By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
I. Definitions and explanation:
V. Star and Constellation Names
VII. Josephus and the celestial bodies?
VIII. Book of Jubilees and the celestial bodies?
X. Interesting Talmudic Passages:
XI. Relationship to the twelve tribes:
The Mazzaroth, also known as the zodiac, is the name given to the pattern
of stars found on the celestial equator, or ecliptic. The ecliptic is an imaginary zone of the heavens
containing the twelve
signs
within which lie the paths of the principal planets, and through which the sun
passes in its annual course.
Mazzaroth is the Hebrew word for constellation.
There is a related Hebrew word: mazzaloth.
In this paper I would like to explore the wealth of information that
relates to the celestial bodies. I will examine the Scriptures, the oral law, and the wisdom of the Jewish Sages in my
quest to understand the purpose of the celestial bodies.
The Sages teach us that the primary use of the astronomical bodies is for
calculating times and seasons and to serve as signs. The torah also emphasises this idea:
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:14 And God
said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
The Torah emphasises the importance of time and
keeping track of time. Therefore, keep this in mind as we study. The
astronomical bodies are to serve as:
The very first mitzva given to the Jewish people concerned time
and it’s calculation:
Shemot (Exodus) 12:1-4 And HaShem spake unto Moses and Aaron in the
Such is the importance of time and the astronomical bodies!
The Talmud[1] speaks about the influence of the constellations
on a person's destiny. Being born under a certain constellation can predispose
a person to certain personality traits, but it's up to the individual into
which area to channel these predilections. For example, someone who is
influenced by Mars (the "red planet") will have a tendency to shed
blood. This can express itself in becoming a murderer or a surgeon, a butcher
or a mohel (who performs circumcisions). The choice
is up to the individual. Any talent, character trait or aptitude can be used
for the highest good or the basest evil. We are the ones who make the choice.
4216 Mazzarah, maz-zaw-raw';
appar. from 5144 in the sense of distinction; some noted constellation (only in
the plur.), perh. collect. the zodiac:- Mazzaroth. Comp. 4208.
------------------- Dictionary Trace -------------------
5144 nazar, naw-zar'; a prim.
root; to hold aloof, i.e. (intrans.) abstain (from food and drink, from
impurity, and even from divine worship [i.e. apostatize]); spec. to set
apart (to sacred purposes), i.e. devote:- consecrate, separate (-ing,
self).
4208 mazzalah, maz-zaw-law';
appar. from 5140 in the sense of raining; a constellation, i.e. Zodiacal sign
(perh. as affecting the weather):- planet. Comp. 4216.
Mazzaroth occurs twice in scripture. The first is in:
Iyov (Job) 38:31-33 "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can
you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in
their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set
up [God's] dominion over the earth?
The second time it is in a slightly different form:
II Melakim (Kings) 23:3-5 The king stood by the pillar and renewed the
covenant in the presence of HaShem--to follow HaShem
and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all
his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people
pledged themselves to the covenant. The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers
to remove from the temple of
CONSTELLATION[2]. For untold thousands of years men have traced
the outlines of familiar things among the stars. These patterns in the night
sky are called constellations, from Latin words meaning together and stars.
Many of the constellations have names that are very old. The Sumerian
shepherds and farmers of
The later people of
About AD 150 the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy listed the 48 constellations
known to him in his book the `Almagest'. His list did not cover the entire sky.
There were blank spaces between constellations; and there were no
constellations at all for the southernmost stars because these could not be
seen from the Mediterranean region. In later centuries astronomers added
constellations to Ptolemy's list. Some of these later constellations are named
for scientific instruments, such as the Sextant, the Compasses, and the
Microscope. Others bear the names of birds and beasts in tropical regions (the
Giraffe, the Chameleon, the Toucan). Today 88 constellations are recognized by astronomers.
To most people a constellation is a group of bright stars, but to an
astronomer it is a definite area in the sky. Thus every star, no matter how
dim, lies in one constellation or another, just as any point in the world is in
one country. Although all the stars in the same constellation look close
together in the sky, they are not necessarily close in space because some may
be much farther out in space than others. The boundaries of the constellations
used to be very irregular and had many curved lines. In 1928 astronomers
straightened them out so that the outline of any constellation includes only
straight lines running north and south or east and
west. Astronomers use the constellation names to identify most bright stars and
all variable stars, so it was important to make the boundaries clear and
precise.
