In the centuries before the Talmudic rabbis, there were numerous other ancient Jewish writers who also connected Abraham to astronomy…
Author: astrorav
Abraham the Astronomer
There is an obviously very appealing idea extant in Jewish sources that Abraham the Patriarch was an astronomer. Where do we see this idea? And where does it originate?
Rosh Hashanah vs. The Sun Blessing
The Rosh Hashanah Machzor says היום הרת עולם and depending on your edition, probably translates it something like “today is the birthday of the world” or some fairly similar translation. But… Says who? This holiday is not called “Rosh Hashanah” (“start of year” or more colloquially, “new year”) in the Torah. It’s called a יום…
Origins of Rainwater in Taanit
Masechet Taanit features a disagreement between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer about the origins of rainwater…
Lunar Observations in Rosh Hashanah
The Daf Yomi cycle just finished studying Masechet Rosh Hashanah. Mazal tov to all those who have completed this study! In Masechet Rosh Hashanah observations of the Moon play a very significant role. A major topic of study in this tractate is how the ancient Jewish “calendar” worked. In fact, it was not really a…
Ramban and the Early Atmosphere
Ramban’s comments on the meorot (heavenly luminaries) and rakia (firmament; or sky…) connect to the Earth’s early history…
Black Holes in Pesachim
The very first line of Pesachim focuses attention on one of astronomers’ favorite topics: light! Or does it?
Shavuot, Philo, Astronomy and Pythagoreans
The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria, in glowing terms, describes the holiday of Shavuot and its underlying reasons based on mathematics – and astronomy!
Yotzer Or: The Astronomers’ Blessing 2
The blessing Yotzer Or, “Who creates light”, said daily before reading the Shema in the morning, is full of astronomical ideas to enhance kavana…
The Menorah and Planets
Chanukah is an opportune time to share this interesting midrash about the Menorah and planets…
Bereishit and the Nobel Prize
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star” can help understand a midrash on Bereishit…
HaAdam Al HaYareach (Man on the Moon) Part 4
In 1969 Rabbi Menachem Kasher, one of the gedolim [= great Torah scholars] of the twentieth century, published a series of Torah thought essays related to the most amazing event of his time, or any time ever in human history: the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, this week I am…
AstroRav: Torah & Astronomy 