Birkat Hachamah

[biteyzombie]

The Jewish people believe that every 28 years the sun returns to the same position, at the same time of the week, that it occupied at the time of its creation. That is, at the beginning of the 4th day of Creation. (I am not sure how this works on account of the fact that I am 99.999& sure that the sun doesn't actually move, but I digress.) A

Comments

[zeldakitty]

is there a group of folks you can get with to celebrate locally? It would be a shame to spend an auspicious occasion on the sofa with the television. Get with some other Jews and get down on it.

[biteyzombie]

My Friday nights were otherwise occupied up until now. I really haven't been to temple in BR, so I really don't know anybody locally who's Jewish.

I was tempted to drive down tonight for the seder at Chabad, but I have a meeting with the doctor what fired me tomorrow morning.

*le sigh*

[zeldakitty]

Seems like a good enough time to start connecting with your community? Not trying to be pushy or anything but this is a lovely post today and it sounds like quite the occasion. Maybe it's time to discover what the temple in BR has to offer you personally?

(zkitty spent a major portion of her childhood at the JCC and really <3's Jewish traditions, by the way, so keep these posts coming if you feel like it.)

[biteyzombie]

I'd feel awkward just popping in and saying, "Hey, I been in town for approx 9 months, but haven't been to temple at all. You don't know me from a bum on the street, but I'm kinda lonely and homesick and would like to sit in on your seder..." It sounds too forward.

[nurd6]

Well the sun isn't entirely stationary.. We are spinning around the milky way at a pretty decent rate.. :D

One of the few things I feel the pang of jealousy for, being a genuine american mutt, I have no culture to call my own, no history, my known family tree ends 3 or 4 generations up because beyond that, no one knows..

But, I do hope you enjoy your holiday, and a happy L'chaim to you and yours.. :D

[biteyzombie]

It's always science with you...

;P

[nurd6]

If the entirety of creation did move about in relation to earth, would we know the difference?

Or, allow me to change tack:

The one thing I miss about the rather lovely Jewish girl I was engaged to long long ago is the holidays.

[biteyzombie]

We have a lot of holidays. Jews, I mean. You can summarize most of them like this: they tried to kill us, but we won :P

[biteyzombie]

Yay for massive seders! Enjoy teh story telling for me ^_^

[cailamaia]

Huh. Never knew about that sun thing. That's pretty cool. Are there any more such celebrations? (Actually it almost sounds more Wiccan than anything else to me, but I'll take your word for it that it's a Jewish thing.)

But, as has been said, the sun is hardly stationary. There are also complications from the gravitic effects of the planets as they orbit the sun. Center of mass calculations dictate that the bodies both orbit a shared center of mass, after all. The thing is that the sun is so much more massive that it's barely noticeable. That's all.

[biteyzombie]

Actually, the Jews found a way around that pagan sounding bit. During this ritual (like with the monthly blessing for the moon) we take one look at the object - the sun - and then turn our backs to it...usually. Closing your eyes, turning your back, whatever. It just depends upon the tradition of you community. The whole point is you are directly your prayers at HaShem, not the object which inspired said prayer.

It's all semantics...

[nico_chan]

Wow, that's really cool. :D

Also, happy Passover! <3