The constellations are useful to astronomers today, not for their
connections with ancient myths, but for telling where in the sky different
stars can be found. Many of the brightest stars have individual names that come
from Greek, Latin, or Arabic, and the navigators of ships and aircraft call
them by these names. Astronomers, however, find it more convenient to name them
by their constellations, with a Greek letter to distinguish the different stars
in each constellation. For example, Polaris, the Pole Star, in the Northern
Hemisphere, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little
Bear, and the astronomers' name for it is alpha Ursae Minoris.
The path of the sun among the stars is called the ecliptic. The twelve constellations that lie along the ecliptic form
the Zodiac. The other constellations are divided into those north of the Zodiac
and those south of it.
From one place on the
Earth different constellations are seen at different times
of the year. This happens because, as well as turning on its axis, the Earth is
always moving around the sun, making one orbit each year. A star that is visible
at night during one part of the year may appear close to the sun six months later; it would not then be seen at night.
Some constellations can be seen only from the Northern Hemisphere and some
only from the Southern Hemisphere. The constellations of the Zodiac can be seen
from both hemispheres.
The equator system[3] is based on the concept of the celestial sphere.
All the stars and other heavenly bodies can be imagined to be located on a huge
sphere that surrounds Earth. The sphere has several imaginary lines and points.
One such line is the celestial equator, which is the projection of Earth's
equator onto the celestial sphere. Another is the line of the ecliptic, which
is the sun's apparent yearly path along this sphere. The celestial equator and
the ecliptic intersect at two points, called the vernal equinox and the
autumnal equinox. (When the sun is at either point, day and night on Earth are
equally long.) The north and south celestial poles are extensions of the North and
South poles of Earth along Earth's axis of rotation.
In the equator system, the position of a star is given by the declination
and the right ascension. The declination locates the star from the celestial
equator, and the right ascension locates the star from the vernal equinox.
Since this system is attached to the celestial sphere, all points on Earth
(except the poles) are continually changing their positions under the
coordinate system.
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:14-19 And God said, "Let
there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night,
and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, And let them be lights in
the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God
made two great lights--the greater light to govern
the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, To govern
the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there
was morning--the fourth day.
4150 mow`ed, mo-ade'; or mo`ed,
mo-ade'; or (fem.) mow`adah (2 Chron.
Govern:
4910 mashal, maw-shal'; a prim. root; to
rule:-(have, make to have) dominion, governor, X indeed, reigh, (bear, cause
to, have) rule (-ing, -r), have power.
Years:
8141 shaneh (in plur. only), shaw-neh'; or (fem.)
shanah, shaw-naw'; from 8138; a year (as a
revolution of time):-+ whole age, X long, + old, year (X -ly).
------------- Dictionary Trace ---------------
8138 shanah, shaw-naw'; a prim. root; to fold, i.e.
duplicate (lit. or fig.); by impl. to transmute (trans. or intrans.):-do
(speak, strike) again, alter, double, (be given to) change, disguise, (be)
diverse, pervert, prefer, repeat, return, do the second time.
In the account of the
fourth day of creation, the sun and moon are referred
to as the "great luminaries", but then, within the same verse, the
sun retains that title, but the moon is called the "small luminary".
In fact, both descriptions are correct. When considered from our human
perspective, both the sun and the moon are large. They are the only two
sources of light that appear to the naked eye as more than a point oflight in
the sky. (Planets appear as disks only when viewed with telescopes; stars, even
giant ones, remain "points" even under very high magnification.) In
fact, the sun and the moon appear to be almost
exactly the same size, as seen from Earth. This results from the sun having a
diameter approx. 400 times that of the moon, while being approx. 400 times as
distant. On the other hand, the moon is actually quite small in comparison to
the sun. One commentator noted that when the sun and moon are referred to as
"M'orot birkiya hashamayim", luminaries in the heavens, the word
"M'orot" is spelled "deficiently", without a
"vav", indicating that in the heavens, they
are not on equal footing. The moon doesn't even provide its own light. There
really is only one (major) luminary in the heavens. However, when the phrase
used is "M'orot birkiya hashamayim l'ha'ir al ha-aretz", luminaries
to illuminate the Earth, then the word "M'orot" has a
"vav", since from our perspective, there are two
(major) sources of light in our sky. The Torah speaks (mostly) in terms that
fit our perspective.
