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Total Solar Eclipses only happen on Earth. The Reason Why is the Secret of Passover
There’s a story in the Midrash that when God created the celestial bodies, He made the sun and the moon equal in size. But the moon complained saying, “It is impossible for two kings to share one crown!” God responded, “You’re right, go diminish yourself.” Thus we have the great light, the sun, and the lesser light, the moon.
But for anyone who believes in astronomy or astrophysics, the idea that the moon was ever the size of the sun is laughable. The sun is around 864,000 miles in diameter while the moon is about 2160 miles in diameter. There is no scientific evidence that suggests the moon ever was or ever could have been the size of our sun.
However, there is an odd interesting fact that makes the Midrash sort of true. Despite the fact that the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, the two objects appear on Earth to be the same size. Now you might be saying, “So what? Clearly the Bible was written by men who equated the two heavenly bodies as similar sizes based on their earthly perspective.” But, they don’t just look like they’re the same size. The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, while the halo of light still shines from behind the moon. If the moon were any bigger the corona wouldn’t be visible. From our perspective, the sun and moon are exactly the same size and this is only possible because the sun happens to be 400 times farther away than the moon. Nowhere else in our solar system is a total solar eclipse possible! That correlation between the size difference and distance between the two luminaries is quite the coincidence.
This week we read Parshas HaChodesh, one of the four special readings we do before Passover. The section is found in the Torah portion of Bo (Shemos/Exodus 12:1-20) and features God giving Moses and Aharon the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh followed by the mitzvahs of Passover. Parshas HaChodesh is always read before Rosh Chodesh Nissan (the month of Passover.)
The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is all about keeping track of the months by observing the phases of the moon. It is considered the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people and with Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the order of the months is reset and Nissan is considered the first month. You might find this odd as the new year starts in Tishrei, the 7th month of the year. I’ve previously addressed the questions of why the first mitzvah of the freed Israelites is to keep a calendar, as well the oddity of keeping track of the years and months on different cycles.
However, I think there is another important message that answers both of these questions at the same time. The Arukh Hashulchan says, “Just as the moon has no light of its own, so too the Jewish people have no light other than that of God.” Throughout Jewish history, the Children of Israel have been compared to the moon. The moon grows and diminishes and just when it looks like it is completely gone, it comes back. The Jewish people have been doing that for millennia. As the moon renews itself every month, the Jewish people strive for renewal constantly. But it’s when we reflect the light of something greater than ourselves we have illuminated the world in the darkest hours.
But the moon renews every month and we do the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh every month. Why make such a big deal out of the moon before Passover? The reason we were freed from our Egyptian bondage was to be the light unto the nations. If we don’t understand that our purpose is to emulate and publicize the light of Divine wisdom, then the other mitzvahs don’t matter.
Before the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE, the months weren’t known by their names (i.e. Nissan, Sivan, Kislev, etc.) they were known by their number. The first month, the third month, the ninth month, etc. According to Ramban, the Torah referred to the months by their order as a constant reminder of the miracles of the exodus from Egypt. This orientation from Nissan is essential as we strive to renew ourselves, because it’s all too easy to lose track of the ticking clock of life. Rosh Chodesh reminds us that another month has passed and we should reevaluate our actions and behavior. But that must be viewed in relation to our purpose. It’s not just a new month. It’s the 3rd month from the zman cheyruseynu, the time of our freedom.
When we reflect the light of God, we shine brilliantly. Just like the moon, when we don’t reflect light, we seem to disappear. Also like the moon, when we think we’re as big or bigger than the king, we inevitably get knocked down a few pegs. But as we approach Passover and the miraculous first month of Nissan, we can tap into the spiritual energy of freedom and reorient ourselves with the purpose of that freedom. Though we will never come anywhere close to being as bright, as good, or as perfect as God, He has set up the world in such a way, that from our earthly perspective, the Jewish people might actually appear as if they are.
This article came from my own Torah Blog.
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