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''Birkat Hachama'' (ברכת החמה, "Blessing of the Sun") refers to a rare Jewish blessing that is recited to the Creator, thanking Him for creating the sun. The blessing is recited when the sun completes its cycle every 28 years on a Tuesday at sundown. Jewish tradition says that when the Sun completes this cycle, it has returned to its position when the world was created. Because the blessing needs to be said when the sun is visible, the blessing is postponed to the following day, on Wednesday morning. According to Judaism, the Sun has a 28 year solar cycle known as ''machzor gadol'' (מחזור גדול, "the great cycle"). A solar year is estimated as 365.25 days and the "Blessing of the Sun", being said at the beginning of this cycle, is therefore recited every 10,227 (28 times 365.25) days. The last time that it was recited was on April 8, 2009 (14 ''Nisan'' 5769 on the Hebrew calendar.〔This coincided with the day before the Jewish Holiday of Passover (Hebrew: פסח).〕 From an astronomic point of view, there is nothing special to these dates; e.g. the sun, moon, planets and stars will not be aligned in any specific pattern. The text of the blessing itself is as follows: :"ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם עושה מעשה בראשית" :"''Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe maker of the works of Creation.''" ==Source of the practice== The primary source for the institution of ''Birkat Hachama'' is a ''Beraita'' mentioned in the ''Talmud'':〔''Bavli'' ''Berachot'' 59b〕 :"תנו רבנן הרואה חמה בתקופתה...אומר ברוך עושה מעשה בראשית" :"Our rabbis taught: 'One who sees the sun at its turning point...recites the blessing of 'the maker of works of creation.''" The middle of this clause in the ''beraita'' (elided here) speaks of other astronomical phenomena, the interpretation of which is ambiguous. The ''Gemara'' clarifies when the 'turning point' (תקופה) mentioned in the ''beraita'' occurs: :"ואימת הוי אמר אביי כל כ״ח שנין" :"And when does this happen? Abaye answers: every 28 years..." Next, the ''gemara'' explains the basis of the 28 years: :"והדר מחזור ונפלה תקופת ניסן בשבתאי באורתא דתלת נגהי ארבע" :"...when the cycle renews and the 'season of Nisan' (i.e. vernal equinox) falls in Saturn, on the evening of Tuesday going into Wednesday." This explanation provided by Abaye is based on a ruling of Shmuel also mentioned in the ''Talmud'':〔''Bavli'' ''Eruvin 56a〕 :"Shmuel stated: The vernal equinox occurs only at the beginning of one of the four quarters of the day, either at the beginning of the day or at the beginning of the night, or midday or midnight. The summer solstice only occurs at either at the end of 1.5 or at the end of 7.5 hours of the day or the night. The autumnal equinox only occurs at the end of 3 or 9 hours of the day or the night. The winter solstice only occurs at the end of 4.5 or 10.5 hours of the day or the night. The duration of a season of the year is no longer than 91 days and 7.5 hours." Shmuel's calculations, however, are imprecise because the earth does not travel around the sun with a constant speed.〔This was recognized and commented on by Isaac Israeli ben Joseph, a disciple of the Rosh in his work ''Yesod Olam''. Spring is approximately 92.84 days long, summer is approximately 93.6 days long, autumn is approximately 89.8 days long and winter is approximately 89.02 days long.〕 His imprecision, according to Abraham ibn Ezra, was a function of the desire of the time to avoid the necessity of manipulating fractions.〔''Sefer HaIbbur'', page 8〕〔Rabbi J. David Bleich. ''Bircas Hachammah, Blessing of the Sun: Renewal of the Creation: a Halachic Analysis and Anthology''. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Mesorah Publications ltd, 1981. ISBN 0-89906-176-1., page 50〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Birkat Hachama」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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