Witnesses to Sedom's Destruction

Rashi on 19:24 notes that the destruction of Sedom happened at day break, when the sun and moon were in the sky at the same time. This was because they used to worship the sun and moon. HaShem therefore brought the destruction when both were out as a proof to all the sun and moon worshipers that the sun and moon are powerless. Had the destruction taken place when they were not in the sky, one could have argued that they were not "there" to save them. This is a rather simple statement by Rashi but the astronomical basis for it is quite interesting.

 

It is not always that the sun and moon are out together at day break. It is also not always that it is the only time that they are out together. The moon rises and sets approximately 49 minutes later each day. This is a result of the moon orbiting the earth. Just as the moon's position is reset at the end of every month, so are its rising and setting times. (The math is as follows: Every full moon cycle (month), moonrise and moonset make a full circle of 24 hours such that the times are as they were precisely one month previous. The figure of 49 minutes is achieved by dividing 24 hours by the duration of the lunar cycle, 29.5 days, 44 minutes, 3 and a third seconds. More precisely, the figure is 48 minutes, 45.5 seconds.)

At the beginning of the month, the moon follows a very similar schedule to the sun. The moon rises at the beginning of the day and sets at sundown. As the month progresses, the moon rises and sets later and later. At the middle of the month, the moon has virtually the opposite schedule to the sun. It rises when the sun sets and sets when the sun rises. As we enter the second half of the month, the moon begins to rise later in the night and thus, becomes visible at the beginning of the day.

The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 50) teaches that Sedom was destroyed on the 16th of Nissan. As explained above, at that time of the month, the moon would have risen shortly after sunset and set very shortly after sunrise. Therefore, the only time in the entire day that both the sun and moon were out at the same time was very early in the morning and that is why the destruction took place specifically at the very beginning of the day. [Nevertheless, it is puzzling that Rashi uses the term "Alos HaShachar" which refers to a time before sunrise.]

Jews are from Jewpiter

The Gemara (Shabbos 156) tells us that Avraham Avinu was incapable of having children because of his associated astrological influences. We are told that Avraham Avinu was considered to be under the astrological influence of Jupiter (צדק) and that its position in the west was inhibiting Avraham Avinu from having children. The Gemara then cites from Sefer Yeshayau (41:2),

"'מי העיר ממזרח צדק וגו"

“Who awakened righteousness from the east, etc.”

The word righeousness, צדק, can also mean Jupiter. The Gemara understands that Hashem placed Jupiter in the east in order for its influence to be a positive one for Avraham Avinu. Seder Olam (1) teaches us that Avraham Avinu was seventy years old at the time that Hashem joined with him in the everlasting covenant that is discussed in this weeks parsha, Lech Lecha (15).

Interestingly enough, the Gemara cited earlier tells us that the verse from Sefer Yeshayahu was Hashem’s response to Avraham Avinu when he asked Hashem about having children. This question of Avraham Avinu is found in this same chapter of Bereishis. Perhaps, this is why the chapter of Sefer Yeshayahu that contains its verse is read as the Haftarah for this portion of the Torah.

If one looks at Jupiter’s postion during that year 1744 B.C.E. (based on the chronology of Seder Olam) he will see that it was visible in the western portion of the sky, relative to the Sun (meaning it would be in the sky already at sunset, obviously it will rise and set throughout the night. Most celestial objects move from east to west on any given night) early in the year and then was too close to the Sun, so it was not visible for a duration of time. It became visible again, this time to the east of the Sun, just before sunrise, on October 6 (Julian).

What is fascinating about this event is that on this day, it was so close to Venus, that, to the naked eye, they appeared to be touching. To have these two objects touch is extremely rare (to come so close to touch can be hundreds of years in between instances for any given location), and such an event would be witnessed as a spectacular event. Venus is the brightest star in the sky (sometimes even confused with aircraft) and Jupiter is the second brightest. The two together would have been seen to be shining brilliantly in the east. Venus is also associated with fertility (see Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) and this was the issue that Avraham Avinu was discussing with Hashem.

Another fascinating point is that this evening would have marked the night of Yom Kippur (based on actual lunar visibility, not calculation). As is noted by Rashi in Bereishis (15) some of the animal offerings of the covenant were symbolic of the Yom Kippur offerings, and many of those that were not, were still symbolic of offerings of repentance. We may not have a reference to this convenant being enacted on Yom Kippur, but the symbolism between the two is remarkable. Couple that with this extremely rare event occurring on that day, and one cannot help but wonder if this is what the Gemara meant when discussing Jupiter shining from the east.

Emunah in Time and Space

The advances in modern science over the years have allowed us to learn much about the history of the world. Scientists have been able to establish a pretty clear picture of all that preceded us. However, the instant of creation is a point beyond which no discoveries may be made. Even the most prominent of scientists, such as Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge, have come to the realization that "the creation lies outside the scope of the presently known laws of physics." What existed before the creation of the world is beyond human understanding. The simple explanation for this is that before the world was created, whatever it was that existed lacked the basic components necessary for human conception.

All the matter in the universe exists in three dimensions - length, width and height. We do not live in the two-dimensional world of comics and cartoons, nor can our minds conceive of something physically consisting of more than three dimensions. When a cube of a given volume is removed, it leaves behind a space, filled with air, of identical volume. However, before the creation of the world, there was nothing. The second pasuk of the Torah asserts that before creation, the world was "tohu vavohu." Rashi explains "vohu" as emptiness and void. He writes that "tohu" denotes astonishment and wonderment, as one would have been astounded by the emptiness that existed. Indeed, we are astonished to the point of incomprehension at the very idea of nothingness. It is beyond the grasp of human thought and will never be understood. An integral component of creation was the establishment of the infrastructure necessary for the existence of the world as we know it. On the second day, the waters are divided into the upper and lower waters. This is the first evidence of a dimension in creation. However, there was only one. Left, right, forward and backward did not yet exist - only up and down. The next day the waters were collected to form the oceans and reveal land. The three dimensions were now in place.

Although a physical object may be comprised of no more than three dimensions, there is another dimension commonly included as the fourth - time. Before the creation of the world, time did not exist either. In fact, the word "before" is probably a misnomer. Before implies that which preceded in time. If there is no time, there can be no precedence. This, too, is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. With the first day of creation, the concept of time was implicitly infused into the universe.

