This month: Ring of fire eclipse, new mini-moon,comet, supermoon, and Star of Jacob nova

OCT 2: Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse

As the sun sets in Israel on Wednesday, October 2, and Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins, an annular solar eclipse, referred to as a Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse, will appear in the heavens. The eclipse on October 2nd will not be visible in the continental United States or Israel, and the eclipse’s path will be entirely over the Pacific Ocean.

When the three are aligned, an eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. If the moon is close to Earth, then the lunar disk will completely block the sun in a total eclipse.

When the sun, the moon, and the Earth are aligned, an eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. If the moon is close to Earth, then the lunar disk will completely block the sun in a total eclipse.

A ring of fire, referred to by astronomers as an annular solar eclipse, occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth while at its farthest point from the Earth. Hence the Sun appears as a very bright ring because the Moon doesn’t completely cover the Sun (like in a total eclipse) and instead leaves a bright border. This is, essentially, the opposite of a supermoon, when the moon is close to the Earth, making it appear larger. Sunday’s annular eclipse is especially rare as it comes in the summer.

In the Bible, solar events are recorded as having a remarkable and sometimes supernatural significance. Control over the sun was demonstrated by God in the three-day Plague of Darkness and is prophesied to be an essential part of the End Times. The Prophet Joel (2:31) predicted, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” The Prophet Amos makes a similar prediction: “And on that day – declares my God – I will make the sun set at noon, I will darken the earth on a sunny day.”

In giving rebuke to Hezekiah to inform him that he would die from his illness, the prophet Isaiah (13:9) wrote, “The stars and constellations of heaven shall not give off their light; The sun shall be dark when it rises, And the moon shall diffuse no glow.” As Isaiah predicted – and as much later calculated by NASA – on March 5 in 702 BC, the 16th year before Hezekiah’s death, a prominent solar eclipse appeared over the Middle East. Its path crossed the Arabian Peninsula and the obscuration of the sun over Israel was more than 60 percent.

Astronomical phenomena are often discussed in Jewish literature as accompanying the Messiah. Jewish mysticism explains that this slight to the moon will be rectified at the end of days when the sun and the moon will be equal in both size and intensity.

In its discussion of eclipses, the Talmud (Sukkot 29a) specifically described solar eclipses as bad omens for nations that base their calendars on the solar cycle. At the end of this section describing the omens contained within eclipses, the Talmud states a disclaimer: “When Israel does the will of the place (God), they have nothing to fear from all of this,” citing the Prophet Jeremiah as a source.

Thus said Hashem: Do not learn to go the way of the nations, And do not be dismayed by portents in the sky; Let the nations be dismayed by them! Jeremiah 10:2

The same source in the Talmud specifies that lunar eclipses are bad omens for Israel since the moon represents Israel spiritually. If the lunar eclipse takes place on the east side of the heavens, then it is a bad omen for all the nations in the east, and similarly, if it occurs in the western hemisphere of the sky, it is a bad sign for all the nations in the west.

A solar eclipse can only occur because the sun and the moon appear to be the same diameter as seen from the earth. This is due to a unique coincidence that has not been found anywhere else in the galaxy. Though the sun is about 400 times farther away than the moon, the sun is also about 400 times bigger. If the distances or sizes were different than they actually are, eclipses would not take place.

The Talmud relates to this, explaining why the sun and the moon appear to be the same size. The Talmud (Hulin 60b) discusses the seeming contradiction in the verse describing the sun and moon creation.

Hashem made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars. Genesis 1:16

Though initially described in equal terms, the verse then noted the sun and the moon were not equal, with the sun being called the “greater light” and the moon the “lesser light”. The Talmud explains that when God created the sun and the moon they were equal in every manner, including size and intensity. The moon complained, saying, “Two kings cannot share one crown.” God agreed and made the moon shine less intensely, compensating the moon by commanding Israel to set the calendar by its cycles.

Jewish mysticism explains that this slight to the moon will be rectified at the end of days when the sun and the moon will be equal in both size and intensity.

