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Hayyim Angel asks how to explain the gemara that says solar eclipses are
a siman klala. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains this in a sicha printed in
Likutay Sichos volume 15, the second sicha on B'raisheet (page 7-12).
While I would recommend that the sicha be studied by anyone who seeks a
thorough answer, the basic idea is that the eclipse is a reminder to do
T'shuva, not the cause of anything bad.
I am willing to bet that it was known in the time of the gemara that
eclipses are natural, predictable occurrences. The Chachamim were not
superstitious. Try learning Hilchot Kiddush Hachodesh of the Rambam, in
English if you prefer. While the Rambam studied these formulas from
non-Jewish sources, he states that these formulas were used by the
Sanhedrin. They probably go back to Moshe Rabeinu. And if Avrohom Avinu
(and Lot) ate Matza on Pesach, it might be assumed that Avrohom also kept
a calendar and knew the calculations of Kiddush Hachodesh.
Thought Question: How do teachers teach the rainbow in Parshat Noach?
Were there rainbows before the Mabul? Can the Keshet be a natural
phenomenon and still fulfill its role as described in Parshat Noach?
(Which brings up another question: Did Adam and Chava, who were not
formed in the womb, have navels? Hmmm........I always get a lot of
giggles on that one.)
Back to astronomy: A solar eclipse always occurs just prior to Rosh
Chodesh. A lunar eclipse always occurs at the middle of the Jewish
month, when the moon is full. There are a minimum of two solar eclipses
a year, and as many as five, often over remote locations and the oceans.
The vastness of space is a great way to develop an appreciation for the
greatness of G-d. Before the Hubble telescope went up, it was known that
the number of stars in the universe exceeds the number of grains of sand
on Earth! A photograph taken by the Hubble telescope of a minute area of
space showed over 1,500 galaxies, much more than was previously
estimated. And a new telescope is being built to replace Hubble, many
times more powerful. There is much more that can be written on this
subject, but I've brought up lots of ideas and I will stop here.
Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky
Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy
Longmeadow, MA</HTML>
