יום שישי י"ט באדר ב תשפ"ד 29/03/2024
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  • The Mission Continues

    As in the past so it remains today - we were and still are under the selfsame commitment to adhere to the directions of the Gedolei Yisrael, who stand guard against breaches of purity threatening our camp. When we were required to ask – we asked. When we were instructed to depart – we left. The moment we are summoned back to raise the flag, every other consideration is pushed to the side and we answer: We are ready!

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בראי היום

  • Harav Yisrael Friedman zy”a, the Rebbe of Husyatin

    מוטי, ויקיפדיה העברית

    The ancestral chain of Harav Yisrael Friedman, the founder of the Husyatin chassidic court, originates with the holy Baal Shem Tov. The Husyatin chassidus has its roots in Galicia and eventually came to Tel Aviv, during the turbulent years between the two World Wars.

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Place

  • Maccabi'im Gravesite

    In honour of Chanukah, we will discuss a fascinating, ongoing investigation attempting to establish the place of burial of Mattisyahu Kohen Gadol and his family.

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The Blessing of the Sun

An Occurence Every 28 Years

N. Lieberman 08/07/2009 10:00

The Jewish year of 5769\2009 is the year when the current solar cycle ends and a new one begins. This rare event, which occurs only every 28 years, took place on the 14th of Nissan, and a special blessing was recited.

The Blessing of the Sun is recited when the sun stands horizontally in relation to the earth and is positioned in the exact same spot as it was on the fourth day of Creation.

In Judaism, both the lunar cycle and the solar cycle are taken into consideration when establishing the Jewish calendar, with the moon setting the months and the sun determining the Festivals. However, a problem arouses while using these two methods simultaneously as the solar year is longer than the lunar year, consequently resulting in a difference of one day and six hours between any given date of one year and the same date of the following year.

In o
ther words, if the sun stood in a certain point on the first of Tishrei at six o'clock in 5768, then it will stand in that same spot only on the second of Tishrei at twelve o'clock in 5769. The sun's relation to the date gets even only after a difference which adds up during 28 years. This process is called 'the solar cycle'.

The method by which one can calculate when the sun stands in the exact same position as it did during the Creation is to divide the number of the year to 28. The quotient stands for the number of solar cycles that have already passed, while the remainder stands for that year's number in the cycle.

Let's take the year of 5769 as an example: divide it by 28, and you get 206.1. The quotient – 206 – shows you that 206 solar cycles have elapsed thus far, while the reminder - 1 – shows that the year 5769 is the first one in the new solar cycle.

The Blessing of the Sun is as follows:
"Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who makes the work of Creation."

The next time we will merit to recite this blessing will be on Wednesday, the 23d of Nissan, 5797.