Customer Reviews

Bircas Hachammah: Blessing of the Sun-Renewal of Creation (Artscroll Mesorah Series)

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Bircas Hachammah is, without a doubt, the rarest of all Jewish calendar events. (It comes once every 28 years). Rabbi Bleich is an accomplished halachic analyst, and has already written several volumes entitled "contemporary halachic problems". He takes the same rigorous and thorough analysis style and applies it here to bircas hachammah. He starts off by explaining the calendar (no simple task) and explains the various calculations people had for the length of the solar and lunar years, and how the interacted. He then goes through the origins of bircas hachammah, shows how people have responded to it over time, and covers all the relevant laws with both footnotes and superfootnotes for completeness. (Superfootnotes are footnotes on the footnotes). Lastly he has the entire service with commentary, and has appendices which show the dates and times of various astrological events related to bircas hachammah.

Don't let the Artscroll name fool you - Bleich has done a comprehensive literature review and this is a serious book that takes into account the history, the law, and the tradition.

While I'm sure this is a fine work by my friend and former colleague David Bleich, it is now somewhat low on the immediacy scale. My bedside book pile is pretty tall, but I guess I can try to get to this in the coming 27+ years. Maybe it fits in just above "Preparing for the Next Visit of Halley's Comet"!
Of course, in Jewish tradition, study can be its own reward. Some of my co-religionists are working on the laws of red heifers as we speak. (No political or apocalyptic significance intended--at least, not by me.)

For an event that occurs only once every 28 years, I wish I had had the book prior to the occurrence. It gives great insight into the event and the prayers to be said.

Very informative. Great book for those interested in the scientific aspect of creation as well as the spiritual aspect. Since it won't happen again for another 28 years, you can read it verrrrry sloooowly. It is much more informative and detailed than the other book I read on the same subject.