Jews Do Crazy Things

So today was definitely a day of interesting rituals. First there is the whole pesach cleaning that has been going on and us firstborns don’t eat until we hear a Siyum. But we had Birchat HaChamah which is the celebration and thanksgiving that comes every 28 years. Now what gets me about this is that it is a great bracha and we should feel it and say it more often..but we have this event that occurs every 28 years designated for it. By why 28 years? The answer is that it is when the Sun, Moon, Plantes, and Stars are in the same relative orientation as they were when they were created. But the precision involved is much like the first down marker. There are detailed complex models and equations that were developed and recorded in the times of the Gemorah that all work out perfectly to creat this beautiful event. However, like the precise set of chains to mark 10yds, the starting point is an assumption, estimation, best guess. The Gemorah acknowledges this and we use a different assumption for legal and halachic calendrical issues. 

Either way, it was pretty cool this morning having the opportunity to make this bracha and seeing the masses of Jews in the streets of Baltimore watching sunrise.