, or is associated, with a stellar object, but they do not seem to agree as to what that is.

The Gemara (Megillah 13a) mentions that the name Esther comes from Istahara (אסתהרא) which Rashi interprets to refer to the moon.

Targum Sheini (Esther 2:7), on the other hand, says that it is referring to the Greek word that refers to Venus.

Rashi (Yoma 29b), based on the Gemara, also associates Esther with a phenomenon referred to as Ayeles HaShachar. Parenthetically, the Passhegen HaKesav (Hebrew translation and elucidation of the Targum Sheini), on the earlier verse from Esther (as well as other achronim) maintains that Venus is what Chazal refer to as Ayeles HaShachar. Interestingly, the Yerushalmi (Berachos 4b) emphatically states that Ayeles HaShachar is not Venus. The Alei Yonah maintains that this is something called zodiacal light although his suggestion seems unlikely as the Yerushalmi describes its sighting prior to dawn around the vernal equinox and zodiacal light is not visible then. (Shameless plug: Please keep your eyes open for my, as of now unnamed, book about the astronomical references in the Torah coming out within the year IY"H. Ayeles HaShachar, as well as many other topics, will be discussed.)

Another interesting point, although I have not seen anyone make this connection outright, is the similarity between Esther and the name Istahara (איסטהרא). Although the English transliteration of this name is identical to the earlier Gemara's word used for the moon, one can see from the Hebrew spelling that it is a different name. The Yalkut Shimoni (Bereishis 366) tells of a story in which a young woman of this name maintained her purity and was not seduced by evil angels that had descended to earth and were seeking relationships with mortal women. To honor her fortitude and piety she was placed as a star in the heavens in the star cluster called the Pleiades (found in the constellation Taurus, see last week's post).

Regardless of her cosmic nature, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Purim that is truly out of this world.

Invisible Signs From Heaven?

The Gemara teaches that the end of the planting season is when the Pleiades, a star cluster located in the constellation Taurus and referred to as Kimah by Chazal, is at its peak at approximately 3pm. 3pm is chosen as the time because this is when the field workers pack up for the evening and begin to go home. (Bava Metziya 106b; based on Rashi's commentary) This is defined as being in the beginning of Adar by Rashi. A basic question one can ask is, "Is the Gemara alluding to something else by giving this obscure description as opposed to just saying that the end of the season is at the beginning of Adar?"

Also, prior to offering a different explanation to this passage, Tosefos ask many questions on this approach. One of the questions is that at 3pm the stars are not visible (it is the middle of the day) and the Tosefos assume that the passage was giving a sign that is noticeable. Why would the Gemara describe the season's end with something that is not visible?

To give a possible answer to these questions, let us analyze some other important ideas that are associated with Adar. Moshe Rabbeinu was born on 7 Adar. The Seder HaDoros informs us that he was born at approximately 9am in the morning. The question is, is there any significance to 9am on 7 Adar?

There are a few places in the sky that are considered to influence events on earth. Whatever celestial item is rising from the east is considered to be exerting influence as it can be seen as rising to power (see Rosh Hashana 11b and Ibn Ezra's Sefer HaTa'amim). Its peak, when it has risen to the highest point it attains, is seen as its influence shining with the most possible strength.

The Pleaides are associated with rain (Berachos 58b) and they are assumed to have benevolent associations (see Yalkut Shimoni Bereishis 366). At the end of the planting season, it is the rains that the farmer is focused on. While they have hopefully started before Adar (see first chapter of Taanis), the farmer may have still been more focused on planting until this time when there is no more planting to be done. The rains associated with Pleiades are therefore seen as the tool for growth.

Moshe Rabbeinu, the vehicle through which Klal Yisrael was able to grow through the Exodus and receiving of the Torah, was born at the moment when Pleiades was rising. 7 Adar at 9am corresponds to a moment when this cluster will be positioned on the eastern horizon. 9am (really a quarter of the day since we are talking about shaos zemaniyos) is also the time when one can no longer recite Shema and fulfill his daily obligation. This is because people are considered to have risen and started their day at this point in time.

