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Birkat HaHammah
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'''Birkat ha-Hammah''' (ברכת החמה, also: ha-Chamah, Hahammah, Hachammah), is
Hebrew language Hebrew for "The Blessing of the
Sun."
It is a special
Judaism Jewish prayer recited once every twenty-eight years. According to the Babylonian
Talmud (tractate Berachot 59b), it is said when the
Earth returns to the same position relative to
Sun that it had when the universe was first
Creation (theology) created. The prayer is traditionally recited outdoors at sunrise.
Order of the service
No set service existed until the
Shulkhan Arukh; since then various similar religious services have been offered by Rabbi
Moses Sofer, the
Mishnah Berurah, and (for
Conservative Judaism Conservative Jews) Lasker and Lasker. The service generally includes:
*Quotations about the sun from the
Tanakh
*Four verses from the Tanakh which spell out the
Tetragrammaton
*Some of
Talmud Berakhot 59b
*Parts of
Psalms 148 and 90
*The Blessing of the Sun (''Barukh Atah...maaseh vereishit'')
*Psalms 121, 8 and 19
*The hymm ''El Adon al kol hama'asim'' (normally part of the
Shabbat Jewish services services).
*
Aleinu
*The mourner's
kaddish
Occurrences
Occurrences in the last 120 years:
* Wednesday,
April 7,
1897
* Wednesday,
April 8,
1925
* Wednesday, April 8,
1953
* Wednesday, April 8,
1981
* and will happen on
Wednesday, April 8,
2009
Books
* Rabbi
J. David Bleich. ''Bircas Hachammah, Blessing of the Sun: Renewal of the Creation: a Halachic Analysis and Anthology''. Brooklyn, N.Y.:
Artscroll Mesorah Publications ltd, 1981. ISBN 0899061761.
Reference
* Lasker, AA and Lasker DJ. ''Birkat Hahammah: The Blessing of the Sun''. Conservative Judaism 1981;34:17-28.
Category:Jewish law and rituals
Category:Jewish liturgy
Category:Hebrew words
he:ברכת החמה