“Machar Chodesh” is one of my favorite haftarot… but what’s hiding within this awesome haftarah episode from David’s adventures?
Shemot Rabbah on Parshat Hachodesh and Barchi Nafshi helps explain difficulty on the Moon in Genesis…
Astronomy is a prerequisite for the first mitzvah, which we read about in Parshat Hachodesh…
An astronomical analogy on Moshe’s face shining like the Moon in Parshat Ki Tisa…
The thirteenth month, Adar, and the thirteenth Zodiac constellation, Ophiuchus. what is the connection?
In the course of the arguments of Moses and Aaron convincing Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, we find fascinating ideas that are illuminated by astronomy.
The apparition of Comet Catalina is an ideal opportunity to talk about the blessing said on seeing comets…
A New Hope is followed by The Empire Strikes Back… and Chanukah is shortly after followed by Asarah B’Tevet. In these, the rebels/Jews are besieged – on Hoth or in Jerusalem…
Torah and Star Wars!
To illuminate the process described in Rashi’s comment, I thought people would really enjoy this awesome video by Ben Ames explaining “What is a Flame?”
As a brief follow up to the last post, which discussed the Earth’s axial tilt, I thought I’d add another brief point about how the Earth is like a dreidel – in one respect, at least. This won’t involve much actual Torah, but dreidels are, at least, a very traditional part of Chanukah customs. As mentioned,…
Chanukah is often referred to as the Festival of Light(s). But it is not the first Festival of Light in the world, as the Talmud tells us.
AstroRav: Torah & Astronomy 