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. Every twenty-eight years unique occasion arises: the moment at which the sun returns to the spot it occupied in the heavens at the moment of its creation, on the Fourth Day (the days were not literal 24 hour periods, obviously as before the 4th “day” there was not yet the Sun in the sky). This confluence of events, a restaging of the heavens as they were at the beginning of time, is not a moment to be overlooked. So the ancient sages bid us to celebrate this re-enactment of the creation of the sun every 28 years. Given that the the sun returns to its original place in the heavens at the precise time and day of its creation, this is an opportunity to see the world, and ourselves, as created again. This means the world becomes a new place with new opportunities. The sun’s return back to its original position that it began from during the first week in creation contains the power of renewal, and therefore, of redemption. Acknowledging the various cycles of the earth bring new awareness for the environment and the whole world.
The next solar celebration marking this event, called Birkat Hahammah (the blessing of the sun), will occur on Wednesday morning, April 8, 2009. At Sunset on April 8, 2009 we begin the first Seder for Passover. Though this is a coincidence, it opens the door for the myriad ways to connect the freedoms offered by the Sun’s energy and the Exodus story.
This celebration will mark the 206th cycle of the sun’s full return to its time and place at creation.
“The sun at its turning point.” In its apparent motion in the ecliptic, the sun has four ‘turning points’ which mark the beginnings of the four respective seasons. These points are generically referred to as the 2 Equinox and 2 solstices. They are: the two equinoctial points when the sun crosses the equator at the beginning of spring and autumn respectively, and ‘turns’ from one side of the equator to the other; and the two solstices, when the sun is at its maximum distance, or declination, from the equator, at one or other side of it. Of summer and winter respectively, and instead of progressively increasing its declination it ‘turns’ to decrease it progressively. Originally, the moment selected for this celebration was the spring equinox. But, you might ask, if the equinox occurs in late March (around March 21), why do we celebrate it in early April? While the answer is a bit complex, the short explanation is that the original annual calculations were based on the Julian calendar which counted the year as having 365.25 days. The true solar year, however, is closer to 365.242199. While that might not seem like a big difference, over a thousand years these minutes add up to a variance of 7.81 days. The Biblical calendar is a solar/lunar calendar which does take into consideration this variance.
Occurrences of The blessing of the sun
Occurrences in the last 120 years:
- Wednesday, April 7, 1897 (5 Nisan 5657)
- Wednesday, April 8, 1953 (23 Nisan 5713)
- Wednesday, April 8, 1981 (4 Nisan 5741)
the blessing of the sun will occur next on
- Wednesday, April 8, 2009 (14 Nisan 5769)
- Wednesday, April 8, 2037 (23 Nisan 5797)
- Wednesday, April 8, 2065 (2 Nisan 5825)
- Wednesday, April 8, 2093 (12 Nisan 5853)
- Wednesday, April 9, 2121 (21 Nisan 5881)
Note: Because the dates for assume a 365.25-day solar year and the Julian calendar also assumes a 365.25-day solar year, the blessing of the sun will always fall on March 25 in the Julian calendar. While the blessing of the sun usually occurs in the Biblical lunar month of Nissan, this is not always the case; it will occur on 29 Adar II (April 10th) in the year 2233. As the Biblical calendar is a solar/lunar calendar.
Only once in 532 years does the cycle begin on the same day of the month as it did at Creation, on 14th.
The author of Meir Enei Chachamim, wrote in his book in 1925 that there are only three times in the 6,000 years of Biblical history, when the blessing of the sun falls on 14 Nisan. These are:
1. Prior to being redeemed from Egypt. the blessing of the sun prior to being redeemed from Egypt was Nisan 14, 2437 and on Nisan 15, 2448 at midnight Israel left Egypt.The day before passover, is the day that we slaughtered the god of the Egyptians (a lamb).
2. Prior to the miracle of Purim. (the blessing of the sun prior to the miracle of Purim was Nisan 14, and Rashi writes that the following year, in Adar, the miracle occurred.) It is worth nothing that Mordechai and Esther were fasting on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of Nisan to prepare for Esther’s plea before King Achashverosh.
3. In the year 5769. It is worth nothing that 5769 is the eighth year, the year after the Sabbatical year.
About Nisan 14, 5769 (April 8, 2009), He writes,
“This will be last time ever and shortly afterwards, the redemption, MUST come.”
