Even the Sages Had Difficulty Pronouncing "Ch"

Although the names of the months are of Babylonian origin, there is Midrashic literature that fleshes out the deeper meanings behind these names. One such Midrash is attributed to Rebbi Pinchas the talmid of the Kalir (Tosefos mention that the Kalir is the Tanna Rebbi Eliezer the son of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai) and is referred to as "Kiddush Yerachim D'Rebbi Pinchas" ("The Sanctification of the Months by Rebbi Pinchas"). (See Torah Sheleimah Miluim Parshas Bo, 178)

Rebbi Pinchas mentions that Elul, the month we are beginning, is called Elul (אלול) because of the shofar that is blown throughout this month in preparation for Rosh Hashana. A shofar is a hollowed out instrument and can be referred to as being Chalul (חלול - meaning hollow). The root of this word חלל can be seen with a similar application when used to describe a flute, a Chalil (חליל).

Perhaps, the fact that a shofar is hollow is not just a random attribute, but personifies part of the nature of what it is displaying in this month. Elul is clearly the time when preparation for Tishrei, the next month, is happening. People repent and awaken early to say selichos in order to be meritorious in the judgment of Rosh Hashana. According to Rebbi Eliezer the world was created on 25 Elul, but Rosh Hashana is not until 1 Tishrei because that is when the days of Creation ceased and the world was ready to run appropriately with man at its helm. (See Rosh Hashana 10b) Thus, one sees directly that Elul is like a hollow tube; a mechanism that displays the concept of a conduit. Its sole purpose is to connect and prepare one for that which comes out the end of it, Tishrei.

Grammarians, please do not worry! There is precedent for the exchange of a ח for an א, so the change from חלול to אלול should not seem so scary. In Parshas VaYishlach we are taught of Yaakov Avinu's famous battle with an angel. The pasuk states, ",ויאבק איש עמו" which means, "And he wrestled with the man." (Bereishis 32:25) The word used for wrestle ויאבק (VaYeAvek) is not a common word and the Ramban mentions that this word's origins literally come from those that mean that the two became intertwined as if embracing. Continues the Ramban that the Sages had difficulty pronouncing the letter ח and often either swallowed it or expressed it as an א. (Ramban Bereishis 32:25) Apparently, this was common enough that the Torah itself recognizes this pronunciation regarding this battle and uses ויאבק instead of ויחבק (VaYeChavek) which means to embrace. Therefore, when discussing the names of the months which are Babylonian it stands to reason that these letters would be easily interchangeable.

Showering in Dust

As mentioned in yesterday's post, this weekend will mark the Perseid meteor shower. That post reflected on some of the significance one can find in meteor showers that is applicable in one's personal life. Interestingly, the word for meteors in shas is zikos. Perhaps not so coincidentally, this week's haftarah discusses zikos, as well. (See Yishayah 50:11.)

In the haftarah the word is meant to describe Klal Yisrael and is referring to them as zikos, or igniters of fire. Because meteors appear as streaks of fire across the sky, the word zikos is applicable to them too.

Besides the symbolism mentioned in the last post, perhaps, there is added meaning when referring to this word usage in the haftarah. Many times, zikos, meteors, are the remnants of a comet that has passed through an area of space long ago. As Earth passes through that same area the dust particles left behind from that much earlier comet enter our atmosphere and flare up. This gives the appearance of a shower of meteors; hence the term for such events, meteor showers.

Essentially, the amazing spectacle seen from our planet is really the residual effect from many years past. This is something that is definitely attributable to Klal Yisrael. We are a nation built on the actions of our forefathers. In addition to trying to follow in their giant footsteps, it is often their merits that we are dependant on. Just like the comet left behind something that was imperceptible to us until the moment it interacts with the atmosphere, so too, our forefathers' actions were unnoticeable but still capable of affecting the world when necessary.

This haftarah has a significant amount of astronomical imagery within it. I discussed it at greater length in a post last year that you can read by clicking here.

