Tonight - The Longest Lunar Eclipse This Century

In the early hours of Friday morning, November 19, there will be another partial lunar eclipse. We have noted them before, and they are not rare. But this one will be special because it will be the longest lunar eclipse of the century, lasting a total of almost three and a half hours. It will also look almost as spectacular as a total lunar eclipse, for at its peak the moon will be 97% eclipsed.

Who will be able to see the eclipse?

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe and Asia. But sadly, it will not be visible from Israel. The challenge for many, though, will be waking up to see it. It will begin at Friday morning at 1:02am EST, reach its maximum at 4:02am EST, and end at 7:03am EST. So for those on the east coast, that’s the middle of the night!

Why we see an eclipse

As we've noted before, a solar eclipse can only occur at the start of  a Hebrew month, as the moon gets between the sun and the earth.  A lunar eclipse is also linked to the Jewish month, and can only occur around the 15th day of the month, when the moon is full.  As the earth passes between the sun and the moon, its shadow is cast onto the moon, resulting in an eclipse.

 So why don't we see a lunar eclipse every month? The answer is simple. The moon's orbit is inclined at 5 degrees from the sun-earth plane, so that each month the moon may be slightly above, or slightly below that plane. And a lunar eclipse will occur only when the three bodies line up on the same plane as earth’s orbit, called the ecliptic. 

The Talmud on Eclipses

תלמוד בבלי סוכה דף כט עמוד א 

תנו רבנן: בזמן שהחמה לוקה - סימן רע לעובדי כוכבים, לבנה לוקה - סימן רע לשונאיהם של ישראל, מפני שישראל מונין ללבנה ועובדי כוכבים לחמה...

תנו רבנן: בשביל ארבעה דברים חמה לוקה: על אב בית דין שמת ואינו נספד כהלכה, ועל נערה המאורסה שצעקה בעיר ואין מושיע לה, ועל משכב זכור, ועל שני אחין שנשפך דמן כאחד

Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse is a bad omen for idolaters; a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for Israel, because Israel reckons [its calendar] by the moon, and idolaters by the sun...

Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse happens because of four things:
1. When an Av Bet Din [head of the Rabbinic Court] died and was not properly eulogized;
2. If a betrothed girl cried out aloud in the city and there was no-one to save her [from being raped];
3. Because of homosexuality; and
4 If two brothers were killed at the same time.

That's what we have - four causes of a solar eclipse, and none for a lunar eclipse - we are just told that it is a "bad omen for Israel." And how does Rashi explain this passage?  לא שמעתי טעם בדבר  - "I have not heard any explanation for this." 

LATER JEWISH EXPLANATIONS OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE

If we know that eclipses are regular celestial events whose timing is predictable and precise, how are we to understand Talmud in Sukkah, which suggests that an eclipse is a divine response to human conduct? We have already seen that Rashi was unable to explain the passage, but that didn't stop others from trying.  The Maharal of Prague (d. 1609) has a lengthy explanation which you can read here.  It goes something like this: "Yes, an eclipse is a mechanical and predictable event. But in truth, if there was no sin, there would be no eclipses, because God would have designed the universe differently, and in such a sin-free universe...there would be no need to design an eclipse." So the Maharal suggests that in a sin-free universe, the moon would not orbit as it does now, at a 5 degree angle to the sun-earth plane.  But where would the moon be? It couldn't be in the same plane as the sun and the earth, since then there would be an solar eclipse every month. If it were at say 20 degrees above the plane, then there would still be both solar and lunar eclipses, though they would be more rare. The only way for there to be no solar eclipses (in the Maharal's sin-free imaginary universe) would be for the moon to orbit the earth at 90 degrees to the sun-earth axis.  Then it would never come between the sun and the earth, and there could never be a solar eclipse. Perfect, except then there would never be a Rosh Chodesh, and the moon would always be visible. Oy.

יערות דבש דרוש י׳ב

Another attempt to explain the Talmud was offered by Jonatan Eybeschutz (d. 1764). In 1751 Eybeschutz was elected as chief rabbi of the Three Communities (Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbek), and was later accused of being a secret follower of the false messiah Shabtai Zevi. In January 1751, Eybeschutz gave a drasha in Hamburg in which he addressed the very same problem that Maharal had noted: if a solar eclipse is a predictable event, how can it be related to human conduct? His answer was quite different: The Talmud in Sukkah is not actually addressing the phenomenon that we call a solar eclipse. According to Eybeschutz, the phrase in Sukkah "בזמן שהחמה לוקה" actually means - "when there are sunspots."

