Sunset in Adelaide

Yesterday evening I left the Synagogue and beheld this magnificent sunset. It got me thinking, why is there no blessing on a beautiful sunset. We make a beracha on smelling a nice smell, like a rose. And this blessing could be made every day. So why not on a beautiful sunset every day?

We make blessings when seeing the ocean, the grand canyon and other magnificent creations of G-d.

Anyone have an answer?

A Solar Eclipse in Australia - What is the blessing (bracha) on a solar eclipse and is there a blessing on a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipse over Australia (Surfer's Paradise), as seen through a frosted glass screen

Last week there was a total solar eclipse in Australia.  It was best seen from the north, in Cairns.  While we didn’t make it all the way up there, we did make it halfway there.  Akiva and I joined our friend Mia at her apartment in Surfer’s Paradise and watched the solar eclipse from her balcony.  I remember learning about eclipses in school and I think I remember one happening when I was in elementary school, but I don’t remember if I was actually able to watch it or not.  This is the first solar eclipse I was able to actually see.

It began at 5:57 AM, peaked at 6:57 AM, and finished by 7:57 AM.  The sun was mostly covered by the moon.  Unlike in Cairns, however, the view of the eclipse was only partial and so the sunlight was not entirely blocked.  I was a bit disappointed that during the solar eclipse we were not plunged into darkness, although the light was less bright during the height of the eclipse.

At first, I could not even see a difference.  This is especially because you must never view a solar eclipse with the naked eye.  It can actually cause real and severe damage to your vision or even blind you, and very quickly, too!  So always make sure you are using proper eyewear when viewing a solar eclipse.  I watched the eclipse through a frosted glass screen that blocked out the sun’s harmful rays, as you can see in the photograph.

I did not make a blessing on the solar eclipse.  Although we Jews do make blessings on most of the wondrous phenomena we see G-d create in nature, the eclipse is not one of these – neither solar nor lunar.  In fact, an eclipse is seen as a bad omen! A solar eclipse is considered a bad omen for the world (which follows a solar calendar), while a lunar eclipse is considered a bad omen for the Jewish people (who are likened to the moon and who follow a lunar calendar).  Generally, when there is an eclipse it is a sign that we Jews should increase in good deeds and should say more prayers and tehillim (psalms). Of course, there is enough suffering in galus (exile) and enough reasons that we should be doing more good deeds and saying more prayers and tehillim all the time anyway!

Riding on Camels through the desert in Israel..or perhaps sleeping on camels in the desert in Israel

It is very common for us to set out on a road trip and after driving for a bit, someone will recite Tefilat Haderech (the traveler’s prayer) and everyone else will respond ‘amen.’

When Rachel and I did a week-long camel riding trip in the desert in Rajasthan, we left the city on camel back and I guess that at some point the same thing would happen as if we were in a car; we would say Tefilat Haderech – only this time while on the back of a camel. I had the same situation when going for a four-day camel trek in Israel, though with the group I was part of, we mostly walked and did not ride the camels.

So can one say Tefilat Haderech while riding on a camel… or what about a horse or any other animal for that matter?

This is obviously an issue because people were traveling on animals before cars. According to halacha/Jewish law one should stop their animal if possible. This would apply to stopping a car as well. Stopping a ship or a plane may not be possible.

Some other issue to take into acount is that one should not say a bracha if there is an unpleasant smell. The question would be: if there is a bad smell coming from the camel (a combination of camel breath, camel farts, and wet camel hair generally constitutes a very bad smell!) one should probably get off the camel and walk a few feet away.

Do We Make a Blessing/Berocha When Giving Charity/Tzedaka?

This morning after I gave some charity I thought about this. Normally we make a blessing on any mitzvah we do. Like making a blessing/berocha on lighting the menorah, eating matzah, and blowing the shofar. So if giving charity is a mitzvah, why than no blessing?

The Rashba, who is a commentator on the Talmud, says that in order to make a blessing/berocha a on a mitzvah it must be entirely 100% in our hands. When we give tzedaka it is not totally up to us. We can make the blessing, and then try and hand over the money but there is no guarantee that the person we are giving to will take it. True that this is highly unlikely as most people collecting charity will gladly accept it from you, but nevertheless we can only make a blessing/berocha on that which is 100% in our hands to complete.

For example when we make a blessing on food, the food should be in our hand and at the least in front of us. More than once, when I was younger, I recall making a blessing on water and then pushing the water fountain button and no water came out. With a water fountain it is important to first push the button so we see the water and then make the berocha.

Riding a scooter in the rain around Bali. My back pack is in the plastic bag in the front. It was an amzing trip but it rained a alot and made the roads slippery. I stayed sometimes in guesthouses and other times in villages. Bali is a beautiful place if you can get away form the main tourist spots.

A Blessing for rain in Shmoneh Esrei

The shmoneh esrei, also known as the Amidah, is recited three times daily. In one of the blessings we ask Hashem to bless the year along with the produce of the land. Because the blessing refers to things growing from the ground we change the blessing slightly from winter season to summer season to reflect what the ground needs.

In Israel starting on the seventh day of the month of Cheshvan (this year Nov 2011) they begin to say ‘V’sein Tal Umatar’ (asking for rain). However we only begin to say this insertion outside of Israel on December 4^th or 5^th.

Say one is in Israel now but plans on flying outside of Israel. What should he or she say?

There are two main opinions. 1) Say it like wherever you are according to the custom of the place. 2) If you are planning to return to Israel within the year, continue saying like they do in Israel even if you have left the country.

It is best to ask your local Rabbi to find out what you should do in this situation.

Farmer Ben Picks Kosher Vegetables

So as I blogged about earlier this week, Last Sunday Rachel and I visited a farm where we picked vegetables with farmer Ben and his wife Lisa. http://travelingrabbi.com/2011/08/08/rabbi-ben-meets-farmer-ben/

The farm is in a beautiful area which is on a one hundred acre plot of land. There is a small pond where Rachel caught a fish, and a river that runs alongside the property. Most impressive is an old colonial home with the first parts built in the 1700’s. It has the old colonial charm to it. Walking through it is like going back in time. Some of the furniture in there must be a couple hundred years old.

Farmer Ben does not grow stuff on all one hundred acres. He uses a small area where he rotates various crops as the seasons change.

Being a traveling Rabbi, I had to check out that all was okay from a halachic point of view. There are many laws of farming that apply but more so in the land of Israel. Outside of Israel, the main two laws would be ‘Kilayim’ and ‘Orlah.’

Kilayim  is the prohibition of growing certain produce together. Grape vines may not be planted alongside grains and vegetables. Further, there are certain vegetables, legumes, and grains that are Biblically prohibited to be planted together.

The other prohibition to take into account is ‘Orlah.’ After planting a fruit tree, the fruit is forbidden to be eaten for the first three years. Fruit means anything on which we say the blessing ‘Borei Pri Ha’etz.’ Thus, grapes and blueberries are fruits and one would need to wait three years from planting before eating their fruits.

Tomatoes, though some may consider them a fruit, are a vegetable according to the Torah. One would not have to wait three years before eating them. This would be impossible. The same with bananas, on which we say the blessing  ‘Ha’adama;’ they are not considered to be a fruit according to the Torah.

Anyway, Farmer Ben’s farm was kosher and in perfect order.  And the vegetables that we are now eating  are delicious!