All We Are is Dust In the Sky

This weekend will mark the peak of this year's Perseid meteor shower. As comets swing by our planet, they leave behind all sorts of dust and debris. Every year when Earth's orbit puts us into the dusty area of space, these particles enter our atmosphere. These particles then appear to flare up and, from our perspective, look like small stars that streak across the sky. In fact, many refer to such objects as shooting stars. On any given night there are a few particles that enter the atmosphere, but when we enter these dustier areas there are many more and the name meteor shower has been designated for these more active times.

There is an interesting halachah that if one sees a meteor he is to recite the brachah of oseh ma'aseh bereishis. This brachah can only be said on one meteor per night. (See Shulchan Aruch OC 227:1 and MB 227:1.)

Perhaps somewhat poetically, I find that reflecting on these types of events can give one both chizuk and mussar. A small piece of dust all of a sudden erupts into a fiery particle that, from Earth, appears to be a shooting star. As humans we have been created from dust, but we, too, are able to put on a great show and become great like the stars. However, we have to realize that our time here is fleeting. After a few moments these "stars" tend to burn out and leave no lasting mark. It is only the few larger particles that are big enough to survive the descent through the atmosphere and touch down to the ground. The vast majority leave no lasting impression.


This year's Perseid shower is not expected to be one of the more spectacular meteor showers. It is predicted to produce approximately one meteor per minute. Keep in mind that in many locations the sky conditions will not permit one to see the meteors that clearly.

Ancient Roots For Oxen (Amended)

When describing the bountiful plenty that Hashem will bestow upon us when we keep the Torah, the pasuk refers to cattle and sheep as follows:

"שגר אלפיך ועשתרות צאנך"

"The offspring of your cattle and your flocks of sheep." (Devarim 28:4)

While this is not the only time these words are used, they are used infrequently enough that the Rishonim feel it necessary to translate the words. (See their writings to Devarim 7:13) The words "שגר אלפיך ועשתרות" are usually not those found for offspring, cattle and flocks. Rather the more common "ילידי בקר ועדרים" seem more appropriate. (See Rashi Devarim 7:13)

The Ibn Ezra comments that the word usage may have some profoundly astronomical/astrological connection that was uncovered by "A great commentator from Sefarad," but the wording found in the Ibn Ezra's comments are difficult to understand and many have debated what he actually meant. (See Ibn Ezra Devarim 7:13)

While I am not sure if the following is what the Ibn Ezra intended, it does seem to be a plausible theory. It is important to recognize that the stars we see in the night sky appear to be in the same relative positions on any given day of the year. Meaning, if I go outside on August 5 of any given year at any specific time (at any given location), the stars seen in the sky will be identical to those seen the year before and the year after on that date at that time (at that location). While this seems to be the case, the truth is that the stars "move" approximately one degree every 72 years and thereby over large periods of time things will no longer appear the same. Over the course of any individual's lifetime (other than those that lived to biblical ages) one will not perceive this shift (called axial precession or the precession of the equinoxes). This phenomenon causes the mazal of any given month to appear to shift over long periods of time. For example, in the time of Chazal the mazal of the month of Adar was Dagim (Pisces) because that was positioned "behind" the sun that month. Nowadays Dagim has the sun "behind" it during the month of Nisan. This phenomenon has been mentioned by the Ibn Ezra in his foreword to Sefer HaTaamim and by the Rambam in his Mishneh Torah (see Yesodei HaTorah 3:7). The mazal of Nisan was given significant importance in ancient times since it displayed new growth and beginning. (See Ibn Ezra's Sefer HaTaamim)

When the world was created the mazal of the month of Nisan was Shor (Taurus) which has been symbolized by a bull since extremely ancient times. Later, due to the shift of axial precession, it shifted into the mazal of T'leh (Aries) which is shown as a ram or sheep. Perhaps, the expression of an ox as an אלף is because like the letter אלף it was first in the first position mazalos. The word שגר is perhaps used to describe the offspring of this ox because שגר often carries the connotation that the item has been cast away, as if rejected (see Jastrow's translation of this word). The flocks of sheep are perhaps referred to as עשתרות from the word עושר meaning riches. Since after the ox was cast away the mazal moved to T'leh enriching it and associating with it riches. (See Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma 2) In fact, Chazal deduce from this wording that raising sheep is very profitable and makes one rich. (Chullin 84b)

Additionally, the tenth month of the year, Teves, was associated with the sign of G'di (Capricorn[us]) during the time period that Klal Yisrael were leaving Mitzrayim. It remained with this association throughout the time of Chazal. Thus, the tenth month is associated with ovine creatures since a g'di is a goat which is a subcategory of the word in our pasuk, צאן. Perhaps, the עשתרות also has roots in the word עשר which means ten.

