 Parashat R'ei A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... We bench Rosh Chodesh Elul this Shabbat. Rosh Chodesh will be next Thursday and Friday. Av has 30 days, its 30th being the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. Customs of Elul, such as Shofar and L'David, begin on Friday, the second day of Rosh Chodesh, the first day of Elul. The Molad of Elul (based on average - this is the Molad we announce) will be Thursday, early morning, 0m 8p after 3. In Rambam style: Chamishi, 9 hours, 8 chalakim. This corresponds to 3:39:33am Israel Summer Time. The actual molad will occur at 2:08pm on Wednesday afternoon. The Molad is the moment each month when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth. Every so often (but not every month, because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted relative to the Earth-Moon's orbit around the Sun), at the actual Molad, the body of the Moon blocks all or some of the Sun's light from Earth. This is called a Solar Eclipse and it will happen on Wednesday, around the time of the actual Molad. SOLAR ECLIPSE - 80% in Israel - Wednesday, August 11th WARNING: Looking at the Sun is DANGEROUS, even a quick glance. Regardless of how tempting it will be to take a look at the Sun on Wednesday during the Eclipse, don't do it. Not even with sunglasses. Indirectly viewing the sun's projection through lenses or a pin-hole, or use specifically "approved" treated plastic or glass filters, is okay. More on the Sun and the Moon If the Moon's orbit around the Earth were perfectly circular, then the Moon would always appear to us to be the same size. Since its orbit is elliptical, the Moon appears slightly smaller when it is at its furthest distance from us, and slightly larger when it is nearest. The difference between furthest and nearest arenot great, and neither is the difference between apparent size. Not great, but there are differences. Similarly, the orbit of the Earth-Moon around the Sun is not perfectly circular, and the apparent size of the disk of the Sun, as we see it, varies slightly. During a total solar eclipse, depending upon the specific distances between Earth and Moon and Earth and Sun, the Moon will appear to exactly cover the Sun, or only almost but not quite (annular eclipse). This results in different types of eclipses. An eclipse is called LIKU'I, defect, blemish. We know, of course that nothing happens to the Sun during an eclipse, but it is our perception that sends us a message. (more to come, maybe) [The R'ei Homepage]
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