Inventive though this is, it is as implausible as the suggestion of the Maharal. In the first place, sunspots could not have been seen prior to the invention of the telescope. They were first described in March 1611 by a contemporary of Galileo named Christopher Scheiner (though Galileo lost no-time in claiming that he, not Scheiner was the first to correctly interpret what they were.)  Because sunspots could not have been seen, this cannot be what the rabbis in Gemara Sukkah were describing.

Christopher Scheine, Rosa Ursina sive Sol (Bracciai 1626-1630)

Second, according to Eybeschutz, sunspots "have no known cause, and have no fixed period to their appearance".  We can't fault Eybeschutz  for his first claim, but - even by the science of his day - his second was not correct. In fact both Scheiner and Galileo knew  - and wrote - that sunspots were permanent (at least for a while) and moved slowly across the face of the sun.

It's interesting to note that Galileo got very excited about the discovery that the spots moved across the face of the sun. This suggested (though it did not prove) that the sun itself was spinning. Galileo had also discovered that Jupiter was orbited by moons. Both of these discoveries now added further support to the Copernican model in which the Earth was spinning on its ownaxis, and was not the center of all the movement of objects in the sky. But Eybeschutz did not believe Copernicus was correct: "Copernicus and his supporters have made fools of themselves when they declare that the Earth orbits [the Sun]. They have left us with a lie, and the truth will bear itself witness that the Earth stands still for ever."  Eybeschutz wanted to have sunspots explain away a talmudic mystery, but he dismissed the evidence that they provided in other matters - namely, that the earth moves.

Sukkah 29a ~ The Causes of a Solar Eclipse - and a Special Talmudology Event

On today’s page of Talmud we read that rain on Sukkkot is a bad omen. Continuing along with this theme, the Talmud describes another bad omen: a solar eclipse:

סוכה כט, א

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: סִימָן רַע לְכל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה? לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וְדָם שֶׁעָשָׂה סְעוּדָה לַעֲבָדָיו וְהִנִּיחַ פָּנָס לִפְנֵיהֶם, כָּעַס עֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמַר לְעַבְדּוֹ: טוֹל פָּנָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְהוֹשִׁיבֵם בַּחוֹשֶׁךְ

The Sages taught: When the sun is eclipsed it is a bad omen for the entire world. The Gemara tells a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who prepared a feast for his servants and placed a lantern [panas] before them to illuminate the hall. He became angry at them and said to his servant: Take the lantern from before them and seat them in darkness.

תַּנְיָא רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כל זְמַן שֶׁמְּאוֹרוֹת לוֹקִין — סִימָן רַע לְשׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּלוּמָּדִין בְּמַכּוֹתֵיהֶן. מָשָׁל לְסוֹפֵר שֶׁבָּא לְבֵית הַסֵּפֶר וּרְצוּעָה בְּיָדוֹ, מִי דּוֹאֵג — מִי שֶׁרָגִיל לִלְקוֹת בְּכל יוֹם וָיוֹם הוּא דּוֹאֵג

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir says: When the heavenly lights, i.e., the sun and the moon, are eclipsed, it is a bad omen for the enemies of the Jewish people, which is a euphemism for the Jewish people, because they are experienced in their beatings. Based on past experience, they assume that any calamity that afflicts the world is directed at them. The Gemara suggests a parable: This is similar to a teacher who comes to the school with a strap in his hand. Who worries? The child who is accustomed to be beaten each and every day is the one who worries.

The Last total Solar Eclipse over America

On Monday August 21st 2017, almost exactly three years ago, my family and I witnessed a total solar eclipse over Charleston South Carolina. It was an unforgettable event. There is another total solar eclipse coming up in a couple of years, and you won’t want to miss it. We will have more to say about that below. But first let’s focus on the science and the superstition of a solar eclipse.

What causes a solar ecplipse according to The talmud?

The classic Talmudic source on the origins of a solar eclipse is found on today’s page of Talmud, in Succah 29a:

תנו רבנן: בשביל ארבעה דברים חמה לוקה: על אב בית דין שמת ואינו נספד כהלכה, ועל נערה המאורסה שצעקה בעיר ואין מושיע לה, ועל משכב זכור, ועל שני אחין שנשפך דמן כאחד

Our Rabbis taught: A solar eclipse occurs on account of four things: Because the Av Beis Din died and was not properly eulogized, because a betrothed woman was raped in a city and none came to rescue her, because of homosexuality, and because of two brothers who were murdered together.

It is challenging to find a common thread to these four events that would satisfactorily relate them to a solar eclipse, and Rashi despaired of doing so: לא שמעתי טעם בדבר—“I do not know of an explanation for this” he write. Neither do we.

