Eclipse of the moon, bad sign for the Jews

Question

Tonight, December 20, 2010, there will be a full lunar eclipse visible from North America and many other areas. I recall there is a Gemara that says that a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for the Jews as the Jews are compared to the moon. By a rainbow it is mentioned not to show it to others as it is a bad sign due to the fact that Hashem would of destroyed the world. Is there any issur of looking or showing a lunar eclipse to others?

With a rainbow, the idea is more that one shouldn't gaze at it because the Shechinah appears there (Chagigah 16a citing Ezek. 1:28, where Hashem's glory is compared to the rainbow), so doing so shows a lack of respect for Hashem. — Alex, Dec 20 '10 at 19:57
BTW, this particular eclipse is unique because it occurs on Tekufas Teves (the winter solstice), something that hasn't happened in 632 years (or so I'm told). — ChabadRabbi, Dec 21 '10 at 19:05
@Alex - This is also why some very pious people try and refrain from looking at other peoples' faces or from appearing in photographs because man was created b'tselem E-lokim, with man's face k'neged Hashem's (so to speak). Mi yirani ha-adam va-chai? RMB"N writes in a letter to his son (Igeret ha-RMBN) not to gaze at a person in the face directly, but rather to cast one's eyes downwards instead. — Adam Mosheh, Jun 05 '12 at 14:28
@ChabadRabbi Is there any significance to that, or is just an interesting coincidence? — Double AA, Jun 06 '12 at 18:36
@AdamMosheh Is there a source for this reason of the "very pious people"? I know you quoted the Ramban, but in context, it could be that it is just out of respect for them and not out of respect for the tzelem Elokim.
I was wondering because you wouldn't think that the "tzelem Elokim" is something that can be seen, since Hashem doesn't have a body (as it says in Yesodei HaTorah ch. 1). — b a, Jun 07 '12 at 03:10

score 7 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 16 '11 at 05:17

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While researching another answer, I came across a comment by R' Yonasan Eibeschutz (in Yaaros Devash), that the Gemara's expression ליקוי חמה isn't referring to eclipses at all, but to sunspots.

(He doesn't seem to say what ליקוי לבנה might mean in this context. But I guess, according to his explanation, that it would also mean some kind of short-term phenomenon that reduces the moon's albedo - though I don't know what that might be.)

answered Feb 16 '11 at 05:17

Alex

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Perhaps it means the monthly waning and waxing. If the Jews represent the moon then a full moon would seemingly be 'best'. I'm sure you'll find me some good chassidus to confirm that :) – Double AA Jun 06 '12 at 19:14
see this footnote, where the Lubavitcher Rebbe questions this: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112226/jewish/Issues-in-Torah-and-Science.htm#footnote35a112226 – Menachem Jun 06 '12 at 23:34
RYE would also need to explain what ליקוי מאורות=stars means. – Double AA Jun 07 '12 at 05:25
@DoubleAA: maybe things like variable stars (Cepheids and the like)? – Alex Jun 07 '12 at 17:14
@Alex I don't think anyone knew about standard candles and all until well past Rav Ashi. IIRC it was Galileo who discovered Venus's phases, and that should have been the easiest variable 'star' to spot. – Double AA Jun 07 '12 at 21:24
@DoubleAA: I don't know that sunspots were all that well known either (though Wikipedia says that they are mentioned by Theophrastus). – Alex Jun 07 '12 at 23:03
@Alex Sunspots can definitely seen without a telescope (I have done so). I don't think the phases of Venus can. – Double AA Jun 08 '12 at 00:20

score 6 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 06 '12 at 23:39

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There is sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on in his Likutei Sichos Vol. 15 on Bereshis explaining meaning of this Gemara. It does not mean that our influenced it but rather that force of Divine in the world is diminished and therefore it is to be and act as one should... go look it up..

Here's a link to an English translation of this Sicha from the book Mind Over Matter.

edited Jun 06 '12 at 23:39

Menachem

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answered Jan 05 '11 at 21:27

Levi, Welcome to mi.yodeya, and thanks very much for that citation! We'd love to have you as a fully-registered member, which you can accomplish by clicking on register/login, above. – Isaac Moses Jan 05 '11 at 22:11

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 16 '20 at 10:41

Rashi in Bereishis, chapter 1, Verse 14 on "והיו לאתת" mentions this issue of a bad omen from the eclipse. He says:

והיו לאותות: כשהמאורות לוקין סימן רע הוא לעולם, שנאמר (ירמיה י ב) מאותות השמים אל תחתו, בעשותכם רצון הקב"ה אין אתם צריכין לדאג מן הפורענות:

When there is an eclipse of the luminaries it is a bad sign for the world, as it is said: "Do not fear the signs from the heavens, etc." I.e., when you do the will of G-d, you need not worry about consequences.

Rashi appears to be clarifying the nature of what "signs" the verse is referring to. He states that the nation of Israel does not have to be concerned with the "bad sign" of an eclipse as the whole world considers it to be a bad sign.

Why does the world consider it to be a "bad sign"? Without wisdom and knowledge man tends to be primitive and superstitious. Primitive man attaches superstitious significance to the celestial bodies. Perhaps when the normative pattern is broken it shakes his sense of security and he anticipates a bad omen.

Why does the nation of Israel not need to be concerned? The nation of Israel when they keep the system of Torah properly operate based on a system of "חכמה", wisdom. Since they are operating based on wisdom they do not need to worry about a fear that comes from a superstitious reality. It will not affect them.

So nowadays that people generally aren't superstitious or believe in astrology, eclipses aren't bad omens? — DonielF, Aug 02 '17 at 18:44
@DonielF Correct. Eclipses are not bad omens. They are simply a phenomena of the astronomical systems. — RCW, Aug 03 '17 at 19:09

Eclipse of the moon, bad sign for the Jews

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