The first solar eclipse of the year was on April 8, 2024, also known as the Great North American Eclipse, was a total solar eclipse visible across a band covering parts of North America, from Mexico to Canada and crossing the contiguous United States. Last year, a solar eclipse occurred on October 14, 2023, exactly one week after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel.

While skeptics claim this astronomical phenomenon has no spiritual significance, others note that the eclipse of 2017 that transversed the United States ushered in a catastrophic hurricane season, the global COVID epidemic, the war in Ukraine, and the horrific Hamas attack on Israel.

SEPT 29: A new “Mini-moon

Also, beginning on Sunday, September 29, the Earth will have a temporary second “mini-moon.” An asteroid approximately the size of a school bus, 2024 PT5, is set to orbit the planet briefly at a distance of about 1.5 million kilometers. Despite its close pass with Earth, there is no risk of collision. It is believed to have visited before and is expected to return again in 2055. PT5 is new to the neighborhood having been discovered on August 7.

OCT 2: Comet

If that isn’t enough, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, will make its closest pass to Earth, becoming visible on September 27. It will continue to be visible until shortly before sunrise on October 2, just in time for Rosh Hashanah. The comet will circle around the sun before returning to the solar system’s far reaches. If the comet survives the trip around the sun, the comet could be visible with the naked eye as it becomes close to Earth, with its best visibility expected from October 12 until October 20. C/2023 A3 is a long-period comet and will not return to our neighborhood for another 80,000 years.

Comets are small, icy bodies that travel in a large elliptical orbit ranging from several years to potentially several millions of years. When passing close to the Sun, the comet warms and releases gasses in a process called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. As of November 2021, there were 4584 known comets.

According to the Bible, an appearance of the new light in the night sky could have much bigger implications for the earth-bound. Such an appearance was described in the biblical prophecy of Balaam which hails the appearance of a new star as the precursor to Messiah.

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Yakov, and a scepter shall rise out of Yisrael, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth. Numbers 24:17

The Zohar, the foundational work of Jewish mysticism, states explicitly that the Messianic process will be accompanied by several stars appearing. The Zohar goes into great depth, describing how many stars, and which colors they will be

This was also hinted at by the prophet Joel.

Before the great and terrible day of Hashem comes,* I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke; The sun shall turn into darkness And the moon into blood. Joel 3:4-5

OCT 17: Supermoon

On Sept 18, a supermoon appeared and on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 GMT.), the third and closest of four supermoons in a row for 2024 will appear. A supermoon occurs when the moon is at the part of its elliptical orbit that brings it closer to Earth, appearing up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than when it is viewed at its furthest point.

STILL WAITING: Nova

Scientists are still awaiting a nova in the star system called T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, when it will appear 1,500 times brighter than usual, making it the 50th brightest star in the night sky. A nova is the temporary brightening of a star before it fades again, not to be confused with a supernova that occurs when a massive star explodes at the end of its life.

T CrB is a binary star system made up of a red giant and a white dwarf. They orbit each other every 228 days at about half the distance between Earth and the Sun. In this case, the earth-size white dwarf is slowly stripping hydrogen away from the ancient red giant. Once enough hydrogen accumulates on the white dwarf, the growing pressure and heat trigger a thermonuclear blast visible from Earth.

As T CrB is 2,630 light-years from Earth, light from the binary system requires 2,630 years to arrive at Earth. The nova we will see occurred over 2,000 years ago, but its light will reach us next month.

T CrB is one of ten recurrent novas recorded that erupt on time scales of less than a century. On average, T CrB undergoes a nova process once every 80 years.

Scientists predicted that the nova would appear in February, but it has yet to appear.

Efraim Palvanov, a teacher and author, writes the blog Mayim Achronim (Final Waters), named for the little-known Jewish ritual of washing the fingers after a meal. Like the eponymous mitzvah, the blog covers Jewish subjects that are misunderstood or not normally discussed. In a recent lecture, Palvanov described the current wars in Ukraine and Israel as consistent with end-of-days predictions recorded in classical Jewish literature.

Palvanov emphasized that he was not making a prediction or a prophecy but was describing an astronomical event as described in Jewish literature.

