613.org
( Thanking Hashem
for his kindness) announces:
Blessing over the Sun – Bircas Hachammah Experience
March
22, 2009/Adar 26, 5769
Class by Shira Smiles
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Short
Summary
Summarized
by Channie Koplowitz Stein
“Ein mazal beYisroel”, the alignments of the stars and the heavenly
bodies have no influence on
The sun does not seem to play an integral part in Judaism. Indeed,
our first mitzvah in the Torah is the blessing of the new moon. As a result,
all our holidays are based on the moon and its cycles. We are told, therefore,
that we were given the moon as our inheritance while Esau was given the sun. It
seems strange that while the whole world benefits from the sun, we seem only to
be able to reflect its light.
This appears to be the reality of the Diaspora, for here we rely on
the benevolence of the nations. Nevertheless, if the nations would not permit
us to develop our light, the light of Torah, under their aegis, soon they would
disappear from the world and indeed the whole world would be destroyed.
But, although the sun was given to Esau, Hashem
wanted
We are asked to internalize the lessons of the sun every day, for Hashem “in His goodness renews daily, perpetually, the work
of creation.” All the more so, must we internalize these lessons as we begin
each new twenty-eight year cycle. And what are some of these lessons, that Hashem compares those who love Him to the sun in its
strength.
One answer can be found in a medrash on
creation. When the two heavenly luminaries were first created, the moon
complained that there could be no two kings ruling one sphere. Hashem agreed with the moon and told it to diminish itself.
How does this prove anything about the sun? Logically, the sun could have
defended itself immediately and argued that since it was created first, it was
the major ruler of the heavens. But the sun was silent. God Himself came to the
sun’s defense. It is this humility and self-abnegation to the will of Hashem that we are to learn from the sun. The sun
understood that its purpose was to serve Hashem,
nothing more and nothing less. It did not complain about having to share its
space with the moon. Had Hashem made it smaller
instead of the moon, it would have been equally content, for it was still
serving the true Ruler of the heavens. Its very name, shemesh,
reflects this attitude of service.
Along these same lines, we must learn that we are required to begin
whatever task Hashem has set out for us. We cannot
know whether or not we will actually complete the task; that is at the sole
discretion of Hakodosh boruch
Hu. Just as the sun rises each morning to shine, even
on cloudy days when its rays may not reach the earth, so too must we begin each
task with hope and understand that its completion is the sole provenance of the
Ribono shel olam. Let the sun shine not only on us, but also for
us, as it did for Jacob on his journey. The possibility of failure must not
prevent us from starting.
It is this very moment of decision that presents a crisis. In spite
of all our preparations, we may suddenly be paralyzed with uncertainty. Even
Noah, the tzaddik of his generation who worked 120
years on building the ark, was plagued with hesitancy at the last moment and
had to be forced into the ark by the raging waters. Hashem
in His mercy kept us from this moment of indecision and hesitancy when we left
As the sun shines on us each day and causes us to cast a shadow, do
we remain true to our essence or does our shadow become our reality? In those
early morning hours, when both sun and moon are visible, will be egotistical as
the moon, or will we understand our purpose as the sun?
As we approach this third time since creation that the sun is
in its original position on erev Pesach, a time preordained
for redemption, let us pray that the sun and moon will revert to their true
purpose, to mark the times of our holidays and testimonies and that the true
light hidden since creation will again emerge as Hashem’s
Presence becomes immanent on earth once again.
Class History –
This class was broadcast live powered
by TCN on Adar
26, 5769 ( 30 second delay ) to
Estimated 100 to 200 people watched it live.
This class was given in
Shabbat Kodesh Vayikra , the class will be given in Ahavat Tzion in Ramat Beit Shemesh.