Perhaps, these ideas are directly pertinent to one of the central laws of Keriyas Shema. The essence of Shema is the acceptance of HaShem’s kingship upon us. One is required to include this concentration with the recitation of Shema or he does not properly fulfill the mitzvah (Shulchan Aruch OC 60:5). Ideally, this is accomplished with specific focus on the "ches" and "dalet" of "echad," as explained in 61:6. The ches corresponds to HaShem’s rule over the earth and the seven levels of Heaven. This is a one-dimensional focus in concurrence with the events of the second day of creation. The dalet corresponds to the four directions, essentially, the other two dimensions, over which HaShem rules. This coincides with the events of the third day. Hence, HaShem’s dominion over the three physical dimensions. The Mishnah Berurah (63:11), in the name of Levush and Magein Avraham, writes that "Baruch Sheim Kevod, etc." is subject to the same concentration requirements as the first pasuk. In this pasuk, as the words clearly indicate, we assert the eternity of HaShem’s kingship. In essence, we are declaring HaShem’s rule over the fourth dimension, time.

It also occurred to me that perhaps the requirements set forth in 61:6 regarding the specific כוונות should be augmented for modern times. The שולחן ערוך declares that we are to (mentally) proclaim השם's kingship on the heavens and earth and the four directions of the world. But in those times, that was the extent of what your average Yosef could fathom. The average layman knew little about the celestial bodies and what lies beyond our earth. However, nowadays, when all young school children are taught about the extent of our universe and are aware of the planets that make up our solar system, perhaps it is incumbent on us to have this in mind and proclaim השם's kingship on all of the universe as we know it.

The Two Luminaries

Pasuk 16 refers to the sun and the moon as "shnei hame'oros hagedolim", the two large luminaries but concludes by referring to the sun as the "maor hagadol" and the moon as the "maor hakaton". On this pasuk there is the well-known Rashi, quoting the Midrash, that the moon and the sun were created equal but the moon complained that "two kings cannot share one crown". Therefore, it was reduced to a smaller luminary. However, this is certainly an allegorical understanding of the pasuk. What, then, is the simple understanding?

In In the Beginning: Biblical Creation and Science, a fascinating book reconciling the Biblical account of creation with modern science, Professor Nathan Aviezer offers an eye-opening interpretation. An astronomical body is measured both by its true size and by its apparent size or angular diameter. The apparent size specifies how large it appears to an observer on Earth. This figure is the ratio of the true size of the object to its distance from the Earth. This figure is expressed as the angle that the object subtends from the position of an observer on Earth. That means, if you were pointing to the bottom of the object, the apparent size is the number of degrees you must rotate your arm to be pointing at the top of the object. The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon. It is also exactly 400 times further away from Earth. As a result, the apparent size for the sun and moon are identical at 0.53 degrees! Now we can understand the pasuk as follows: The first part of the pasuk is referring to the point of view of an Earth observer. From our point of view, the sun and moon are the biggest heavenly bodies and in fact, appear identical in size. The second part of the pasuk refers to the true size of the sun and moon.

Please see Pi's comment below with some nice alternative understandings of this פסוק.

Ominous Eclipse Predictability

For those in the Western United States, you will be able to see a full lunar eclipse just before dawn this Shabbos!

Chazal tell us in Sukkah (quoted by Rashi in Bereishis) that eclipses are ominous signs. I have often been asked whether this is true with regard to contemporary times because we know how to predict eclipses. My answer has always been, "Yes." Even amongst the other ancient civilizations we find the ability to predict eclipses. The ability to predict eclipses was known as far back as the time of the Chaldeans. Even the Babylonians and Greeks were also very familiar with the necessary calculations.

The calculation required is knowledge of the Saros Cycle. The Saros Cycle is a duration of 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours. In each cycle, one will have eclipses at the same intervals as the one that preceded it. Every three cycles will have an eclipse at the same approximate location relative to Earth.

In fact, in the early 1900's an ancient Greek shipwreck was discovered. One of the items found was something that became known as the Antikythera Device (named for the location of the wreck). Its gearwork was so intricate that scientists were astounded. Something like this should not have been able to have been made in the time period this ship went down (approximately 100 years prior to the Churban Bayis Sheini). Not only was it clear that it had been made, it was clear that many prototypes had had to have been made prior to it, because this one was perfected. After much analysis, it became clear that the device was an ancient "calculator". It would display the movement of the Sun, Moon, stars and planets. It also would show when the next eclipse would happen.

This is more proof that they were able to calculate eclipses. They had even put the calculations into machines to do the dirty work for them. When Chazal made their statement, eclipses were already predictable events. If so, how could an eclipse be an ominous sign?

It seems that the answer is that when Hashem created the world He placed in it times that are naturally times of judgment (similar to Rosh Hashana). It was through His mercy that He shows us (and we can even predict) when these times will be, so the affected parties can repent.

THE BOOK (BEING PUBLISHED BY ISRAEL BOOK SHOP), THE SECRETS OF THE STARS, WILL BE IN STORES NEXT WEEK!!! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

Yam Suf 7 or 8 Days from the Exodus?

Most people assume that Krias Yam Suf and its ensuing song happened on the seventh day of Pesach. However, Rashi at the end of this week's Parsha clearly states that it happened on the eighth day of Pesach. Rashi states that the eight strings of Tzitzis are symbolic of the eight days of travel from when we left Egypt until the sea split and we sang our Shira. (Rashi Bamidbar 15:41)

One of the issues that has been addressed regarding this Rashi is that it seems contradictory to another Rashi. When commenting on the events of Krias Yam Suf, Rashi mentions that it happened on the seventh day of the Exodus. Rashi even states that this is the basis for the custom to read the Torah portion of Krias Yam Suf on the seventh day of Pesach. (Rashi Shemos 14:5)

I would like to offer two suggestions that our founded on how to calculate when one's day begins. The first answer is suggested by Rabbeinu Bachye. He maintains that even though Jewish law usually recognizes night as preceding day, when it comes to sacrificial offerings the day comes first (regarding sacrifices, the portion placed on the Mizbeach is able to be burnt the night following the day in which the blood was sprinkled).

