Eclipse Brocha?

To my knowledge, we do not make a brocha.

The Steipler zt”l said not to make a brachah, as the Gemara says an eclipse is a siman ra.

I have also been told not to make a bracha as it is not brought down anywhere to make a bracha. And chazal were well enough versed in astronomy to know about eclipses.

As far as issue with siman ra – a solar eclipse is a siman ra for the umos ha’olam. A lunar eclipse is a siman ra for bnei yisrael.

A lunar eclipse is a siman ra for Klal Yisroel because we count our days by the moon. A solar eclipse is a siman ra for the whole world, or for the goyim; depending on the 2 leshonos in the gemara Sukka 29a.

Damoshe: there are specific mention of Brochos on those phenomena in the gemora. There is no Brocha mentioned in the gemora regarding an eclipse.

Wolf: You have a psak so you should do as you were told.

I certainly intend to.

I heard from Rabbi Dovid Heber that we do not make a brocha.

If you asked and were told that was your p’sak, then by all means, you should not make a b’racha.

The Wolf

WolfishMusings does your Rav say to make a bracha on a lunar eclipse? What’s his svara?

Ps – The MB brings down the Sefer Chasidim who says to fast when there’s a lunar eclipse.

WolfishMusings does your Rav say to make a bracha on a lunar eclipse? What’s his svara?

I don’t know. I did not ask.

However, if I had to guess, I’d say that the difference is that lunar eclipses are a lot more common* and less dramatic than solar eclipses and hence not “worthy” of a b’racha.

Ps – The MB brings down the Sefer Chasidim who says to fast when there’s a lunar eclipse.

Not when it occurs on Shabbos, Pesach or Sukkos, of course.

The Wolf

* Actually, they both occur with about the same frequency, but a lunar eclipse is visible all over the night side of earth (as opposed to a small area of the day side during a solar eclipse), and so any given spot on earth sees far more lunar eclipses than solar eclipses.

Moot Point…………….
Here in Southern Connecticut, all we saw was Cumulus Clouds….no evidence of an eclipse

TIMELY – Fascinating Article From 1962 About The Chofetz Chaim & The Solar Eclipse Translated Into English

i think its kinda mind blowing that laining today mentioned the onesh for people who go and worship the sun and moon and stuff

Wonder what “Eclpise” is feeling about all this… assuming she still remembers… (that it for those of us that do remember)

Wolf – please do ask. I am wildly curious how oseh maaseh beraishis could possibly be appropriate. For one thing, the mechaber lists all the events that necessitate that bracha but excludes eclipses. For another, its impossible that an eclipse is part of maaseh beraishis since they were originally equals.