Compare also:
Tehillim (Psalms)
136:1-9 Give thanks to HaShem, for he is good. <His love endures
forever.> Give thanks to the God of gods. <His love endures forever.>
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: <His love endures forever.> To him who
alone does great wonders, <His love endures forever.> Who by his
understanding made the heavens, <His love endures forever.> Who spread
out the earth upon the waters, <His love endures forever.> Who made the
great lights--<His love endures forever.> The sun to govern the
day, <His love endures forever.> The moon and stars to govern the
night; <His love endures forever.>
Tehillim (Psalms) 19:1-6 {For the director of music. A psalm of David.} The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech
or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the
earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a
tent for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming
forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It
rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is
hidden from its heat.
The "heavens" seem to be outer space.
Tehillim (Psalms)
97:1-6 HaShem reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant
shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and
justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes
before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the
world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before HaShem,
before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
Tehillim (Psalms) 50:1-6 {A psalm of Asaph.} The Mighty One, God, HaShem,
speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it
sets. From
Notice that the heavens and the earth are witnesses against us.
Proclaim:
5046 nagad, naw-gad'; a prim. root; prop. to front,
i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by impl. (causat.), to manifest; fig. to
announce (always by word of mouth to one present); spec. to expose, predict,
explain, praise:-bewray, X certainly, certify, declare (-ing), denounce,
expound, X fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth),
speak, X surely, tell, utter.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:14-19 And HaShem directed me at that time
to teach you the decrees and laws
you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the
The "heavenly array" could also be translated the "heavenly
army". This is a military term!
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:25-27 After you have had children and grandchildren and
have lived in the land a long time--if you then become corrupt and make any
kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of HaShem your God and provoking him to
anger, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that
you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing
the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be
destroyed. HaShem will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you
will survive among the nations to which HaShem will drive you.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses
against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Now choose life, so that you and your children may
live
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:24-30 After Moses finished writing in a book the words
of this law from beginning to end, He gave this command
to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant
of HaShem: "Take this Book of the Law and place
it beside the ark of the covenant of HaShem your God. There it will remain as a
witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you
have been rebellious against HaShem while I am still alive and with you, how
much more will you rebel after I die! Assemble before me all the elders of your
tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak
these words in their hearing and call heaven and
earth to testify against them. For I know that after my death you are sure
to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In
days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight
of HaShem and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made." And
Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of
the whole assembly of Israel:
Midrash Rabba[4] writes:
"The sun and the moon shed light upon the world. What is their source of
light? Sparks of light from the heavens, as it is written, `From the light of
Your arrows as they speed, and at the shining of Your glittering spear' (Chavakuk
The sun and moon are, therefore, creations which serve as a medium for the illumination of the spiritual light. They are the fallout, the residue of a very mighty spiritual light that penetrates everything, a light that illuminates from one end of the world to the other.
If these luminaries transmit a spiritual light, then they must be spiritual themselves, as well. This leads us to what the Rambam taught.
The heavens are made up of spheres. There are nine spheres. The closest to us is that of the moon. Above
it, the second sphere contains the planet Kochav (Mercury). Above this,
the third sphere contains the planet Nogah (Venus). The fourth sphere
contains the Sun. The fifth contains the planet Ma'dim (Mars). The sixth
sphere contains the planet Tzedek (Jupiter). The seventh contains the
planet Shabbtai (Saturn). The eighth sphere contains all the stars we
see in the sky. The ninth sphere revolves from east to
west every day. It surrounds and encompasses everything. The planets and stars
all appear to be in a single sphere even though one is higher than another.
This is because the spheres themselves are pure and refined like glass or
sapphire.... This is why the stars in the eighth sphere may appear lower than
the first sphere.
Each of the eight main spheres
containing the planets and stars is itself divided into many individual
spheres, one above the other like the layers of an onion. Some of these spheres
revolve from west to the east, others from east to
west..... There is no empty space between any of them.
None of the spheres are light or heavy. They are neither
red, black nor any other color. Although we see them as blue, this is only our
perception because of the height of the atmosphere. Similarly they have neither
taste nor smell, because those qualities are present only in lower forms of
matter. All these nine spheres surrounding the world are spherical like a ball,
and the Earth is suspended in the middle....