Our Exodus began on the 14 of Nisan when the Korbon Pesach, a sacrificial offering, was brought in the early afternoon. Thus, the morning of what we would refer to as the seventh day of Pesach is actually the eighth day from the Exodus if one is utilizing the sacrificial offering system. In this regard both the Rashi that maintained that it was day seven and the one that states that it was day eight are correct, they are just describing the event based on separate systems. (Rabbeinu Bachye Bamidbar 15:41)

Seeming to support this assumption is the fact that the Rashi that maintained that it was day eight focused on the time when Klal Yisrael sang and not when the Egyptians perished in the sea. They perished just before morning, (Shemos 14:27) but we did not sing until after daybreak. (Rashi Shemos 14:5) Unfortunately, Rabbeinu Bachye leaves hidden the reason why Tzitzis reflect the sacrificial offering system and the Torah portion read on Pesach reflects the regular system.

Before presenting another approach I would like to say, as an aside, that it is pretty fascinating that the evening during which the sea split had a very rare occurrence happen in the sky. That night the moon partially blocked Mars making it appear as if the two were touching (I know that I posted a similar thing with Saturn regarding the first Tisha B'Av earlier this week, but these events truly are rare which makes it even more fantastic that they seem to happen on these monumental dates in Jewish history). Astrologically, this event portends malevolent tidings. (Ibn Ezra Reishis Chachma 7) Interestingly, it occurred in the constellation Aquarius which is considered the be the mazal of Klal Yisrael. (Ibn Ezra Shemos 31:18) Aquarius, depicted as a man pouring a bucket of water, would have been seen as being afflicted by this sign. It seems interesting that Hashem bestowed His mercy that evening and saved this young nation. Just as he split the water of the Yam Suf, he "split open" the evil tidings found in the constellation of water that symbolized this nation and protected them miraculously. In fact, quite unbelievably, Rabbeinu Bachye mentions that the Jewish nation should have perished at the Yam Suf because the Egyptians had tapped into the inlfuence of Mars which is associated with death. It was only because of God's tremendous mercy that he saved us. (Rabbeinu Bachye Shemos 14:25)

I am certainly not qualified to argue with Rabbeinu Bachye, but I would like to suggest an alternate way one could have read Rashi based on the Meiri. The Meiri states that their are four accepted ways that civilizations have decided to begin their days. One is the Jewish way and that is the start from evening. A second way is to start from daybreak. Another is to start at midnight (like is the practice here in the U.S.) and the last way is to start from midday when the sun is at its peak. This last way, says the Meiri, is based on deep astrological meaning and this is how the ancient Egyptians began their day. (Meiri Pesachim 5a)

Rashi mentions that Paroh sent a messenger with us when we left Egypt to make sure that we would return after three days. When we did not, Paroh came out with his armies and advanced towards our camp on days five and six. The night of the seventh day of our Exodus his battalions were drowned in the sea. (Rashi Shemos 14:5) In fact, this is the same Rashi that mentions the reason for reading this portion on the seventh of Pesach.

The Sifri mentions that we left Egypt at midday. (Sifri Devarim 337) Rashi quotes from this Sifri elsewhere implying that he is of the same opinion. (See Rashi Bereishis 7:13) If Rashi agreed with the Meiri then Paroh sent his messenger with us right at the "beginning" of the first day which coincides with 15 Nisan in the Jewish calendar at midday (this is the day after the Korbon Pesach and the first day of our holiday of Pesach). That means that seven Egyptian days after would have the Egyptian destruction occurring on the night of the eighth day of the Jewish count. Since we do not follow the Egyptian calendar we commemorate this event with the seventh day based on our count and we read the Torah portion of this event on the seventh of Pesach. The Rashi at the end of our Parsha, though, would also be accurate. The Egyptians perished on what we would call the eighth day, but the seventh Egyptian day from our Exodus.

Solar Powered Giants or Orion's Belt Loosened?

As stated in the last post, my intent is to post at least three posts this week with each having its own personality. This one is a bit more on the esoteric side and the next will, hopefully, be more of a mathematical calculation.

This week's Parsha tells us that the spies sent into Canaan were witness to giants dwelling in the land. Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz zt"l wonders why there are no longer giants roaming the Earth. He then cites from various statements of Chazal that maintain that these giants are called "Anakim" in the Torah because the were "maanik" (block out) the sun when they would stand up. (Tiferes Yehonasan Bamidbar 13:28)

Rav Eibshitz then contends that their supersize and strength came from magical powers that they would draw from the sun. Since such magical powers have ceased to exert power in today's society, these beings can no longer exist. (Ibid.) In biblical times, however, such powers were around and in order to effectively combat them, Moshe, and later Yehoshua, caused the sun to stand still when battling these formidable foes. The sun would be positioned and stalled in order to cut the power source of these warriors. (Ibid. 13:30)

Another celestial suggestion as to who these giants may have been can be found be focusing on a later verse that states that they were the offspring of the Nephilim. (Bamidbar 13:33) Rashi comments that these Nephilim were Shemchazai and Azael that fell from heaven in the times of Enosh (Adam's grandson). (Rashi Bamidbar 13:33) Rashi appears to be paraphrasing the Yalkut Shimoni that tells over a fascinating story.

The Yalkut Shimoni mentions that in the times of Enosh there were some angels (Shemchazai and Azael) that wished to prove that they could withstand the pressure to sin if they were only given the chance to descend to the earthly realm. Hashem granted their wish and they "fell" to Earth. They are called Nephilim because the root of the word is "nephal" which means to fall. Once on Earth they began to sin and they started to try and intermarry with human women. There was one woman that withstood their advances, Istahar, and for her piety she was placed in the heavens as a star in the star cluster called Kimah, the Pleiades. (Yalkut Shimoni Bereishis 366)

Interestingly enough, the word Nephla, of the same root as Nephilim, is the Aramaic word for the constellation Orion, Kesil. (Targum Iyov 9:9) It is even more fascinating to note that the young girl, Istahar, was placed in the Pleiades which, according to Chazal, are supposed to project the opposite influence to Orion. (Berachos 58b) If these angels fell from the heavens from the region of Orion (perhaps meaning that they were considered to be angels that exert the influences associated with this constellation) then it would almost be as if Hashem was saying that this girl was able to counteract the influence of these beings so she would forever be memorialized in the area of the sky that demonstrates the ability to withstand Orion.

The Rambam Knew Math!!!