What actually causes a solar eclipse?

As we now understand the phenomenon, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets in-between the sun and the earth. When it does, it blocks some of the sunlight and casts a shadow on the earth. A person standing in that shadow (called the umbra) will see an eclipse. The time at which the moon is directly between the sun and the earth is also the start of every Jewish month (or close to it, as we will see below). And so it is clear that a solar eclipse can only occur on (or very close to) Rosh Chodesh, the start of the new Jewish month. However, we certainly do not witness a solar eclipse on every Rosh Chodesh. The reason is that the moon’s orbit is inclined at 5 degrees from the sun-earth plane, so that each month the moon may be slightly above, or slightly below that plane. An eclipse will occur only when the three bodies line up on the same plane, which only occurs infrequently.

If we know that a solar eclipse is a regular celestial event whose timing is predictable and precise, how are we to understand this page of Talmud which suggests that it is a divine response to bad Jewish conduct? We have already noted that Rashi was unable to explain the passage, but this did not prevent others from trying to do so.

1. The Maharal’s unhelpful suggestion

The Maharal of Prague (d. 1609) has a lengthy explanation in his work Be’er Hagolah which, for the sake of clarity, we shall summarize. The Maharal acknowledged that an eclipse is a mechanical and predictable event but he further suggested that if there was no sin, there would indeed never be a solar eclipse. G-d would have designed the universe differently, and in this hypothetical sin-free universe our solar system would have been created without the possibility for a solar eclipse. The conclusion from the Maharal’s writings is that in a sin- free universe, the moon would not orbit as it does now, at a 5-degree angle to the sun-earth plane. But we now need to ask where, precisely, in a sin- free universe, would the moon be? It couldn’t be in the same plane as the sun and the earth, since then there would be a solar eclipse every month. If the moon were, say, 20° above the earth-sun plane, there would still be solar eclipses, though they would be rarer than they are today. The only way for there to be no solar eclipses in the Maharal’s imaginary sin-free universe would be for the moon to orbit the earth at 90° to the sun-earth axis. Then it would never come between the sun and the earth, and there could never be a solar eclipse. But this would lead to another problem. In such an orbit, the moon would always be visible, and so there could never be a Rosh Chodesh. The Maharal’s thought experiment seems to provide more complications than it does solutions.

2. Rabbi Yonason Eibeschutz (d.1764) and his sunspots

Another attempt to explain the Talmud was offered by R. Yonason Eibeschutz (d. 1764). In 1751, Rabbi Eibeschutz was elected as Chief Rabbi of the Three Communities (Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek), although he was later accused of being a secret follower of the false messiah Shabtai Tzvi. In January of that year Rabbi Eibeschutz gave a sermon in Hamburg in which he addressed the very same problem that Maharal had noted: If a solar eclipse is a predictable event, how can it be in response to human conduct? His answer was quite different.

He suggested that the Talmud in Succah is not actually addressing the phenomenon that we call a solar eclipse. According to R. Eibeschutz, the phrase in Succah "בזמן שהחמה לוקה" (“when there is a solar eclipse”) actually means “when there are sunspots.” Inventive though this is, there are two problems with this suggestion. In the first place, sunspots were almost impossible to see before the invention of the telescope. The first published description of sunspots in Western literature was in 1611 by the largely overlooked Johanness Fabricius and later by a contemporary of Galileo named Christopher Scheiner (though Galileo quickly claimed that he, not Scheiner, was the first to correctly interpret what they were). Because sunspots are so difficult to see with the naked eye, it seems very unlikely (though not impossible) that this is what the rabbis in the Talmud were describing. Second, according to Eibeschutz, sunspots “have no known cause, and have no fixed period to their appearance.” However, and even by the science of his day, this claim is not correct. In fact, both Scheiner and Galileo knew—and wrote—that sunspots were permanent (at least for a while) and moved slowly across the face of the sun in a predictable way. The suggestion that these spots are a response to human activity is therefore difficult to sustain. Furthermore, while a total solar eclipse is strikingly visible to those who are in its shadow, sunspots are, as we have noted, incredibly difficult to see with the naked eye. It would therefore make little sense to declare that these invisible sunspots serve as a warning (סימן רע)to humanity. Finally, the Talmud describes the phenomenon of an eclipse (ליקוי) as being visible in only some places on the earth. While this is a perfect description of a solar eclipse, sunspot activity would be visible from any place on earth, a situation that is clearly not the one described in the Talmud.