A Midsummer Night's Learning?

The Gemara focusses on how the sun begins to lose its power on the 15 of Av. (Bava Basra 121b) Interestingly, the Rashbam mentions that the nights begin to get longer on 15 Av, and since one isn't working at night this means that he has more time to delve into Torah study. The obvious question that one should ask is that the solstice occurs in Tammuz (hence the name Tekufas Tammuz) and it is on that day (usually June 21) that the nights start to get shorter. That is why Shakespeare called it a Midsummer Night's Dream since "midsummer" used to refer to the solstice and it is a short night with quick dreams (although now we call that the first day of summer). This is now 44 days after this point that the days have been getting noticeably shorter, what could the Rashbam mean?

Perhaps the answer lies in how the nights gets longer. In the beginning of summer when the solstice occurs, it is true that the nights get longer, but they begin their growth by first having a later daybreak time. If one looks at a zmanim chart he will see that in the beginning of summer nightfall stays relatively the same, it is daybreak that gets later and later. It is around 15 Av that nightfall begins to get earlier, as well.

Maybe the Rashbam is not assuming that the individual is going to rise from bed earlier than daybreak, rather, he assumes that the person will end his day in the fields at nightfall. If the person goes to sleep at the same time every night then he will have more time for learning once nightfall gets earlier. Thus, one of the defining features of 15 Av is that Torah study becomes easier without even having ot put in much extra effort. It is displaying a bracha how Hashem tries to make it easy, at times, for us to benefit from His holy Torah study.

A Mistaken Translation? (Artscroll Kinos)

The Kinos read on Tisha B'Av are peppered with many astronomical allusions. Some outright such as the fifth Kinah, read at night, that goes through the mourning of the twelve zodiacal constellations and others that use terminology to emphasize a point but do not outright discuss the night sky. A basic knowledge of the celestial objects opens a new dimension to seeing some of the powerful symbolism found in these heart wrenching lamentations. Unfortunately, lack of such knowledge often leads to misinterpretation.

Last year I was using the Artscroll Kinos (copyright 1991) and I noticed what appears to me to be an example of a mistranslation of one such Kinah. Earlier this evening I was in shul davening Maariv and I noticed that they had come out with their new linear translation and I immediately opened to this Kinah to see if any changes were made. I found that changes were made, but it appears that the original intent of the author is still not being expressed by this translation.

The Kinah is number 37 (ציון קחי כל צרי גלעד) states:

"נראה בתמוז כסיל בך יעלה כי שאר כל החדשים לבד זה בחדריך"

The first translation was:

"The constellation Orion is visible everywhere [except in Israel] in the month of Tammuz, for it only ascends above you [Israel] during one of the other months [Sivan], while [in Tammuz] it remains concealed in your inner chambers."

The translator must have realized that he was butchering the original text. The actual Hebrew seems to be discussing how Orion is seen in Tammuz, presumably in Israel since that is the location of the rest of the items in the Kinah, and during the rest of the months it seems to be elsewhere. My guess is that the translator did some research and found that Orion is not visible in the Middle East during the summer month of Tammuz. Because he assumed the original text must make sense, he had to force this other interpretation into the words. Unfortunately, it does not seem to capture the true intent of the author. I am also not sure where the "everywhere" that Orion is visible in Tammuz is. The entire Middle East and a significant portion of the Northern Hemisphere, currently, do not see Orion during this month.

Since I did not purchase the new linear translation, I do not have it in front of me, but the new translation of the line went something like this:

"In Tammuz, Antares visibly rises in you for in all the other months it is in your chambers [Southern Hemisphere]."