There has been a question that I have had regarding an opinion stated by the Rambam for which I think I may have finally found the answer. Before I delve into it, let me provide some background. As many are familiar with, Chazal understood that the constellation that serves as the backdrop to the sun is considered to be the mazal of the month (since we see the sun from a different part of our orbit every day, the sun appears to slowly move across the constellations behind it. The path it "takes" is known as the ecliptic). In Sivan, for example, the stars that are behind the sun are those that form the constellation Teomim, Gemini; therefore, Teomim is the mazal of Sivan.

The issue that one can have with this is that, currently, this is no longer true. Over hundreds of years the stars shift, relative to us, and currently things are one constellation off. The stars that currently reside behind the sun during the month of Sivan are actually those that form the constellation Shor, Taurus.

The reason for this shift is usually described by comparing the earth to a spinning top (dreidel). As a top spins it also wobbles. The earth's wobble is relatively slow; it completes one "wobble" every twenty-five thousand plus years. During the in between time, the constellations slowly "shift" and that results in the system that Chazal put forth not being recognizable to us.

The Rambam notes this phenomenon in his Mishnah Torah (Yesodei HaTorah 3:7) and provides a relatively accurate rate of wobble (1 degree per approximately seventy years; interestingly enough this number is also given by the Ibn Ezra in his Sefer HaTa'amim. The Greeks felt it was more like 1/100; the Arabs refined it more in line with the number chosen by the Ibn Ezra and Rambam. It was only after Newton provided his theory of gravity that the currently accepted number of 1/72 was chosen). The Rambam mentions that the mazalos have shifted and states that the mazal of a month is not connected to the physical arrangement of stars, rather, it is connected to the time of year and, therefore, the mazal of the month of Sivan (from our example) is still Teomim. The Rambam then informs us that the time the names of the constellations were chosen was during the time of the Mabul, Great Flood.

Since Chazal and the Greeks seem to agree on the names, positions and forms of the constellations, it stands to reason that they would agree upon where the exact borders between constellations can be found. The problem I had with the Rambam was the if one does the math of when the Mabul was and "moves" the stars back to their relative positions, he will find that the vernal equinox was located in the constellation of Shor (both using the 1/72 ratio agreed upon by contemporary science, and the 1/70 provided by the Rambam himself). The vernal equinox is the place where the sun is on the first day of spring. Since Nisan is the month that this should be happening in, the vernal equinox should be in T'leh, the mazal of Nisan. The Rambam was certainly capable of doing the simple math of calculating how many degrees one needs to move the constellations based on how many years had passed since the Mabul. How could the Rambam state that the constellations shift at a rate of 1/70 and in the same halacha mention that the origination of the names of the mazalos was in the time of the Mabul!?!

The answer seems to be that the assumption that Chazal necessarily agreed with the Greeks as to the place of the borders is incorrect. There is a discrepancy in Rashi as to where the stars of Kimah are located, either in T'leh (Rashi R"H 11b) or in Shor (Rashi in a note at the end of R"H). The Rashash on Midrash Rabbah in last week's parsha (that's why I decided to post this now) writes that these "Rashis" are in disagreement and that this reflects a disagreement between Shas and the Midrash Rabbah. (Rashash Bamidbar Rabbah 10:8:29; also see 30 in which the Rashash refers to an alligator as an Akrav) I believe many would assume (and perhaps the Rashash himself believes) that the disagreement is that we do not know what Kimah is and there are different star patterns that are being suggested (perhaps the Hyades would be the other opinion). I, however, believe that it is possible that all agree that Kimah is the Pleiades (the conventional translation), and the disagreement is where the borders of Shor and T'leh are (and, perhaps, other borders could be disputed).

If correct, Kimah was in T'leh at the time of the Mabul. It would, therefore, be logical to assume that the Rambam would be of this second opinion and then his statement makes sense perfectly (based on his calculations).

I have included a recreation of these constellations and borders as they were in the time of the Mabul. The recreation reflects the currently accepted numbers and, therefore, if one were to draw a vertical line just to the right of Kimah, the equinox would still be in Shor. One must keep in mind that the Rambam had a ratio of 1/70 and not 1/72. According to his calculations, the equinox would be a few degrees more to the left and Kimah would barely be in T'leh. The Rashi that is of this opinion calls Kimah "the tail of T'leh" making this position seem accurate.

Midrash Similar to Mythology

How does one address the issue that there are many instances when Midrashic teachings are extremely similar to Greek mythology? There are many instances where the storyline expressed by a Midrash will be similar to a mythological legend, sometimes the two are identical (examples will be cited). This question has bothered many for centuries and many answers have been proffered. Many are comfortable with stating that the Greeks stole Jewish concepts and incorporated them into their own ideologies. The problem that some have with this approach is that the culture of the Greeks and that of Chazal seem so diametrically opposed that it seems unreasonable that one would have taken from the other.

I would like to offer a theory and offer an example to support it that is pertinent to Matan Torah (and, of course, would love to hear feedback). Chazal understood that the natural forces of both science and history are encoded and symbolized by the stars. They can be deduced via knowledge of the movements of the stars (the original 4 8 constellations) and the associated symbolism between the stellar patterns and various items. (See Ibn Ezra Shemos 33:31 and Rabbeinu Bachye Bamidbar 23:9; also see Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) For example, the Torah was given in the month of Sivan and the mazal of Sivan (the constellation that rose with the Sun during this month in ancient times) is Teomim, Gemini the Twins. Twins demonstrate a connection between two entities that is unmatched elsewhere. When united they display a complete state not possessed by others. The name Teomim may have its roots in the word Tam meaning complete. (See Midrash Tanchuma Haazinu 1) It was in this month that Klal Yisrael united with Hashem via the Torah.

The Greek mythology is depicted in the night sky. The constellations tell over these legendary stories. One can find the constellation Perseus near Andromeda, Cetus, Cassieopeia and Cepheus. These figures play the roles in a storyline that has monsters, heros and damsels saved at the last minute in Greek mythology.

