Blessing of the Sun

I'm not religious, but today is a historic Jewish day. According to rabbinic tradition, on this day, the sun is in the exact position it occupied at the time of Creation. This event happens every 28 years and is even more rare this year because it happens to fall on the same day as Passover, celebrated each spring, commemorating the Jewish exodus out of slavery in Egypt. This year, both coincide today, with sun blessings to begin at sunup and Passover to begin at sundown.

It will mark the fourth such sun blessing-Passover convergence in history - the last fell in 1925, the one before that in 1309 during the Middle Ages. It's amazing that math and science work into religion so precisely and yet still there is this element of "coincidence" that not even the best scientist or highest priest could explain.

Astronomy, science and the way the whole universe works is a constant mystery to me, no matter how much reading i do on the topic. Often I find myself thinking how it's even possible to be traveling a such a speed while rotating in an invisible orbit in a constant perfect balance between the sun and the moon.

For Jewish people, counting the solar years in increments of 28 is just one more way of marking a new beginning. Today is also a full moon, symbolizing a full circle, an end of a cycle, or new beginning. I guess we're always looking for new ways to start over. Maybe this year could be my new beginning.