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... Last opportunity for Kiddush L'vana based on the traditional calculation is 14d 18h 22m from the molad, i.e. 5:19am on Sunday (regular Purim), meaning all night Motza"Sh. HOWEVER, this Motza"Sh, Leil regular Purim, there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it will first pass into the penumbral shadow, not dimming the Moon sufficiently to be noticeable to the naked eye. So let's ignore that phase of the eclipse. At 11:30pm, however, the Moon enters the umbral shadow of the Earth and direct light from the Sun begins to be blocked. For more than an hour, the Moon will appear to diminish (similar to going through its waning phases), until it enters the shadow completely. From that time (approx. 12:45am), for more than an hour, the Moon will be visible as a dull coppery orange disk - no bright white light. Then, from approx. 2:00am, it will appear to go through its waxing phases as more and more of the Moon emerges from the Earth's Shadow and white replaces the dull color, until it is, once again, fully bright white. Aside from reviewing a little astronomy, there is a point of halachic interest in the situation. The last opportunity for Kidduch L'vana each month is full moon, when the Moon and Sun are in opposition (opposite each other in the sky with the Earth between them). Until opposition (NIGUD), the Moon has been increasing each night since the Molad. After the NIGUD, it starts to diminish, and it is no longer appropriate to say KL. By Tradition, we calculate Molad and Nigud based on the average time it takes the Moon to go through its cycle of phases. The astronomical reality varies from the average times by as much as several hours earlier or later. Logically, if the Moon is actually past its real fullness, then we shouldn't be able to still say KL. But when the calculated time of the NIGUD is later than real full moon, we can still say KL until the Traditional deadline. Conversely, when the halachic deadline arrives, we no longer can say KL (with the bracha), even if the Moon won't be full for some hours to come. The halachic rule overrides, so to speak, the astronomic reality. Both ways. Knowledge of the actual full moon is not relevant for KL; our calculations are. However (there's that word again), an opinion exists (among other less "interesting" ones) that if one not only knows that the instant of full moon has passed, but actually experienced the moment of full moon, then he may not recite KL afterwards, even if there is still time until the calculated deadline. How can one "experience" the moment of full moon? By observing a lunar eclipse. Once the Moon has passed through the Earth's shadow, full moon has already occurred. In fact, it is just about the middle of the eclipse that the Sun and Moon are in opposition. (And it is during a solar eclipse that the Sun and Moon are in conjunction, i.e. the moment of the Molad - but that's another topic.) During the 3¾ hours of the visible eclipse, one cannot say KL. After 3:12am until the 5:19am deadline, KL can be said by the following people: One who did not see the eclipse (even if he knows about it). He might have the knowledge, but not the experience. He has the Traditional KL deadline. One who did see the eclipse, but doesn't know that lunar eclipses happen only at full moon. He had the experience, but doesn't KNOW that he did. He also has the "regular" deadline. Remember, that this is one opinion of several. But the most interesting because of what it is saying. Knowing something is one thing. Experiencing the same thing is different. Only the combination makes it strong enough to accomplish what it did. It is doubtful that any of the above will impact on practical halacha, since we've had some good clear nights for KL this month, including last Motza"Sh. But we hope that this review (we've done it at least once before) has been interesting. On a more practical note... If KL has not yet been said by the community and the question is which goes first, Megila or KL, poskim disagree (WAINS?) with good arguments either way. Ask your Rav. [The Parshat T'tzaveh Homepage]
|
