Birkat HaChama: Here Comes The Sun

I just got in from doing the Birkat Hachama, which has been the buzz of the Jewish community for the last year, but has reached a fever pitch over the last week or so. I'll let Wikipedia explain...

"Birkat Hachama (ברכת החמה, "Blessing of the Sun") refers to a Jewish blessing that is recited in appreciation of the Sun once every twenty-eight years, when the vernal equinox, as calculated by tradition, falls 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."

A Jewish blessing that takes place only once every 28 years, and happens to be on Erev Peseach? Makes today pretty special and I was glad to get outside and say the blessing. If you haven't yet, go do it (if, of course, it's still morning on April 8, 2009 when you read this).

Here's one version of the appropriate blessings, courtesy of Kehillaton.Com. Here's another version courtesy of Chabad.Com. Both of which provide lots more info as well.

On a personal note, don't look at the sun too long before saying the payer. I learned the hard way that the sun spots I got looking at the sun didn't clear for at least the first few pages of blessings. Sigh. Because this is a music blog, I had to end with a random bit of music / humor. Here we go....info on Birkat Hachama set to The Beatles "Here Comes The Sun" courtesy of MyZeidi.com