A special once in a 28 year Jewish event cycle is happening making this Passover a very very special one.
It is so special quips Rabbi M. Miller that we can have creation in the morning with this blessing, revelation at midday by studying some Torah and have redemption at night at Seder.
Some Talmud: Bavli Tractate Beracoth 59a: The rabbis of the Talmud tell us that once every 28 years, the sun returns to the same place, same time of day and same day of the week as at the moment of its creation. This confluence of events, a restaging of the heavens as they were at the beginning of time, was not a moment to be overlooked in the rabbinic imagination. So, they bid us to celebrate this re-enactment of the creation of the sun every 28 years
At the first rays of sunrise on this day of blessing, April 8, 2009, we are to go outside, face east and recite: ''Blessed are You, Adonai, our God and God of all the universe, who makes all things in creation.'' (''Aoseh ma-aseh v'reishit'' , Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Beracoth 9:2)
There is more of course, a full Shacharit-morning service. We plan to meet at dawn that day. Perhaps even have a shofar-ram's horn. And then run home to prepare for Passover seder.
Some more Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 58b: Rabbi Shmuel (3rd Century CE Babylon) was familiar with the pathways of the heaven as with the streets of his hometown Neharda'a" – he taught that the length of a solar year is 365.25 days, or 52 weeks plus 1¼ days.
Talmud Bavli Tractate Eruvin 56a. It thus follows that precisely one year later, when the sun returned to the original position it occupied at the moment of its creation, it would be 1¼ days (one day and six hours) later in the week: Wednesday at midnight. After two years, it would be 2½ days later in the week: Friday at 6:00 a.m. Only after 28 years, would the sun return to that position on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Remember how we discussed Four Jewish New Years?
On Thursday the 26th of March ,2009, is Rosh Chodesh Nissan. No, every Jew doesn't not get a new Japanese car. We get something better. We get our Jewish New Year! What?
Some Torah: Ex. 12: 1-2 :God spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: "This month shall be to you the head of months; it shall be for you the first of the months of the year." Yep. Nissan is really the Jewish New Year. Tishrei when we celebrate Rosh Ha Shana is the 7th Month. And the rabbis teach us some spiritual and ethical lessons.
Nissan is when we became a liberated new nation. It is our July 4th, to use an American analogy. In doing so, the first commandment we were given as a free people was being in charge of our own time. Slaves don't have this luxury. We get to fix our calendar, determine when the holidays are, when Shabbat is, and take time off for Spiritual Renewal and Rest. That is the number one value in being free. More important even, than not having the lash on our backs. Yet, as free Jews today, how many of us, make ourselves slaves to the clock and the calendar? We are to control it, not it control us.
Some Talmud: Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 38b: The other lesson has to do with Tishrei's Rosh ha Shana. It is celebrating Adam and Eve's birthday and the creation of the world. It is to teach us that we all have one 'heavenly' Father, and one set of Human parents. This is to teach us, that no nation, no race, can say, "I am better than you are.'' Further it teaches us that we truly need to treat each other like loving brothers and sisters, and not the type who fight in the back seat for ten hours while mom and dad drive from Atlanta to Disney World.
We celebrate the anniversary of all of universe, including the sun, on Tishrei's Rosh Hashanah. Now we know already Jews debate everything, but we are to debate nicely. So the rabbis of course are going to debate if the universe was created in Nissan or Tishrei. Some of them are old sages but none that old. [Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Hashanah 10b].
The Talmud decided that for counting years and the birthday of the world, we use Tishrei. For Jewish law and Jewish peoplehood, and holidays, we use Nissan.[ Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Hashanah 12a]
The mystics tell us both are correct. The universe was created in Tishrei. God thought of making the world in Nissan. So, and get this, we calculate the 28 year cycle from the Nissan that only existed in God's mind. This is why we have a created sun during the spring equinox and not in the fall.
May we all merit to be on this earthly plane, in health, to witness even a couple more 28 year cycles of Beracoth Hachamah, Blessings of the Sun. Amen.
Happy pre Pesach:
Rabbi Arthur Segal
www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
Savannah, GA
A Short Snap Shot of Rabbi Arthur Segal
- Rabbi Arthur Segal
- United States
-
-
- I am available for Shabbatons, and can speak on various aspects of Jewish history, (from the ancient past to modern day, and can be area specific, if a group wishes), Spirituality, developing a Personal Relationship with God, on the Jews of India and other 'exotic' communities, and on Talmud, Torah and other great texts. We have visited these exotic Jewish communities first hand. I adhere to the Mishna's edict of not using the Torah as a ''spade'', and do not ask for honorariums for my services. I am post-denominational and renewal and spiritually centered.
-
-
-
-
- I am available to perform Jewish weddings, and Jewish inter-marriages (Jewish intermarriage, Jewish inter-marriage, Jewish interfaith weddings) and other life cycle events, ONLY IF, it is a destination wedding and the local full time pulpit rabbi is unavailable, or if there is no local full time pulpit rabbi, or it is in my local area and all of the full time pulpit rabbis are unavailable.
-
-
-
-
- My post-doc in Psych from Penn helps tremendously when I do Rabbinic counseling. My phone number and address will be made available once I am sure of one's sincerity in working with me.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Rabbi Segal is the author of three books and many articles on Torah, Talmud and TaNaK and Jewish history. His books are : The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud, and Spiritual Wisdom of our Talmudic Sages. The first two are published by Amazon through their publishing house, BookSurge.
-
-
-
- For information on how to purchase these, please contact RabbiSegal@JewishSpiritualRenewal.net and visit WWW.JewishSpiritualRenewal.Net. OR CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW.
-
-
- Todah Rabah and Shalom v' Beracoth. Rabbi Arthur Segal ,( Dr. Arthur Segal )RabbiASegal@aol.com .
Click to Order
| THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:
A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew
Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal distills millennia of sage advice into a step-by-step process to reclaim your Judaism and your spirituality in a concise easy-to-read and easy-to-follow manner.
If you find yourself wishing for the strength to sustain you through the ups and downs of life; if you want to learn how to live life to its fullest without angst, worry, low self-esteem or fear; or if you wish that your relationships with family, friends and co-workers were based on love and service and free of ego, arguments, resentments and feelings of being unloved...this book is for you.
Price: $19.99
254 Pages
Published by: Amazon's BookSurge |
|
Click to Order
| A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM
TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD
Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to show the true Jewish take on what the Torah is trying to teach us. This companion to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew.
All of the Torah can be summed up in one word: Chesed. It means kindness. The Talmud teaches that the Torah is about loving our fellow man and that we are to go and study. The rest is commentary. This compendium clarifies the commentary and allows one to study Torah and Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace. A must read for all Jews and deserves a place in every Jewish home.
Price: $24.99
494 Pages
Published by: Amazon's BookSurge |
Welcome to Rabbi Arthur Segal's Jewish Spiritual Renewal bookstore. We invite you to create an account with us if you like, or shop as a guest. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store.
You can purchase each book individually, but if you purchase them together as a set with the Tzadakkah Bundle, I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to a tzadakkah of your choice, such as your synagogue.
Simply provide the donation information in the "Special Instructions" box during checkout. When doing so, please include the following:
- Name of Organization
- Contact Name and eMail Address
- Organization Mailing Address
- Organization Phone Number
Thank you for visiting.
-
In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal distills millennia of sage advice to reclaim your Judaism and your spirituality.
-
-
-
A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to show the true Jewish take on what the Torah is trying to teach us.
-
-
-
The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal and A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud. Purchase both books as a set, and I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to the tzadakkah of your choice. -- Rabbi Segal
-
-
Posts