3. Rabbi David Pardo (1718–1790)

A different suggestion was offered by R. David Pardo (1718–1790) in his work Chasdei David, published in 1796. R. Pardo acknowledged that most solar eclipses are indeed predictable events, but suggested that there are other kinds of eclipses that cannot in fact be predicted, and it is these kinds of eclipses to which the Talmud is referring. Unfortunately, this suggestion has no factual basis. There are no such phenomena as an unpredictable lunar or solar eclipse, and R. Pardo’s suggestion is untenable.

4. The explanation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe- it’s all about the weather

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, also addressed the Talmudic passage, and in a 1957 responsum he wrote that while a solar eclipse was predictable, the local weather was most certainly not. It could not be predicted whether or not a solar or lunar eclipse would be visible through the clouds, and since it was this aspect that was under Divine control, it presumably could change in response to the local actions of people.

Elegant as this might be, this suggestion, too, has considerable problems. In the first place, the weather is indeed predictable, although of course the ability to predict the weather is relatively limited. But more problematic is the fact that a total solar eclipse will be completely visible whether or not there are clouds. A cloudy day will prevent a viewer on the ground from witnessing the moment of conjunction as the moon covers the disc of the sun (which, I can tell you, is pretty cool), and also prevent him from seeing the stars. However, the other effect of a total solar eclipse— darkness as though it were night—will be just as visible.

On the Molad and Astronomical Conjunction

The last solar eclipse brought to our attention another issue. It occurred on August 21, 2017, when the moon is directly between the sun and the earth (or, more technically, when the sun and the moon have the same elliptical longitude). This started at sunrise over the Pacific Ocean northeast of Hawaii, at 4:48 p.m. UTC, or 6:48 p.m. in Jerusalem. And yet the announced time for the molad of Rosh Chodesh Elul, however, was Tuesday, August 22, at 10:44 a.m. and 15 chalakim—about 16 hours later. That is odd since the molad (lit the birth of the moon) is supposed to be the exact time at which the sun, the earth and the moon all line up, at time called the astronomical conjunction.

“...the molad we announce on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Chodesh represents a theoretical time only, and has no relationship to an astronomical phenomenon. ”

The solar eclipse is therefore a visible reminder that the time of molad we announce on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Chodesh represents a theoretical time only, and has no relationship to an astronomical phenomenon. The announced molad is calculated by using the length between one new moon and the next. This figure assumes that every lunar month is of equal length, 29 days, 12 hours 44 minutes and 3 1/3 seconds. The Jewish calendar is based on the axiom that all future times of the molad are based on the theoretical time for the first molad, which was in Tishrei of the first year of Creation. This is assumed to have occurred on a Monday night, at five hours and 204 chalakim—a time that occurred only in theory since, according to Jewish tradition, the sun and the moon had not been created at that time. To determine the time of any molad since then, we simply add 29 days, 5 hours and 204 chalakim for each month from the primordial Tishrei. But this calculated time differs from the actual length of time between one new month and the next, which is not constant. For this reason, the times announced for the molad are not astronomically accurate—and, as we have seen, this can result in a discrepancy of more than 16 hours between the astronomical conjunction and the calculated Jewish conjunction. (To read more about this problem see our post here.]

HalaKhic Aspects of a Solar Eclipse

There are two categories of questions surrounding a solar eclipse. The first focuses on the technical aspects of the eclipse as a natural phenomenon, and the second on the eclipse as an omen of tragedy.

1. Publicizing the date of a forthcoming eclipse

The Mishnah Berurah rules that it is forbidden to tell another person that a rainbow is visible, because this violates the prohibition of slander (מוציא דבה), since the primordial rainbow appeared after the sins of humanity that caused Noah’s Flood.

And since a solar eclipse is, according to today’s page of Talmud, a sign of human sin, it might be suggested that it would also be forbidden to announce the time of a future solar eclipse. However, unlike a rainbow, a solar eclipse may be entirely predicted, and on the basis of this, Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl (b. 1935) ruled that it is permitted to publicize the dates and times of a future eclipse. (See R. Avigdor Nebenzahl, Teshuvos Avigdor HaLevi (Sifrei Kedumim: 2012), p. 249 #105.)

