 Parashat Sho'f'tim 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... Remember the famous Chanuka question: I they had a one-day supply of oil that lasted 8 days, then they only had 7 days of miracle, so why do we celebrate Chanuka for 8 days? There are dozens and dozens of answers, one of which relates to the point to come. True, it is a miracle that a one-day supply of oil lasts for 8 days, but it is also a miracle (more subtle) that olive oil burns in the first place. Orange juice doesn't. Neither does wine. There is something to marvel about G-d's world for all the everyday, mundane things we see. The "extra day" of Chanuka, according to this answer, is to appreciate the everyday miracles of nature. The solar eclipse of August 11, '99 generated a lot of excitement. Even with only an 80% partial in Israel, people got excited. Learn about eclipses, read about them, ponder them. But let that also lead you to ponder the Sun and the Moon when they don't get into each other's way. Marvel at a regular, everyday Moon and Sun that G-d created and placed in the heavens. Marvel at the phases of the Moon, the direct light, heat, and energy of the Sun and the reflected light of the Moon, and the planets, and the stars... and all of G-d's World. [The Sho'f'tim Homepage]
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