The Mekabel Avraham Azulai, the grandson of the Holy Chida HaKodesh, says in his book, that at the latest, in the year of 5769 since the creation of the world, the following two passages will be fulfilled:
Zechariah 13:2 And it shall come to pass in that day, says יהו”ה of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause their prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
Leviticus 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
In other words, the latest date possible that all impurities will cease in the world is at the end of 5769.
For this event God has told the Jews to sanctify the moment and His name with this blessing:
Blessed are You, אלהינו יהו”ה King of the world Who MAKES the work of creation !
THIS IS BEST DONE EARLY IN THE MORNING WITH THE RISING OF THE SUN IN VIEW !
the blessing of the sun will occur
Filed under: other dimensions, Renewal, Running and Returning-Ratzo v Shuv, teshuva, The Guide, Transformational Experience
How can one not feel shame and loathe past behavior when he realizes, as taught by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin in Nefesh HaChaim, that each transgression causes damage in the upper worlds. The level of one’s understanding determines the extent of damage that results.13 Obviously an unlearned unintentional sinner14 does less damage than the sin of a holy man who has revealed the essence of his soul, because at that level, Heaven forbid, from his transgression the damage begins, affecting many worlds, while the unintentional sinner was only acting with his animal soul so the damage is less widespread.
This is one reason it is difficult to ascend into Holiness, to reveal the higher powers of your soul. One who only has a Nefesh, his sin only damages in peoples “animal souls”. If one acquires their Ruach, they by sin can damage the flow of Divine abundance going to Ruchot “the emotional soul”. If a man acquires his Nashama “Soul of Divine intellect”, he can damage the way people think by his errors, God forbid. Such a man by his foolish thoughts can lead many astray by the power of their thoughts and their words.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that in order to avoid temptation one must direct his mind away from the object of his desire completely; he must not confront the desire at all. Nor should he speak, think, or wonder about it; he should totally avoid letting his thoughts confuse him. 15 This applies to the unlearned man, but the scholar all the more so, so that he does not defile his intellect with impure thought; he should turn to the Torah and meditate upon it, putting sin out of mind.
In the prophecy of Ezekiel, it says: “The Chayot ran and returned” (Ezek. 1: 14). The sages say that this running is entering into holiness, contemplation of the divine, and returning is descending back to the more physical level. We too,
12.Tanya 155.
13.Nefesh HaChaim..
14.Rabbi Nachman’s Stories 21.
15.Duties of the Heart 295.
when faced with temptation, can run, approaching God and freeing ourselves from the temptation, and when we return we’re in a different place. King Solomon is talking about this running in the Song of Songs when he says, “Draw me and I will run after thee; the king has brought me into his inner chambers” (Songs 1: 4). Elijah the Prophet explains this as meaning that the Holy One has an innermost sanctum in the innermost chambers of the Torah that he has composed, so the disciples of the wise, each and every one of them, have an innermost sanctum in the innermost chambers of the Torah. If you see afflictions creeping up nearer and nearer to you, run to words deep within the Torah, and afflictions will at once flee from you as Isaiah teaches, “Come my people, enter into thy chambers … until the indignation is past” (Is. 26:20).
There are many Holy places to go to with your soul!
This idea of running and returning also applies in the physical sense, as it is known that wandering causes humility and a lowly spirit fitting for teshuvah(returning to God) . The breaking of arrogance of spirit by wandering is like the decomposition of a seed before it begins to grow; likewise in spiritual growth the ego must be broken so that divinity may permeate. The breaking of the seed coat from sprouting of Godly revelation can be difficult to handle at times but one must always remember, as the Malbim teaches, that all precious things together cannot compare with the survival of the soul, which is the end purpose of man and of his hopes. 16 It is taught, in tractate Magilla, that snow is good for mountains, heavy rain good for trees, gentle rain for fruits of the field, and drizzling rain to seeds under a hard clod. A young scholar is like a seed under a hard clod; once he has sprouted he soon shoots forth. A scholar is inflamed by the Torah, and should be as hard as iron that can break a rock into many pieces. When the young
16.Malbim parsha Chayah Sarah
scholar’s seed coat is breaking and he finds it difficult, let him become inflamed by the Torah and his difficulties will be as nothing, as he is then as hard as the iron that breaks rock. From becoming inflamed by the Torah one can see, as Rebbe Nachman teaches, that there is always rejoicing in the Holy One’s presence-so even if one falls one must remain happy. Whenever a person falls it is for the sake of ultimately elevating them further; when a person remains happy he will eventually reach the higher level. 17 And one should never despair no matter how bad the situation may look, for as Rabbi Avraham teaches in his book Meditation of the Sad Soul when God is angry with those that fear Him He punishes them in a natural way, but when He delivers them He employs wonders and supernatural means. 18
We are talking about a complete transformational experience here. It is and will be dramatic. But by this “reassembly” you will become purified and refined, you can acquire the higher levels of your Soul your Ruach, Nashama, Chayah and Revelation of Yachida.