2. Reciting a blessing on seeing a solar eclipse

There is halachic precedent for reciting a blessing on seeing an awe-inspiring vista or event. We make a berachah on seeing the Mediterranean Sea, or a rainbow, on hearing thunder and seeing lightening, and even on seeing a person of exceptional beauty. It is perfectly understandable, therefore, for a person witnessing one of the greatest of nature’s spectacles, to wish to mark the event with a blessing. However, there appear to be no halakhic authorities who would allow a berachah to be recited. Perhaps the first to write about this was R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson. In 1957, he was asked if it was permitted to say a berachah on seeing a solar or lunar eclipse, and his reply was unequivocal:

ידוע הכלל אשר אין לחדש ברכה שלא הוזכרה בש"ס (ב"י או"ח סמ"ו). וי"ל הטעם דאין מברכין ע"ז מפני שהוא סימן לפורעניות הבאה )סוכה כט, א(. ואדרבה צריכה תפלה לבטלה וצעקה ולא ברכה

There is a well-established principle that it is forbidden to institute a blessing that is not mentioned in the Talmud. And some say that the reason that no blessing was instituted is because the eclipse is a bad omen. To the contrary, it is important to pray for the omen to be annulled, and to cry out without a berachah. (Iggerot Kodesh 15:1079.)

R. Schneerson combines a halakhic justification for not reciting a berachah with the classic Talmudic teaching from our page today that a solar eclipse occurs as a result of human sin. However, there are two problems with R. Schneerson’s ruling. First, it is normative Jewish practice to recite a berachah on hearing bad news such as the death of a person, and second, the Talmud does not describe a solar eclipse as an omen of forthcoming disaster. It is a sign of sin, not of punishment.

R. Chaim Dovid HaLevi, Av Bet Din (Chief of the Rabbinic Court) of Tel Aviv and Yaffo, also ruled that we are forbidden to create new berachos, (Aseh Lecha Rav [Tel Aviv, 5749], 150) although he understood the urge to do so:

Our Rabbis instituted blessings over acts of creation and powerful natural events, like lightning and thunder and so on. However, they did not do so for a lunar or solar eclipse. And if only today we could institute a blessing when we are aware that an eclipse is indeed an incredible natural event. But we cannot, for a person is forbidden to make up a blessing. If a person still wants to make some form of a blessing, he should recite the verses “And David blessed...blessed are you, God, the Lord of our father Israel, who performs acts of creation.”

Finally, we should note the opinion of R. David Lau, then the Chief Rabbi of Modi’in, and currently the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. A certain David Eisen wrote to R. Lau about his experiences of observing the (partial) solar eclipse of 2001 that could be seen in Israel. He had been left wishing to make a blessing for what was, for him, an awe-inspiring cosmic occurrence. R. Lau empathized with Eisen’s feelings, but noted that since the Rabbis of the Talmud had not prescribed a blessing over an eclipse, it was not possible to institute such a blessing today. Rabbi Lau noted that his own religious response to witnessing the eclipse had been to say Psalm 19, “The Heavens tell of G-d’s glory,” and Psalm 104, “My soul will bless G-d.”

3. Marriage and fasting on the day of a solar eclipse

The Chasidic leader R. Zvi Elimelech Shapira of Dinov (b. 1785), wrote in his classic work Bnei Yissaschar that a man should not marry when the moon is waning, “and particularly not during a lunar eclipse, G- d forbid.”(Bnei Yissaschar, Ma’amarei Rosh Chodesh, #2.) He does not mention whether this would apply to a solar eclipse. The Mishnah Berurah also notes the opinion of the Sefer Chasidim that one should fast on the day of a lunar eclipse, although he does not rule on the matter further (Mishnah Berurah #580:2). The matter was more recently addressed by R. Menachem Lang, who notes that it might be forbidden to marry on the day of any kind of eclipse, but ultimately ruled that there is no such prohibition. When a solar eclipse occurs on the same day as Rosh Chodesh, any fast would be forbidden under the general prohibition of fasting on Rosh Chodesh (Mishnah Berurah #580:1).

[Most of this post comes from an essay published in Hakirah in 2017. You can read the entire essay here.]

A SPECIAL ECLIPSE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM TALMUDOLOGY

Here is the great news: there is another total solar eclipse coming soon to North America!

On Monday April 8, 2024 another total solar eclipse will be visible over North America. If the weather cooperates, it will be seen along a narrow path that starts from Mexico's Pacific coast, passes through several American states, and ends on the Atlantic coast of Canada. The rest of mainland United States and Canada, and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe will see a partial solar eclipse, which is nowhere nearly as spectacular and is often not even noticeable. The next time you will get to see a total solar eclipse in the US after that will not be until August 2045. So plan now!

Image from here

Join Talmudology for the Great American Solar Eclipse II

The Talmudology Excursions Division is in the early stages of planning a special weekend of events in preparation of this amazing experience. As you can see from the map above, Cleveland Ohio will be in the center of the path of the totality, and that is likely where the Talmudology Eclipse Gathering will be.

