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If one happnes to see a rainbow at night (rare phenomenon) does that require a bracha,or only by day do we say a bracha?

sam
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  • A night rainbow (generally) doesn't have perceptible color. It's just a grayish band – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 15:27
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonbow – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 15:28
  • @DoubleAA What you linked to, clearly states that they do have color. Maybe you mean a fog bow? – Adám Nov 29 '16 at 15:46
  • @Adám I said perceptible color. The pictures you see there are long exposure shots. – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 15:47
  • Actually, it is fairly common to notice a "prism" effect when moonlight is filtered by cirro-stratus clouds. This commonly causes a halo around the moon. Since cirrus clouds are usually composed of ice, these refract the light causing a prism. I'm not sure of you would make a bracha on seeing this phenomenon. – DanF Nov 29 '16 at 18:10
  • See http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/crhal.htm I believe that you would make a bracha on such appearances. I have seen these prisms quite often during the day, and occasionally, I have seen these at night as well. – DanF Nov 29 '16 at 18:15
  • @DoubleAA See ^^^. I have seen these at night on a few occasions, and you can definitely distinguish some color. It's most common during full moon. – DanF Nov 29 '16 at 18:16
  • @DanF I've seen them too. But that takes us to http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/29208/759 – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 18:18

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There is a Teshuvah (2:124) from רב שלום שוואדרון which says that even though it is very unusual to see a rainbow at night, one should still make the blessing.

He brings proofs from various other subjects (with which I am not familiar) that even though the implication from the source text may be that the occurrence is during the day,

"אורחא דמילתא נקט ולאו דוקא"

"the source mentions the normal way of things and does not limit us to that way."

Thanks to @Double AA who points out that at the end of the sefer, Rav Schwadron references the first Tosefos in Rosh Hashonoh 24a, which says that the rainbow is not seen at night.

Avrohom Yitzchok
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