Since Chazal agree with the basic depictions of the constellations, (see Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) then it stands to reason that they saw elements in the natural world that express these concepts. I do not know if the Greeks took from Chazal, had a tradition dating back to Adam or if this was a natural science that they were able to uncover, but it seems that they also studied the sky and created their myths based on the constellations. That being said, if they express these concepts in a similar fashion to the way a Midrash is stated, it should not be shocking. Of course, the Greeks did distort (and even worship) these ideas and concepts and the figures turned into gods and the stories did not display their true meaning (if the true meaning was ever completely uncovered), but this definitely helps show why similarities not only can, but should occur between mythology and Midrash. (Unfortunately, the symbolism behing the aforementioned constellations is beyond the scope of this post, but the symbolism seems to depict the idea of the Sotah and that Hashem will eventually bring back His wife, Klal Yisrael, even though she has strayed from Him.)

The example with Matan Torah can be seen in with the constellations, Aquarius, Aquila and Cepheus. Aquarius is a Water Pourer, but is also associated with the child of the highest god in Greek mythology. Aquarius represents the "child" of Hashem in reality as it is the mazal of Klal Yisrael. (Ibn Ezra Shemos 31:18) This child was taken by an eagle, Aquila, to rejoin his father in the spiritual realm. We are taught that Hashem took us from Egypt to be his premier nation "on the wings of eagles." (Shemos 19:4-5) In the month of Sivan when Gemini would be rising with the Sun, Aquarius would be setting in the west. At this time, Cepheus, a constellation that represents a king, is seen at the height of the sky sitting in his throne. The "son" Aqaurius is standing on the ground in the west, but immediately next to him is the eagle, Aquila, to take him to his king, Cepheus. It seems pretty clear that the Greeks were (wether knowingly or not) expressing Matan Torah in their legend.

There are many other examples like this (like the story of Procrustes), but unfortunately this post cannot go for forever.

A Lifetime of Space Travel

In this week's parsha we are informed of the size of the Klal Yisrael's standing army in the Wilderness. Only those above twenty years of age were eligible to fight. This number seems somewhat arbitrary since the age of adulthood is considered to be thirteen. Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz resolves this by giving some background.

Rav Eibshitz quotes a verse from Tehillim that states that the average life span of a human is seventy years. The numebr seven has extreme celestial connotations, as the natural world is perceived as being under the influences of the seven planets, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (a theme discussed in the some of the past few posts).

These planets are depicted as orbiting the Earth (this is how the human perceives them) and the order of the orbital circles is as follows (from farthest to closest): Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. Rav Eibshitz suggests that each planets plays a role in the development of the human and each has influence for ten years.

Saturn governs the first ten years and this is recognized through its Hebrew name, Shabsai, which comes from the same root as Shabbos and means to rest. Saturn has the slowest apparent orbital motion and appears to be resting. A human spends much of these years at home and not able to go out into the world. Thus, Saturn's influence is clearly seen.

The next ten years are those of Jupiter's influence. Known by the Hebrew word for righteousness, Tzedek, Jupiter is perceived to have some of the most beneficial and almost holy qualities. It is during the next ten years that the child will attain adulthood (thirteen for a boy and twelve for a girl) and be able to accomplish his holy task in this world by performing mitzvos.

Rav Eibshitz then suggests that Mars, known as Maadim meaning red, takes over. Mars is associated with blood and death and it is at this age that the human has the appropriate celestial qualities that make him a warrior. Therefore, it is at this stage that the Torah says men should be drafted.

Rav Eibshitz does not tell us why the following thirty years are under the influence of the Sun, Venus and then Mercury. He, instead skips to the last ten years of the average human's life and tells us of the associated lunar traits. Perhaps, from age thirty to forty one is considered to be associated with the Sun because the Sun is the most powerful of the planets. Its abilities and physical influence on Earth make it seem as if it is the most powerful celestial force. These middle years of the human are when he is able to accomplish much of what he will be able to accomplish. These years are the peak of his life.

From forty to sixty he is first influenced by Venus and then Mercury. Perhaps, these planets are chosen because they are both between Earth and the Sun (not in the perceived orbits mentioned above, but in the actual way they orbit the Sun). As such, they are only visible in the sky during the evening twilight and then into the early night or from late night into the morning twilight (Mercury being the closest planet to the Sun is actually never seen during night, but always in twilight). They are never seen in the middle of the night. Perhaps, this is symbolic of the aging of the human and the entrance into the twilight of his life. First with Venus which is visible sometimes just after or before twilight, and then with Mercury which is only seen in the twilight.

Lastly, the person's years from sixty to seventy are governed by the Moon. This is very pronounced, says Rav Eibshitz, by the person turning white. His hair turns gray and then white (I am just praying that I still have hair, at the rate I am going the chances are slim). The Moon is the whitest of the planets and its Hebrew name, Levana, comes from the same grammatical root as that of the word for white, Lavan.

(In case you have been noticing, a lot of the material for my posts, recently, has come from Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz. He seems to understand a lot of symbolism, especially numerical symbolism, to be intertwined with this type of astrology. If you enjoy this type of astrological expression I would highly encourage purchasing the chumash that is currently marketed as his peirushim and contains the Tiferes Yehonasan, which has this type of stuff on chumash, the Ahavas Yeshonasan, which has this type of stuff on haftarah and Divrei Yehonasan which contains a pilpulistic commentary to the chumash. Alternatively, Rabbeinu Bachye seems to offer a lot, as well, albeit with an extremely different style. I must admit, I personally am drawn more to Rabbeinu Bachye's style as it often is more associated with astronomy and I am more drawn to that as opposed to astrology. The style of the upcoming book is more of that nature and so were some of the older posts, but Rav Eibshitz's certainly catches my attention.)

Determining the Identity of the Unicorn

Before I get into this post, let me first give a very basic overview as to what a constellation is. If one looks toward the sky he will be able to see hundreds, if not thousands, of stars (unless it is cloudy, daytime or he lives close to a city with lots of lights and pollution). It would be virtually impossible to discuss the different regions of the sky if they were not divided into smaller units. Throughout history, humankind has recognized different areas of the sky as being distinct sections. Each defined grouping of stars was pictured as an object (i.e. a lion, bull, etc.) and these formations (like connect the dots) are constellations. It is similar to looking at a map of the U.S. and then subdividing it into fifty states.

In the times of the Greeks there were forty-eight constellations, and the Ibn Ezra contends that Chazal agree with both this number and the actual division. These were considered to be Divinely created and to exert influence on life on this planet. As time continued, people decided that they needed to subdivide the sky into more regions (without any Divine intervention) otherwise it would be too difficult to converse with one another. The new divisions, which became standardized, provide a framework for both scientists and laymen to discuss the sky with relative ease. These constellations were generally created by astronomers interested in contemporary science and not astrologers who were interested in the influences of these regions. As such, the names of these often reflect more scientific objects such as Microscopium, etc. Currently, there are eighty-eight recognized constellations.