In other words, Moshe Rabbeinu's birth marked a time that was strongly associated with the time for the growth to begin. It was the hour of the day associated with getting started after slumber and it is marked by the Pleiades, the stars of growth, starting their influence in the world as they rise from the east. The end of Moshe Rabbeinu's birthday, meaning when people are finished being productive at 3pm, would be marked with Pleiades being at their peak. Almost as if to show that the entire day of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth marks the rise and complete exertion of power of growth by the Pleiades. This was a display that Klal Yisrael were about to grow through its newly born leader.

Why would a sign be given that is not noticeable? It is well known that the Purim miracle happened without supernatural events. It demonstrated Hashem's complete control while still utilizing the forces of nature. This is often expressed through the mazal of the month of Purim, Dagim or Pisces, which is depicted as fish which are famous for being hidden from sight as they live beneath the water. Moshe Rabbeinu's birth marked the beginning of the growth of Klal Yisrael, but they were not at a point where the overt miracles were going to be expressed. They were in a time period still able to be expressed as an "Adar" type time. It would another 80 until Moshe Rabbeinu would lead them out of Egypt.

Perhaps, this is why the Gemara expresses the end of the planting season with unnoticeable stars, as well. The beginnings of growth are usually not seen, they are taken for granted and not perceived until the product is developed. It is similar to the stars hidden by the sunlight that are taken for granted. Most people are not paying attention to them since they are not able to be seen, but they are still there"behind the scenes." The end of the planting season is marked by an astronomical event that is known to be happening, but impossible (at least in earlier times) to see directly.

New Rules of Physics or Translating Chumash?

In the end of this week’s parsha the shalosh regalim are mentioned. The same general language to refer to them is repeated again towards the end of Ki Sisa in a few weeks. There are, however, a few discrepencies that can be seen. What especially arouses one’s curiosity is when there are parallel pesukim that have one word that is different. Even more interesting is when the commentaries seem to disregard the discrepency!

One such difference is the way the Torah refers to the end of the year when discussing Sukkos. In Mishpatim the Torah says that Sukkos is, “בצאת השנה,” meaning in the end of the year. (Shemos 23:16) Whereas, in Ki Sisa the end of the year is referenced as “תקופת השנה.” (Shemos 34:22) Onkelos seems to disregard the difference in the wording and states that the translation is the same for both phrases.

I have heard a couple respectable individuals attribute a theory to the Vilna Gaon, but neither have been able to show me the actual source (although they claim that they remember seeing it in a reputable printed work, they just can’t remember where). Allegedly, the Gaon contended that there was initially supposed to be a seven month year just like we have seven days of the week. It was only after the effects of sin became pronounced that the world needed the extra months.

The theory maintains that there was never supposed to be a time period of winter. Winter is the time devoid of growth and symbolic of death. This should not occur in a pristine world (those of us in Baltimore are wishing for this other style world now as we dig out of approximately 2 1/2 feet of snow).

In Mishpatim the language is much stronger and literally means the end of the year. This is because this parsha precedes the sin of the Egel HaZahav and is stated in a perfected world where Sukkos is the actual end of the year. Ki Sisa has a wording that implies the end of the year but literally means “when the year circles around (see Rashi).” The implications are that the agricultural year is over and is cycling to the next spring even though there will be several barren months of winter. This is because Ki Sisa had the Egel HaZahav recounted in the earlier section of it and this part is, therefore, talking to the world of sinners.

One should not ask from the story of Noach where Hashem promises that all the seasons will continue (Bereishis 8:22), because that was stated to a world of sinners and the (alleged) Gaon could contend that the world was reperfected only at Matan Torah. Although one could, perhaps, ask from the Baraisa D’Mazalos that contends that Hashem initially placed twelve zodiacal constellations in the sky. There are twelve because the sky is divided into twelve regions, one for each month.

The only resolution is that each mazal would be for a shorter time than a month and the world’s orbit was faster in order to circle through these twelve constellations in a shorter time frame. The truth is that one would have to contend something along these lines because the entire concept is suggesting that earth orbited the sun quicker.