Sign up below to receive updates about this unique event. We hope to see you in April 2024. (It will be here sooner than you think.)

The Lunar Eclipse You Can See From Your Sukkah

As we've noted before, a solar eclipse can only occur at the start of  a Hebrew month, as the moon gets between the sun and the earth.  A lunar eclipse is also linked to the Jewish month, and can only occur around the 15th day of the month, when the moon is full.  As the earth passes between the sun and the moon, its shadow is cast onto the moon, resulting in an eclipse.

 So why don't we see a lunar eclipse every month? The answer is simple. The moon's orbit is inclined at 5 degrees from the sun-earth plane, so that each month the moon may be slightly above, or slightly below that plane. And a lunar eclipse will occur only when the three bodies line up on the same plane.  

Tonight - The Great Sukkot Lunar Eclipse

Tonight, Sunday night September 27th, is the 15th of Tishrei, and of course the first night of Sukkot. It will also be the night of a lunar eclipse, and will be visible to many of us. (Not you Australia. Or Japan.) Just when you'll be able to see the lunar eclipse, and how much of an eclipse you will see, is shown on this NASA chart:

Chart Courtesy of NASA.  P1=00:11:47UT.  U1= 01:07:11UT.    U2= 02:11:10UT.  U3=03:23:05UT. U4=04:27:03UT. P4=05:22:27UT.

The lunar eclipse will be more spectacular than usual, because the moon will be at its closest point as it orbits the earth. This makes it appear about 7% larger than usual, when it takes on the unjustified title of a supermoon. The moon will appear to turn red, as it enters the shadow of the earth, and for this reason it is sometimes called a blood moon.

The Talmud on Eclipses

תלמוד בבלי סוכה דף כט עמוד א 

תנו רבנן: בזמן שהחמה לוקה - סימן רע לעובדי כוכבים, לבנה לוקה - סימן רע לשונאיהם של ישראל, מפני שישראל מונין ללבנה ועובדי כוכבים לחמה...

תנו רבנן: בשביל ארבעה דברים חמה לוקה: על אב בית דין שמת ואינו נספד כהלכה, ועל נערה המאורסה שצעקה בעיר ואין מושיע לה, ועל משכב זכור, ועל שני אחין שנשפך דמן כאחד

Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse is a bad omen for idolaters; a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for Israel, because Israel reckons [its calendar] by the moon, and idolaters by the sun...

Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse happens because of four things:
1. When an Av Bet Din [head of the Rabbinic Court] died and was not properly eulogized;
2. If a betrothed girl cried out aloud in the city and there was no-one to save her [from being raped];
3. Because of homosexuality; and
4 If two brothers were killed at the same time.

That's what we have - four causes of a solar eclipse, and none for a lunar eclipse - we are just told that it is a "bad omen for Israel." And how does Rashi explain this passage?  לא שמעתי טעם בדבר  - "I have not heard any explanation for this." 

LATER JEWISH EXPLANATIONS OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE

If we know that eclipses are regular celestial events whose timing is predictable and precise, how are we to understand Talmud in Sukkah, which suggests that an eclipse is a divine response to human conduct? We have already seen that Rashi was unable to explain the passage, but that didn't stop others from trying.  The Maharal of Prague (d. 1609) has a lengthy explanation which you can read here.  It goes something like this: "Yes, an eclipse is a mechanical and predictable event. But in truth, if there was no sin, there would be no eclipses, because God would have designed the universe differently, and in such a sin-free universe...there would be no need to design an eclipse." So the Maharal suggests that in a sin-free universe, the moon would not orbit as it does now, at a 5 degree angle to the sun-earth plane.  But where would the moon be? It couldn't be in the same plane as the sun and the earth, since then there would be an solar eclipse every month. If it were at say 20 degrees above the plane, then there would still be both solar and lunar eclipses, though they would be more rare. The only way for there to be no solar eclipses (in the Maharal's sin-free imaginary universe) would be for the moon to orbit the earth at 90 degrees to the sun-earth axis.  Then it would never come between the sun and the earth, and there could never be a solar eclipse. Perfect, except then there would never be a Rosh Chodesh, and the moon would always be visible. Oy.

יערות דבש דרוש י׳ב

Another attempt to explain the Talmud was offered by Jonatan Eybeschutz (d. 1764). In 1751 Eybeschutz was elected as chief rabbi of the Three Communities (Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbek), and was later accused of being a secret follower of the false messiah Shabtai Zevi. In January 1751, Eybeschutz gave a drasha in Hamburg in which he addressed the very same problem that Maharal had noted: if a solar eclipse is a predictable event, how can it be related to human conduct? His answer was quite different: The Talmud in Sukkah is not actually addressing the phenomenon that we call a solar eclipse. According to Eybeschutz, the phrase in Sukkah "בזמן שהחמה לוקה" actually means - "when there are sunspots."