Now, let's talk about unicorns. There is a constellation called Monoceros. Monoceros is Greek for unicorn (mono = one and ceros = horn; interestingly, often times if you exchange the "c" in a Greek word for a "k" you get the Hebrew word, for example, Okaynus, and Oceanis for the word for Oceans. In this instance you get keresh) and that is what this constellation depicts. There is a discrepancy as to when this constellation was "created", but it seems that it was in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It appears that Plancius is the first confirmed source for it and Bartsch(ius) definitely included it in his later work. A notable point is that there is discussion as to whether the, slightly earlier and very reputable historian, Joseph Scaliger allegedly claimed to have seen this constellation in a much earlier ancient Persian source. If so, that would, perhaps, place it as far back as the time of Chazal. If the Persians' unicorn was similar to that of the ones mentioned by Chazal, then this information could be used to ascertain this beast's identity.

About a year ago I made, what I feel, is a big discovery. I was learning the Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma for my upcoming sefer (sorry, I had to put in another shameless plug). When the Ibn Ezra delineates the constellations he only mentions the standard forty-eight of Chazal. However, he constantly refers to other segments and star patterns in the sky. This would be comparable to looking at the map of the U.S. and, in addition to the states (our constellations), we could also see some counties and regions. These are currently referred to as asterisms (i.e. the Big Dipper which is a segment of the constellation Ursa Major). When discussing Gemini, the constellation associated with the upcoming month of Sivan, the Ibn Ezra discusses some nearby asterisms. One of them is, you guessed it, Monoceros!!! At first I was completely amazed. It seemed that I had historical proof that this "constellation" did, in fact, predate (since the Ibn Ezra lived hundreds of years before) and that Scaliger's claim may have validity. Not only that, but the Ibn Ezra also refers to all the objects mentioned in his work as having influence on the planet, a suggestion implying that these are Divinely created asterisms. Since the only Reishis Chachma that I was able to get was a translation I set out to find a copy of the original Hebrew (something I had wanted to do anyway).

I finally located a copy published in 1939 that contained the original Hebrew as well as a French and English translation. The Hebrew reads "חיה בעלת קרן" which does sound like unicorn, but, I must concede, is not definitive anymore since one could argue that it just means a horned animal. I do find it very unlikely to be something other than the unicorn, though, because what is the likelihood of that happening in the exact location of the modern Monoceros which Scaliger claims predates its "modern creation".

Based on Scaliger's testimony and the above proof, it seems that Plancius and Bartsch were aware of the older asterism and decided to include it into the sky as a constellation (by the way, there is no reason to suspect that they intended to present this as their own creation, rather, it is very possible that they just intended to upgrade an asterism of ancient to the status of constellation in order to divide the sky into smaller parts). Scaliger's alleged sighting in the Persian source would have included a picture of the animal (it was common to draw the stars with fancy artistic representations of their associated items behind them) and it stands to reason that Plancius was aware of this information. Therefore, they would have known the Persian unicorn's true identity, which would probably be identical to the Ibn Ezra's.

There has been speculation as to the possibility of the unicorn being a giraffe. The giraffe has two horns on the top of its head, but another bump in the middle of its head. If it is the unicorn, then, what Chazal meant when they said an animal with one horn between its eyes was that in addition to two regular horns it had a third in between its eyes. The translation as unicorn would, then, be in error. If the giraffe is the only species of unicorn mentioned then, perhaps, the above stellar discoveries put a little doubt on this assertion (in addition to the asterism/constellation being called Monoceros as opposed to Triceros). There is another constellation created by Plancius and charted by Bartsch, Camelopardalis. In case you haven't figured it out, camelopardalis means giraffe in Latin (originating from the Greek) and Plancius was dedicating this region of the sky to this animal (once again, camel = gamal, o = u and pardalis = bardalis, a spotted cat like an ocelot; this would show the Hebrew equivalent of a mix between a camel and bardalis, a giraffe does look something like a mix of the two). The fact that there was another constellation created by the same people indicates that the two cannot be one and the same. The depiction that is in use, stemming from Plancius and Bartsch, is a horselike creature with a horn on its head.

Goodnight Moon

The climactic moment of the Ten Plagues was the final one, the killing of the firstborns at midnight. Last year I posted about the star Sirius' connection to this event. This year I would like to add one more point to that post.

An entire lunar cycle (from our perspective) takes approximately 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 1/3 seconds. Since this tenth plague occurred on the 15th of the lunar month, that means that the moon was full.

Many notice that the moon is sometimes visible in the daytime and at other times at night. The basic overview of its rise and set times is that in the beginning of the lunar month it is visible in the afternoon and sets just after sunset. Every subsequent day it appears a little later in the day and sets a little later in the evening. In the middle of the month it rises at sunset and sets at sunrise and it then begins to rise after sunset and set in the morning until the cycle begins again.

When putting all this together, one can see that at midnight,the moment of the plague, the moon was full and at its peak. The sun, on the other, has its peak at midday and is at its lowest at midnight. The other nations of the world are compared to the sun (see Maharsha Yoma 20) and Klal Yisrael to the moon (see Midrash Tehillim 22). This was finally the moment when Klal Yisrael was shining and at its peak and their oppressors were at their lowest.

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!

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.

Yeshaya HaNavi's New World Order?

The astronomical reference in this week’s Haftarah is pretty fantastic. Although many of these posts are theories, I have found that there is a disproportionate amount of wording in Sefer Yeshaya that often has a dual meaning in the astronomical sense (Yechezkel is a close second). Because of that, it seems that when one encounters some of these underlying themes in this sefer that it is hard to discount them. Also, has to realize that the average person was as in tune with the stars, their movements and representations (they were perceived to be the ideas of nature and necessary for their agricultural society) and would certainly see these references as being obvious (like allusions in poetry or literature that are referencing contemporary issues).