17.Rabbi Nachman’s Stories 355.
18.Meditation of the Sad Soul 91.
Filed under: aretz israel, Astrology, Avraham, divine thought, exile, foundation stone-source, Renewal, Zohar
All the supernal forces that govern the various countries and cities of our world are brought to light by the Zohar. Abraham masters the knowledge concerning all these diverse metaphysical intelligences that rule and administer over the cosmos. However, the Creator tells him not to direct his mind towards these supernal matters. Rather, Abraham should focus upon his spiritual work in this physical realm, placing his trust in the Creator regarding the workings of the metaphysical dimension. Spirituality is to make the world a better place where the God is more revealed. It is not a escape from this world, though one receives great delight from this spiritual work, and it gives one more joy and pleasure in all that they do !
The great sage Hillel, who was asked to reveal all the supernal mysteries and secrets of the Torah in the short time that he can remain standing on one leg. “Love thy neighbor as thyself. All the rest is commentary. Now and go and learn,” the sage replied. From this attitude we begin our “spiritual work”, It is the true beginning. With out this one will have nothing.
“Now Hashem said to Abram, Get you out ” According to Rabbi Elazar go out for yourself, to fulfill yourself and complete your grade. “Get you out,” for you must not stay here among the wicked. The secret “Get you out” is that the Holy One, blessed be He, inspired Avraham with the spirit of wisdom. He knew how to judge the spirits of the civilized world. He observed them, weighed them in the scales, and knew how to connect them to the powers entrusted to govern the inhabited places on earth. When he reached the middle point of civilization, he weighed it in the scales, but could not reach any conclusion. He tried to see and to know what sort of power governed that place, but could not conceive it. He weighed a few more times before realizing that the whole world sprouts from that place and is established upon it. He observed carefully, and measured, so as to understand the subject, and concluded that the supernal force above it could not be measured, that it is deep and hidden, and that it does not resemble the different parts of the inhabited land. He watched attentively, weighed, and realized that the middle point of the inhabited world is the point from which the whole world moves out to all its corners. Similarly, he knew the power that now prevails over the point. all other powers that govern the corners of the world originate from that point and all energies hold to it.
From the Temple mount at the place called the Even stiyah (stone of drinking), called the foundation stone. Abraham later would bring Isaac to sacrifice, till God told Him not to. Here is where the “Dome of the rock” is. From here a Beam of supernal light descends from above to nourish and sustain the world both spiritually and physically.
Then “they went out with them from Ur Chasidim, to go to the land of Canaan.”
Abraham knew and checked all the governors and rulers of the world that had dominion over the entire civilized world. And he was examining all those who govern and rule over the directions of the world’s inhabited land, all those that have dominion over the stars and the constellations. Abraham was inquiring into the spiritual forces that propel the influences called astrology. The science of which he was the greatest master. By study of Astrology Avraham came to knowledge of the the spiritual forces that propel the influences called astrology, By this he came to Be aware of the one superpower over all God. He learned how they exercise their power over one another. In considering all the inhabited places in the world, he did well. But when he reached that place, he saw the force of the depths. And he could not withstand it.
As soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, noticed his awakening and his passion, He immediately revealed Himself to Avraham and said: “Get you out” in order to learn about and perfect yourself. Saying to Abraham “GET YOU OUT” means from that Wisdom with which he studied horoscopes, determined by watching and examining the moment, hour, and time of birth, and the planet and the sign under which one is born. The god was leading Abraham to much higher level of Divine knowledge
The verse, “And from your father’s house,” Never look upon your father’s house again, REFERRING TO CHARAN, Therefore, “Get you out” of this wisdom and this observance. The god was leading Abraham to much higher level of Divine knowledge
We always must be moving Higher, exploring new levels of Spirituality we have not seen or
worked with before. Renew Yourself !