You will notice that the new translator abandoned the conventional Orion as his translation for "כסיל" and instead picked the lesser translation, Antares. I suspect he did so partially for the reasons cited above. While the vast majority of Rishonim maintain that "כסיל" is the constellation Orion, the Ibn Ezra maintains that it is the bright red star Antares that is found in the constellation Scorpius. (Ibn Ezra Iyov 38:31) Although this is a very unconventional translation, there is reason to suspect that it is accurate as it has been suggested that the author of this Kinah may have been the Ibn Ezra himself. Kudos to the new translation, but unfortunately it still is hard to hear.

Antares is seen in Yerushalayim in Tammuz, but what does it mean that the other months Antares finds itself in the Southern Hemisphere? Antares is visible (at least at some time during the night) for eleven out of the twelve months of the year in Yerushalayim. Rashi even mentions this fact in Rosh Hashana (11b).

I would like to offer a simple and clear translation for this line. By doing so I think it also becomes apparent that the Ibn Ezra is not the author of this Kinah. Before I give the translation, let me give some background. The stars have slowly shifted from their positions that they were in at the time of Chazal and even from the time of the Rishonim (I am referring to their relative position). The phenomenon that causes this is referred to as the precession of the equinoxes. I believe the reason for the mistranslation is because the translators researched what the current sky looks like and not the ancient sky as it was in the times of the author!!!

In the time of Chazal, Orion was first visible during Tammuz. Prior to Tammuz its appearance in the sky was occurring in daytime and its stars were out shined by daylight. In the eleventh - thirteenth century, when the Kinah was written, Orion still first became visible during Tammuz albeit later in the month. Its visibility was just before sunrise and it therefore was seen at daybreak. The stars and constellations that rise with the Sun are considered to be coming to power. (Rashi Rosh Hashana 11b) Therefore, even though Orion is visible in many other months, it may be considered to be more powerful in Tammuz and in the rest of the months it may be considered to be less of a force. Nowadays, it takes until the middle of Av for it to become visible meaning that it is invisible during Tammuz. If the translator would have looked to the star visibility times as they were in the times of the original author, he could have taken a very simple translation:

"The visibility of Orion in Tammuz is seen rising in you, for in all other months other than this it is in your chambers (meaning not in a position of power)."

May Hashem cause that this Kinah will not be read and cried over this coming Tisha B'Av since hopefully we will be rejoicing after finding true salvation after close to two thousand years!

Spies in the Skies: Tisha B'Av

In this week's parsha we are taught that 12 spies were sent into Canaan. Unfortunately, when they returned, on the 9 of Av, they gave a dismal report laced with blasphemy. The people complained bitterly and they were sentenced to die in the Wilderness. Only their children would enter the Promised Land, and even they would have to wait forty years to do so. In addition, this day, Tisha B'Av, was designated for tragedy, something it has lived up to since this original verdict was decreed.

Interestingly, if one looks to the sky on many of the important events throughout biblical history, one sometimes finds rare astronomical happenings. Even more fascinating is that these occurrences often fit the historical moment based on the astrological framework set forth by the Ibn Ezra in his Reishis Chachma. In this instance, the moon was "touching" Saturn. Since the moon is significantly closer to our planet than Saturn, it sometimes appears to pass in front of this distant planet. Sometimes the entire planet is hidden behind the moon and sometimes it is only partially behind the moon. The latter gives the impression as if the two are touching. Both types of "conjunctions" are extremely rare.

On the night of the first Tisha B'Av the moon was partially blocking Saturn. This, says the Ibn Ezra, is an extremely ominous sign. (Reshis Chachma 7) Even more interesting is that the Ibn Ezra maintains that when Saturn is touching an illuminated side of the moon it is not as bad, but when it is touching a darker part it portends horrible consequences. (Ibid.) In the instance of the first Tisha B'Av it was touching a dark part.

I do not know if the following also plays a role in the astrological happenings, but I find it interesting that the moon is considered by Chazal to represent the Jewish nation, (Midrash Tehillim 22; also see Rabbeinu Bacheye Shemos 12:2) and Saturn is considered to be their astrological sign. (Reishis Chachma 4) This ominous sign so intertwined with the Jewish people happening on the most tragic day of the Jewish year cannot be mere coincidence. (The small dot to the left of the moon just below the illuminated part is Saturn. I left it encircled and marked by the program used to recreate the sky, Stellarium. I apologize if the recreation did not come out clearly).