The pasuk states (Yeshaya 66:3),

"שוחט השור מכה איש זובח השה ערף כלב מעלה מנחה דם חזיר מזכיר לבנה מברך און וגו'"

One who slaughters an ox [is as if he] has struck a man, the offering of a sheep [is like] the killing [by means through the back of the neck] of a dog, the giving of a flour offering [likened to] pig’s blood, the burning (see Metzudos) of frankincense is a forced blessing, etc."

The prophet is discussing the order of the world as man develops. At first the prophet focuses on the destructive path of man (as seen above) but the end of the chapter details the end of times when order will be restored and the wicked punished. It is interesting to see that the aforementioned verse seems to contain a very astronomical idea.

As we all know, there are four season and they start on the dates of the two equinoxes and two solstices. These dates are not just points in time, but the placement of the sun in the sky on these dates is integral. The location against the backdrop of stars is also referred to by the names of equinox and solstice. These areas were given significant weight by all ancient civilizations (see Ibn Ezra’s Sefer HaTa’amim).

At the time of Creation these four points were located in Shor/Taurus, Aryeh/Leo, Akrav/Scorpius, D’li/Aquarius. Over long periods of time, the stars appear to drift from their original place and, by the time of Chazal, these points shifted to being in the location of T’leh/Aries, Sartan/Cancer, Moznayim/Libra and G’di/Capricorn. Currently they have shifted even more and are in: Dagim/Pisces, Teomim/Gemini, Besulah/Virgo and Keshes/Sagittarius. The next shift will be similar to the first one mentioned, but with the order having D’li first and Akrav last. The shifts will continue in that fashion causing one to state that there are three basic makeups of these four points over the course of this world’s lifespan.

When analyzing the pasuk above, one sees that every grouping of three has two objects that seem to refer to two points of four from each set. All show the destruction of that item and could be showing that that item’s importance was being destroyed as the sun will no longer be placed in it during these important times.

The slaughter of an ox is compared to the striking of a man. The ox is the first point mentioned, Shor, and D’li, the last point, is considered to be a human pouring water and described, astrologically as human (see Ibn Ezra’s Reishis Chachma and Sefer HaTa’amim). The next grouping has a sheep and a dog. The sheep is T’leh, the first of the second set, and the dog, perhaps, is referencing Sartan. The dog is described as being killed from the back of its neck. If one looks to the constellations representing dogs in the sky, Canis Major and Canis Minor, he will see Cancer/Sartan, riding on the back of their necks. The next reference is the offering of flour and the blood of a pig. This seems to be showing the in between stage of the second and third set. (The first switching of sets had primarily happened in the time of Yeshaya , so perhaps, from the first to second set the prophet saw no need to discuss the in between motion.) In the hand of the Besulah is the star Spica and it is considered to be represented as stalks of wheat (see Ibn Ezra’s Reishis Chachma) and it is on the edge of Besulah. On the edge of Cancer is a star pattern that the Ibn Ezra tells us is represented as an iron pig (Reishis Chachma). Finally, the frankincense and the forced blessing can be shown as Dagim and Besulah. Dagim is considered to rule over many species plant life, including frankincense, and the way to describe the destruction of a Besulah would be to discuss the idea of her being forcibly taken (this is how Chazal reference the act of forcibly taking a woman as Ones, force). Therefore, perhaps, the "forced" blessing is showing the destruction of the Besulah.

Throughout the exile these changes of stellar position have all happened. Perhaps, the future will bring us something new. This can be seen in the phrase used by Yeshaya later in the Haftarah (Yeshaya 66:22),

"כי כאשר השמים החדשים והארץ החדשה אשר אני עשה וגו'"

"Because like the new heavens and the new world that I make, etc."

May we all merit to seeing this realization soon.

Moshe Rabbeinu's Birth and Demise Seen in the Stars?

Rashi (Shemos 1:22) mentions that the Egyptian astrologers recognized the day which Moshe Rabbeinu was born as the day of the birth of the Jewish savior. They were, apparently, also able to see that he would eventually have some failure associated with water (this actually took place with the event when Moshe Rabbeinu hit the rock in Parsha Chukas). Therefore, Paroh decreed that all boys born that day, even Egyptian, must be killed by being thrown into the river.

When looking back to the year of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth (1392 B.C.E.) and the day on which he was born 7 Adar, one can, perhaps, see a little bit of what these astrologers saw. Saturn was entering into the constellation Pisces. Saturn is considered to be the planetary influence of the Jewish people (Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma). Pisces is considered to be the constellation that influences the Jewish people's houses of worship (Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma), and is associated with water as it is depicted as fish. While entering, Saturn could be viewed as the sign of the Jews finally finding its place of success, in the shul.

Interestingly, on the eighth day after his birth (his bris) Venus came extremely close to Saturn. Venus is associated with fertility (Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) and at the bris is when the male child is considered completed. This celestial spectacle would been seen as the growth and development of this new savior. It also would have been easily predicted in advance by the Egyptian astrologers.

Even though, as mentioned by Rashi, the Egyptians did not know whether this savior was Jewish or not, since the eight day has significance to the Jewish people as being this day of completion, its occurrence would not have been discounted. So, perhaps, the Egyptian astrologers saw the entering into Pisces and deduced that the birth of the savior was possible, but they still could have thought that this was not indicative of the birth certainly occurring. Saturn is the slowesr moving naked eye planet, but it still makes a complete circle around the night sky over a thirty to forty year period. Maybe thirty to forty years later would signify the birth when Saturn would return to this position. However, once they saw that Venus would be touching it eight days later, they knew that this had to be the time of the actual birth.

How did they deduce that Moshe Rabbeinu would experience failure with water? Perhaps, they had seen a couple months earlier, when Moshe Rabbeinu was developing as a fetus, that Mars touched Saturn while in the constellation Aquarius. Mars does not come this close to Saturn on a regular basis. It can be centuries in between events like this from any given location. Mars, associated with death and blood (Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) would be seen as affecting Saturn and, interestingly, it was occurring in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Carrier. Aquarius is seen as a man pouring out water from a bucket. The obvious connection would be to assume that the savior of the Jews, expressed by Saturn, would meet his demise, as seen with Mars, in the context of water, Aquarius.

(It is also of note that in the Midrash Rabbah, Rashi's source, the Midrash states that the astrologers made this prediction when Yocheved was pregnant with Moshe Rabbeinu. That seems consistent with this supposition because they would have begun making their predictions from that point and would use the future calculated events to continue their theories. Therefore, the Midrash and Rashi, if my theory is correct, are both accurate).