Inventive though this is, it is as implausible as the suggestion of the Maharal. In the first place, sunspots could not have been seen prior to the invention of the telescope. They were first described in March 1611 by a contemporary of Galileo named Christopher Scheiner (though Galileo lost no-time in claiming that he, not Scheiner was the first to correctly interpret what they were.)  Because sunspots could not have been seen, this cannot be what the rabbis in Gemara Sukkah were describing.

Christopher Scheine, Rosa Ursina sive Sol (Bracciai 1626-1630)

Second, according to Eybeschutz, sunspots "have no known cause, and have no fixed period to their appearance".  We can't fault Eybeschutz  for his first claim, but - even by the science of his day - his second was not correct. In fact both Scheiner and Galileo knew  - and wrote - that sunspots were permanent (at least for a while) and moved slowly across the face of the sun.

It's interesting to note that Galileo got very excited about the discovery that the spots moved across the face of the sun. This suggested (though it did not prove) that the sun itself was spinning. Galileo had also discovered that Jupiter was orbited by moons. Both of these discoveries now added further support to the Copernican model in which the Earth was spinning on its ownaxis, and was not the center of all the movement of objects in the sky. But Eybeschutz did not believe Copernicus was correct: "Copernicus and his supporters have made fools of themselves when they declare that the Earth orbits [the Sun]. They have left us with a lie, and the truth will bear itself witness that the Earth stands still for ever."  Eybeschutz wanted to have sunspots explain away a talmudic mystery, but he dismissed the evidence that they provided in other matters - namely, that the earth moves.

Looking at the Eclipse while Sitting in the Sukkah

This coming Sunday, the first night of Sukkot, those of us on the east coast of the United States will be able to peak the lunar eclipse (weather permitting) as we begin our first meal (weather permitting) in the Sukkah. In Europe and Israel you will need to stay up later, perhaps glancing at the red moon through a now darkened Sukkah. On the west coast of the United States, the moon will be eclipsed as it rises.  A lunar eclipse coinciding with Sukkot is not a rare event; the last time it happened was...last year.  However, last year's eclipse was not visible to the vast majority of those sitting in their Sukkot, unless you were on the west coast of the US, in Sydney Australia, or crossing the Pacific.  But consider this: the next time you'll be able to witness a total lunar eclipse while sitting in your Sukkah will not be until 2033 (for those in Australia, the Pacific, and the western US).  For those in western Europe and the eastern US, you will have to wait until 2080. So I plan to enjoy this total eclipse of the the sukkot supermoon, because I won't see another.   

The Solar Eclipse

Friday March 20 - An Astronomic Trifecta, +1

Tomorrow, Friday March 20, 2015, is a very important day for astronomers. That's because three events will coincide: the Spring (Vernal) equinox, a super-moon (in which either a full moon or a new moon occurs during the moon's closest approach to Earth) and...a solar eclipse. (And then of course on Friday night it is ראש הודש ניסן – the start of the month of Nissan.) We will discuss the eclipse, which unfortunately will only be visible over north Africa, Israel and most of Europe, as you can see in the animation. (For those in North America, there will be nothing to see, since the eclipse will occur during the night.  If you live there, the next solar eclipse will be on August 21, 2017.  You may stop reading this, and return to this page in two and-a-half years.)

In Israel, and over most of Europe, this solar eclipse will be partial, with the moon taking only a little bite out of the sun's disc. (To experience a full solar eclipse you'll need to be somewhere in the north Atlantic or on Denmarks's Faroe Islands, which are about 200 miles northwest of Scotland.) In Jerusalem the eclipse will begin at 11:16am.  At its maximum (11:58am)  there won't be any noticeable darkening, but if the sky is clear, you'll see something like this:

The Talmud on Eclipses

תלמוד בבלי סוכה דף כט עמוד א 

תנו רבנן: בזמן שהחמה לוקה - סימן רע לעובדי כוכבים, לבנה לוקה - סימן רע לשונאיהם של ישראל, מפני שישראל מונין ללבנה ועובדי כוכבים לחמה...

