Birkat ha-hammah
| On the morning of April 8 (Nisan 14) Jews will gather around the world to observe something which happens only once every 28 years. Just as it is customary to mark the new moon with blessings, since Talmudic times, it has been customary to mark the return of the sun to the place in its cycle Jewish tradition says it occupied during the week of creation. According to the rabbis of the Talmud (Berakhot 59b), every twenty eight years this happens "on the evening of Tuesday, going into Wednesday". Tractate Berakhot instructs that the blessing appropriate to be recited on the anniversary of this event is: Barukh oseh Vereshit, or in English: Blessed is the One who (continually) creates. |  |
|
| Since Talmudical times this simple blessing has grown into
a more complex liturgical order. The earliest printed order of blessing
for Birkat ha-hammah of which I am aware comes to us from the Sephardic
world. It was published in Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, in a prayerbook entitled,
Tefilah zakah, compiled by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Castello (Castilho),
in 1789. That order was reprinted in 1841 as a separate booklet entitled,
Boker Yizrakh by R. David Meldola of the Sephardic community
in London. |
||
| All of this is of special interest to the Library of the
Hebrew Union College because among the manuscripts held in our rare book
collections, we are privileged to possess an attractive hand colored illustrated
pamphlet that offers an order of blessing for Birkat ha-hammah
as it was, according to the manuscript, observed in the time of R. Hayyim
Yosef David Azulai (1724-1806) in the city of Leghorn, Italy (manuscript
795). As Azulai's name is followed by the acronym z.ts.ve-k.l. (May the
memory of the righteous and the holy be for a blessing), we may infer
that the unnamed scribe wrote his manuscript only after Azulai's death
in 1806. |
 | |
| The text of the manuscript is written in two different
Hebrew hands. The first part which begins with the information just noted
not surprisingly offers essentially the same ritual as that published
in the Castello prayer book of 1789. The second adds the text of the Birkat
ha-levanah (Blessing of the (new) moon). The manuscript also includes
material related to the Akedah (attempted sacrifice of Isaac), and to
Hanukkah. |
The staff of the Hebrew Union College Library is proud to present photos of this manuscript. Daniel J. Rettberg, Ph.D.,Rare Book and Manuscript Bibliographer, Klau Library, Cincinnati To see a larger image, click on the images. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
For more information on the customs of Birkat ha-hammah and on the history
of its liturgy and its publication, please note:
| ||
If you have any further questions about finding information on this, or any other topic, ask your local HUC-JIR librarian or email us using the form on the campus library homepage.