Laws of Blessing the Sun
Experience this rare and meaningful Jewish tradition occurring once every 28 years
- הרב אלון ארביב
- פורסם י"ז חשון התשע"ד
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"Our Rabbis taught: He who sees the sun at its turning point, the moon in its power, the planets in their orbits, and the signs of the zodiac in their orderly progress, should say: Blessed be He who has wrought the work of creation. And when does this happen? — Abaye said: Every twenty-eight years when the cycle begins again and the spring equinox falls in Saturn on the evening of Tuesday going into Wednesday". (Berachot 59b) Rashi explains "He who sees the sun at its turning point" – "The place where it returns to the beginning of its cycle, which is the time when the luminaries were suspended, and from then it began to orbit and serve".
The Rambam (Laws of Blessings 10:13) ruled: "One who sees the sun on the day of the spring equinox at the beginning of the twenty-eight year cycle, when the equinox occurs at the beginning of Tuesday night, when he sees it on Wednesday morning, he recites 'Blessed is He who makes the works of creation'". This is also ruled as law in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 229:2): "One who sees the sun at its turning point, which is every 28 years, and the equinox is at the beginning of Wednesday night, when he sees it on Wednesday morning, he says: Blessed is He who makes the works of creation".
1: One who sees the sun when it reaches the place where Hashem placed it during the six days of creation blesses: Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who makes the work of creation.
2: The time for this blessing is in the month of Nissan every twenty-eight years on Wednesday.
3: "Birkat HaChama" (Blessing of the Sun) is a precious and rare mitzvah that we recite once every 28 years!!! This year, 5769 (2009), with the help of the Rock of Israel and its Redeemer, we will recite the "Blessing of the Sun" - blessed is He who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season. May it be Your will, Creator of light, that we merit future seasons and the new light that will shine upon the rebuilt Zion, and those who hope in Hashem will renew their strength! Therefore, we have written a small selection of laws with Hashem's help.
4: It is good to recite it in a gathering of ten Jews, as "in the multitude of people is the king's glory," and
it is customary to pray early (at sunrise) and recite it at the end of prayers.
5: It is customary to recite it in public, with additional songs and praises because "in the multitude of people is the king's glory." However, an individual can also recite it.
6: The time for Birkat HaChama extends until the end of the third seasonal hour of the day (approximately until 09:32), and the zealous perform it early.
7: One who missed the time and did not recite the blessing should recite it without mentioning Hashem's name.
8: One who merits the mitzvah of Birkat HaChama will have long life. (Sefer Yizrach Or in the introduction to Chapter 13, by Rabbi D. Meldola)
9: It is of great importance to request after Birkat HaChama that one merit to bless the sun again the next time in 28 years, and the reward for this is long life.
10: Since some say that women are obligated in this blessing, while others disagree and say they are exempt - ideally, they should hear the blessing from the prayer leader and fulfill their obligation according to all opinions, and the same applies to a blind person.
11: The time for the blessing is when the entire body of the sun is visible above the horizon (4 minutes after sunrise), and when there are mountains, one should wait until the entire sun is visible - and its time extends until the end of the third hour.
12: Some say that one should recite the blessing in nice clothes, as is the law for the Blessing of the Moon.
13: It is customary to recite the blessing with joy, happiness, gladness, and dancing as is appropriate when receiving the Divine Presence, however, the public should not be overly burdened since this year Birkat HaChama falls on the eve of Passover itself.
14: If the sky is covered with clouds, and the sun is not visible at all, even though its light is noticeable, since the sun's orb is not visible in the sky, one should not recite Birkat HaChama with Hashem's name. In any case of doubt, it is recommended to consult with the local rabbi.
15: Ideally, one should recite Birkat HaChama while standing, as is the law for the Blessing of the Moon. However, a sick person who cannot leave his home and is confined to his bed, if he sees the sun's orb through his window, he can bless it, even if he is sitting or lying down. He does not need to stand during the blessing.
16: One who is flying in an airplane at the time of Birkat HaChama should look at the sun through the window and recite the blessing.