The issue is that earth would not be able to sustain life at an orbit much farther or closer from the sun so it would have had to be orbiting the sun faster while keeping the same current distance. How this world went so fast and kept its current orbit up to a point in time when it slowed so drastically would require a new and extremely complex set of laws of physics (assuming that it did not all happen within the supernatural realm completely). The earth's initial speed should have been too fast to be caught in orbit at this distance around the sun and it should have been flung into the far realms of the solar system. The earth's change in speed when it slowed, on the other hand, should have thrust it into the sun!!!

The only accomodation would be to assume that the earth was more massive and then, at the time of the change, lost its mass, perhaps via a collision with a meteor that broke off a large chunk of earth. The new smaller earth would be able to maintain the proper distance without changing its orbit. This is also difficult because the impact itself should have thrown earth off course and certainly would have left a massive crater somewhere on the planet.

The Universally Cosmic Ten Commandments

The ancients used to express the visible cosmos as several concentric spheres that rotate around the earth. From our perspective, different objects appear to go around the earth at different speeds. Therefore, one could express that the cycle of the sun is one day. That of the moon could be expressed as a month and so on and so on. Each object, or objects, that had a perceived motion was considered to be on its own sphere (or orbit) and this was used to describe its motion. Nine such spheres are mentioned and they are: that of the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the regular stars and the last one was a wheel that turned in order to provide the motion for the lower spheres.

The Ibn Ezra (Shemos 20:14) utilizes this description of the visible universe to express how the Aseres HaDibros contain the elements of the entire universe as a whole. The first of these holy mitzvos is the belief that Hashem is God. The Ibn Ezra contends that this is the only one of these commandments that is not expressed in the spheres of the cosmos. This is very reasonable considering how Hashem is not part of this universe, rather, He is the One that created it.

The second commandment is the prohibition of believing in other gods. This corresponds to the outermost sphere. This is the sphere that rotates the lower spheres and, as such, is perceived to be influencing the entire cosmos. Therefore, this prohibition clearly states that we are not to believe that it is a force other than Hashem Himself that is controlling the universe.

The third commandment is not using Hashem's name for no reason. This, states the Ibn Ezra, corresponds to the next sphere, the one containing the fixed stars and all the constellations. Some of the most spectacular beauties of creation can be found in this area and, continues the Ibn Ezra, is where Hashem's glory can be perceived. This is similar to His Holy name. Many have contended that these stellar beauties serve no purpose and are useless in the creation, so the corresponding commandment tells us not to use the Holy Name for no reason.

The forth commandment is Shabbos and this corresponds to Saturn. Based on the order of astrology mentioned in the Gemara (see Shabbos 129b and Rashi), Shabbos day is influenced by Saturn. Saturn is one of the two worst astrological influences, the other being Mars. Friday night is considered to be influenced by Mars, and Shabbos is, therefore, considered to be the most perilous day of the week. Accordingly, contends the Ibn Ezra, one needs to refrain from mundane activities on this dangerous day and only focus on the service of Hashem. Shabbos is the way to do this.

The fifth commandment is honoring one's parents. The sphere this is reflecting is Jupiter's. The Ibn Ezra mentions that Jupiter is considered to be the most exalted of the astrological influences (its position in both Roman and Greek mythology reflect this) and it demonstrates the idea of honor. We must honor the appropriate people and we have this holy commandment.

The sixth is murder and is Mars' sphere. Mars is the astrological influence of war and blood and this is how it has been portrayed by the ancient civilizations (Greek and Roman mythology, once agin, reflect this).

The seventh is not having forbidden relationships and the sphere is that of Venus. Venus is the astrological force associated with these types of forbidden pleasures (the Greeks and Romans had this one too).

The eighth is the prohibition of stealing and corresponds to the sphere of sun. The sun was considered to overpower and take all that it wants, whether intended for it or a different entity. As such, we must learn to respect others' property and leave it in their possession.

The ninth is not testifying falsly and this is Mercury's sphere. Mercury was associated with talking.

The last is not coveting another's possessions and is the last sphere, the moon. The moon has always been associated with desire and this commandment makes us aware that we are to control our desires not just our actions.

Although we no longer utilize this method to describe the physics behind the movements in the universe, it still accurately depicts the perception of the universe from man's vantage point. The Aseres HaDibros, in this way, show that all of the universe is to be harnessed in the appropriate fashion in order to allow man to serve his Creator appropriately.