תנו רבנן: בשביל ארבעה דברים חמה לוקה: על אב בית דין שמת ואינו נספד כהלכה, ועל נערה המאורסה שצעקה בעיר ואין מושיע לה, ועל משכב זכור, ועל שני אחין שנשפך דמן כאחד

“Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse is a bad omen for idolaters; a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for Israel, because Israel reckons [its calendar] by the moon, and idolaters by the sun...

Our Rabbis taught, A solar eclipse happens because of four things:
1. When an Av Bet Din [head of the Rabbinic Court] died and was not properly eulogized;
2. If a betrothed girl cried out aloud in the city and there was no-one to save her [from being raped];
3. Because of homosexuality; and
4 If two brothers were killed at the same time.”

— Sukkah 29a

That's what we have - four causes of a solar eclipse.  And how does Rashi explain this passage?       לא שמעתי טעם בדבר  - "I have not heard any explanation for this." 

The Real Cause of a Solar Eclipse

יערות דבש, דרוש י’ב

Another attempt to explain the Talmud was offered by Jonatan Eybeschutz (d. 1764). In 1751 Eybeschutz was elected as chief rabbi of the Three Communities (Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbek), and was later accused of being a secret follower of the false messiah Shabtai Zevi. In January 1751, Eybeschutz gave a drasha Hamburg in Hamburg in which he addressed the very same problem that the Maharal had noted: if a solar eclipse is a predictable event, how can it be related to human conduct? His answer was quite different: The Talmud in Sukkah is not actually addressing the phenomenon that we call a solar eclipse. According to Eybeschutz, the phrase in Sukkah "בזמן שהחמה לוקה" actually means - "when there are sunspots."

Inventive though this is, it is as implausible as the suggestion of the Maharal. In the first place, sunspots were almost (but not quite impossible) to see prior to the invention of the telescope. They were described in March 1611 by a contemporary of Galileo named Christopher Scheiner (though Galileo lost no-time in claiming that he, not Scheiner was the first to correctly interpret what they were.) Because sunspots were so difficult to see with the naked eye, it seems unlikely that this is what the rabbis in Gemara Sukkah were describing.

Courtesy of NASA

Christopher Scheiner, Rosa Ursina sive Sol (Bracciai 1626-1630)

Second, according to Eybeschutz, sunspots "have no known cause, and have no fixed period to their appearance".  We can't fault Eybeschutz  for his first claim, but - even by the science of his day - his second was not correct. In fact both Scheiner and Galileo knew  - and wrote - that sunspots were permanent (at least for a while) and moved slowly across the face of the sun.

Sidebar: Eybeschutz, Sunspots and Copernicus

It's interesting to note that Galileo got very excited about the discovery that the spots moved across the face of the sun. This suggested (though it did not prove) that the sun itself was spinning. Galileo had also discovered that Jupiter was orbited by moons. Both of these discoveries now added further support to the Copernican model in which the Earth was spinning on its own axis, and was not the center of all the movement of objects in the sky. But Eybeschutz did not believe Copernicus was correct: "Copernicus and his supporters have made fools of themselves when they declare that the Earth orbits [the Sun]. They have left us with a lie, and the truth will bear itself witness that the Earth stands still for ever."  Eybeschutz wanted to have sunspots explain away a talmudic mystery, but he dismissed the evidence that they provided in other matters - namely, that the earth moves.  

Was the Plague of Darkness a Solar Eclipse? 

Since we are only a couple of weeks before פסח, we will end with another look at an old theory, in which the Plague of Darkness was caused not by a miracle, but rather by a (conveniently timed) solar eclipse.  In 1916 Eduard Mahler (d. 1945)  suggested this explanation in his Handbuch der Jüdischen Chronologie, (Vienna 1887).  According to Mahler, there was a solar eclipse visible in Egypt on Thursday March 13, 1335 BC. Since this was the only such eclipse, it would date the Exodus as occurring on March 27th, 1335 BC.

However, there's an obvious problem: the Torah describes the darkness lasting for three days. But a solar eclipse is over in a matter of minutes.  Mahler has in interesting answer: instead of reading the verses (in Exod. 10) like this:

(22) there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. (23) They did not see each other, or get up from their places for three days.

read them like this:

(22)  there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt. (23) For three days they did not see each other, or get up from their places for three days.

The eclipse lasted only a few minutes, but its effect on the Egyptians lasted three days. And what about the Jews in Goshen -why was there no Plague of Darkness there? Because they lived outside of the totality -  the area in which the complete eclipse occurred -  and would not have noted any significant darkening. Now there are some problems with this theory - like the fact that according to NASA, the solar eclipse to which Mahler referred seems to have been only a partial eclipse throughout Egypt. Still, it makes for a good discussion. Try that at your Seder Table.