“We know that probably one of the oldest prophecies and traditions about the Moshiach (Messiah) comes from Balaam, a Gentile prophet who came to curse Israel but couldn’t curse them,” Palvanov said. “Instead, he gives a prophecy that actually says, ‘I will tell you what will happen at the end of days.’

What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Yaakov, A scepter comes forth from Yisrael; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Shet. Numbers 24:17

“It’s one of the few places that the Torah uses the expression, ‘end of days’,” Palvanov notes. “Balaam says that he is looking far into the future and he prophesies that a star will emerge from Jacob. Of course, Christians adopted this in the nativity scene and the Star of Bethlehem,” Palvanov added.

This verse was interpreted by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, and by the acronym Rambam, the foremost Torah authority of the 12th century. In his book Mishneh Torah, the Rambam uses this verse about a star appearing as proof that the Messiah will come one day. According to the Rambam, the Messiah will come from Jacob, more specifically, from the tribe of Judah.

Palvanov explained that the prophecy of the Star of Jacob was applied to Simon bar Kosiba, leader of the Second Jewish Revolt of 132 CE, whose adopted name, Bar Kochba, meant “Son of a Star” in Aramaic. The failure of the Bar Kochba revolt – which was considered a political Messiah – had a large impact on the interpretation of the Star of Jacob. The revolt’s failure led the sages to deemphasize the eschatology of the Star of Jacob. That led to a preference for the explanation that the Star of Jacob was no longer relevant since it was described as already happening in the time of King David.

“There was always, even in ancient times, an association of Moshiach, or a potential Messiah with the star of Jacob. “Balaam even prophecies that this star will mark the end of Amalek.”

He saw Amalek and, taking up his theme, he said: A leading nation is Amalek; But its fate is to perish forever. Numbers 24:20

The Zohar (212b) goes into detail, describing the Star of Jacob:

“It is taught that in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will rebuild Jerusalem and reveal one firm star, glowing with seventy pillars of fire, and with seventy sparks flashing from it in the middle of the Firmament, and they will be reigned over by seventy other stars, and they will glow and burn for seventy days.”

“And [the star] will be seen on the sixth day, on the 25th day of the sixth month. It will be gathered on the seventh day, at the end of seventy days. On the first day it will be seen in the city of Rome. On that same day, three high structures of that city of Rome will fall and a great edifice will fall. The ruler of that city will die. Then the star will spread out to be seen in the rest of the world.”

The date described in the Zohar as the day on which the star will appear corresponds to the Hebrew date the 25th of Elul. The Zohar specifies that this date will fall on a Friday.

This year, the 25th of Elul falls on the 28th of September.

“In that time, great wars will stir all around the four corners of the world and no faith will be found among [its people],” the Zohar continues.

“In the middle of the world, when that star will shine in the middle of the Firmament, a great king will arise and rule the world, and his spirit will gain pride over all the kings, and he will awaken a war between both sides, and he will become strong against them.

“…On the day that the star will be hidden, the Holy Land will tremble forty-five miles around the place of the Holy Temple, revealing an underground cave. From this cave will come out a blazing fire to burn the world. And from this cave a great branch will grow out, and it will rule over the whole world, and to it will be given the kingdom. The Holy Beings will gather to it. Then Mashiach will be revealed to the entire world…”

The Zohar then describes what the world will be like in that pre-Messianic era.

“The world, at the time that Moshiach will be revealed, will have been experiencing trouble after trouble, and the haters of Israel will grow stronger. Then, the spirit of Moshiach will be aroused against them, and the evil Edom will be destroyed. The entire land of Seir will be destroyed by fire.”

“This is what we have been experiencing,” Palvanov explained. “One crisis coming right after another. The pandemic leading into hyperinflation leading into the Ukraine war leading into the war in Israel and the war with the Houthis.”

“And just as the Zohar predicts, the ‘haters of Israel’ are increasing,” Palvanov said. “Antisemitism is reaching levels it hasn’t reached since the Holocaust. There are even reports that Chinese social media is full of antisemitism and there are no Jews in China. This type of Jew-hatred doesn’t make sense.”

Efi Palvanov’s weekly Bible lesson can be seen on his blog site at Mayim Achronim or viewed on YouTube. His books can be purchased on his website.

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