Perhaps, the most fascinating aspect of this entire theory is how it came to fruition. We know that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away 120 years later and it was punishment for hitting the rock (which brought forth water and showed the accuracy of the Egyptian prediction) that denied his entry into Eretz Yisrael. That year, and that day of his death, Saturn was in the same place as it was on the day of his birth; a place of water. Interestingly (although I don't know exactly what to make of the following), on day thirty of his passing, the last day that Klal Yisrael mourned Moshe Rabbeinu, Mars, Venus and Mercury all came extremely close (within a few degrees) of Saturn. This is an unusually rare event!!! Since I am not an astrologer, nor do I pretend to understand or study astrology (I have learned through some sifrei rishonim about it in order to understand some other ideas, such as astronomy, that they espoused), I don't know exactly what the significance of this event is, but I can tell you that any self respecting astrologer in those days would have seen it as a truly astronomical event.

No Kidding

Obviously, this time of year is celebrated by millions as the time when one year ends and the next begins. Most people assume that there is no recognition of this concept in Jewish thought. The two times associated with new beginnings are thought to be Nisan, the first of the months, and Tishrei, the beginning of a new year. Nisan marks the beginning of spring and the beginning of growth, and Tishrei marks the beginning of gathering in what one has worked for all year.

The truth is that, although not symbolic of a new year, this time period is, in fact, associated with a time of new beginning by Chazal. The Midrash (Tanchuma Haazinu 1) compares the life cycle of a human to the yearly cycle. While doing this, it states that after the individual has received his judgment from Tishrei (apparently enacted in Cheshvan) he begins anew in Teves. The Midrash mentions that this is why the mazal of Teves is a G'di, a kid. Just like a kid will develop into a mature goat, so too, this person is starting with a fresh start and able to mature.

Perhaps, the association follows the fact (certainly the secular new year does) that this time of year does mark a time of new growth. The sun's position begins to decline in the sky starting from late June. It continues to get lower and lower in the sky until right around the beginning of Teves. At that point the sun stops and reverses itself and begins to ascend higher and higher every day until late June. The days get longer and the nights shorter.

While no actual agricultural growth can be seen at this time, the sun's position allows one to see that things will turn around and the winter will end (hopefully sooner than later). This may not be a significant renewal to warrant a new year or beginning of the months, but it allows one to see that even though this time marks the beginning of the harshest season, it also marks the fact that that is already beginning its end. Eventually, when the sun is high enough the earth will have heated up enough and the spring will come around again!!!

Can the Torah's South be North?

In this week’s Haftarah we are told (הושע יג:יב),
"צרור עון אפרים צפונה חטאתו."
"Ephraim’s iniquity is bound, his sin is hidden."
Earlier, the navi had made it known, clearly, that the sin of Ephraim was idolatry. Idolatry being "hidden" is something that actually refers to an astronomical fact. More specifically, that which is hidden shows that idolatry is ridiculous.

Rabbeinu Bachye (Bamidbar 2:2) informs us that the cardinal directions, east (מזרח), west (מערב), north (צפון) and south (דרום) are named such because of the sun’s perceived motion (also see Ramban Shemos 26:17). מזרח is the word for east because it comes from zarach meaning to shine. It is from this direction that the sun begins its journey every day. מערב is from erev which means nightfall because the sun’s journey ends here at nightfall. דרום is actually a contraction of two words, dar and rom, meaning dwells high.

The sun, to those at northern latitudes, rises from the east and travels on the southern portion of the sky and sets in the west. צפון also means hidden and that is why north is referred to as such. While the sun can definitely set and rise from a slightly northern direction, it NEVER travels on this side of the sky. The sun, the most commonly chosen idol, should have been rejected as a god for this reason. The fact that it has no power in this area, and that it sets, shows its impotence!!! The Rema (Toras HaOlah) tells us that this is why the pending destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash was described by the navi, Yirmiyahu, as coming from the north. This was to show the idol worshippers that they were horribly wrong. Perhaps, this is why Ephraim’s sin is depicted as being hidden, as well.

When describing these types of ideas, people sometimes ask why the Torah seems to totally disregard those in the southern hemisphere. For them, it is the northern side that the sun travels on and the southern side is "hidden". I am not 100% sure, but I feel that the answer is either that since the Torah was given in the northern hemisphere it is told from that perspective, OR that the Torah would have called north darom and south tzafon to these people!!! The idea is not the actual direction, but the solar movement. If so, then it is reasonable that this would be the case.

Rosh Chodesh Not a Function of the Moon?

Most are familiar with the fact that Rosh Chodesh is associated with the lunar cycle. Therefore, when they see the Yerushlami (Rosh Hashana 14b) they do a double take. The Yerushalmi states that both the sun and moon play a role in the determination of Rosh Chodesh. Essentially, when the new moon is sighted and/or sanctified by the official beis din, the NEXT DAY is considered Rosh Chodesh.

The Yerushalmi determines this based on a pasuk that states that the sun knows its path and the moon determines the specified times. The Yerushalmi understands this to mean that through the sun's path we determine the times of the moon and the effects of a new moon will not happen until that solar day (at sunset) is over. In this way, Rosh Chodesh can be viewed as a synthesis of the solar and lunar paths in the sky.

Although, the Acharonim on the page stipulate theories in order to try and read this Yerushalmi within the conventional understanding that the sun does not have any effect on Rosh Chodesh, the plain reading (as expressed above) can be found as given by Rashi on Bereishis Rabbah (6). While this opinion does not appear to be considered by the Bavli, and certainly not by the Rambam (Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh), it is still fascinating to see it in a primary text. (For a resolution to the problems presented by certain Mishnayos in Rosh Hashana please see the post Superhuman Sight that I posted here on August 5 of this year.)

The Shibbolei HaLeket (168) references this Yerushalmi (in the plain form, as well) and states that this is an answer to a question that he has pondered in the past. When a month has 30 days, the last day is called Rosh Chodesh in addition to the following day (the first of the next month). He wonders why this day should actually have any sanctity considering that it is not the true first of the month. He responds by saying that this day enables the following to be Rosh Chodesh, simlar to the day beis din declares the sanctification of Rosh Chodesh which causes the FOLLOWING day to be Rosh Chodesh. He cites this Yerushalmi to support his claim!