From knowing the daily movements of the stars and
planets, their positions north or south in the sky and their distance from or
closeness to Earth, it is possible to know the total number of spheres and the
way they revolve. This is the science of astronomy. Many books about these
subjects were written by the wise men of
The Zodiac
The ninth sphere, which encompasses all the others, was
divided by the sages of the early generations into twelve
sections. They gave each of these sections a name based on the shapes that
appeared to be formed by the stars in the corresponding section of the eighth
sphere just below it. These are the mazalot (lit. sources of influence): the
Ram (Aries), the Ox (Taurus), the Twins (Gemini), the Crab (Cancer), the Lion
(Leo), the Virgin (Virgo), the Scales (Libra), the Scorpion (Scorpio), the Bow
(Sagittarius), the Goat (Capricorn), the Bucket (Aquarius) and the Fish
(Pisces).
The ninth sphere itself has no divisions and does not possess
any of these shapes or stars. Rather, the larger stars in the constellations of
the eighth sphere are seen in the shape of these forms or in a form resembling
them. These twelve
forms corresponded to these divisions only at the time of the flood, which is
when they were given these names. However at present they have already moved
slightly, because all the stars in the eighth sphere move just like the sun and the moon. It is just
that these stars move more slowly....
All the stars and spheres possess a soul, knowledge and intellect. They are alive and stand in
recognition of the One who spoke and brought the world into being.
According to their size and level, they all praise and
glorify their Creator, just like the angels. And just as they are aware of the
Holy One, blessed-be-He, they are also conscious of themselves and of the
angels above them. The level of consciousness of the stars and spheres is less
than that of the angels but greater than of humans.
Especially influential is
Avraham Ibn Ezra’s astrological treatise called Sefer HaOlam (The Book
of the World). Its main message is to warn users
against wrong applications of astrology. Of course, like most scholars until
modern times, he was an ardent believer in astrology, but only when it is
practiced correctly.
In particular, he warned
that all the astronomical tables predicting the times of planetary conjunctions
are erroneous, because
they assume uniform motion of the planets. He also made a very good
point on the accumulation of errors, and for the need to account for
experimental errors, and how unreasonable it is to extrapolate from ancient
data. Hence, he only relied on astronomical observations made by contemporary
'sages of experiments'.
Do the stars control us?
Are we under a mazel?
The "eighth
day," the eighth day of the inauguration of the Mishkan. It was on this
day that the Divine Presence finally descended and "inhabited" the Mishkan. For, the number eight
always alludes to a departure from the "natural" world, and entry
into the supernatural world (which is why Chanukah
also is eight days long). Therefore, brit milah
acts as a threshold of sorts for the new baby, over which he crosses to enter
into the world ABOVE mazel.
There is a discussion in
the Talmud about whether or not a Jew is subject to mazel, that is, destiny[6]. We believe that, for the most part, events are
predetermined as part of a master plan for creation.
Within the stars is encoded six thousand years of
history, and a true astrologer can peek into the stars and foretell the future,
as Avraham did when he told HaShem that he saw that he was to remain childless through
his wife Sarah; Hagar bore Yishmael for him.
However, HaShem told Avraham that he was not necessarily correct,
for, he could by choice rise above his mazel, and beat his destiny,
so-to-speak. And as history and the Torah testifies, Avraham did precisely that
with the birth of his son Yitzchak, something,
apparently, he could only achieve AFTER he
had performed brit milah (first he was commanded to
perform brit milah, and then Yitzchak was conceived).
Hence, brit milah is far
more than an initiation rite into Judaism; it is a mystical door through which
the Jewish nation passes on the way to freedom from
nature.
Tehillim (Psalms)
147:1-5 Praise HaShem. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how
pleasant and fitting to praise him! HaShem builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their
wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
HaShem gives them their names?
Revelation 8:10-11 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great
star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on
the springs of water-- The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the
waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become
bitter.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 40:25-26 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my
equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the
starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great
power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Iyov (Job) 9:7-10 He speaks to the sun
and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone
stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the
Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
Iyov (Job) 38:28-33 Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to
the frost from the heavens When the waters become hard as stone, when the
surface of the deep is frozen? "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in
their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up [God's] dominion
over the earth?
Amos 5:6-10 Seek HaShem and live, or he will sweep through
the house of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour, and
Shoftim (Judges) 5:19-20 Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan
fought at Taanach by the waters of
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 13:6-10 Wail, for the day of HaShem
is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all
hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain
and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman
in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the
day of HaShem is coming--a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger--to make the
land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and
their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be
darkened and the moon will not give its light.
Constellation:
3685 Keciyl, kes-eel'; the same as 3684; any
notable constellation; spec. Orion (as if a burly one):-constellation, Orion.
------------- Dictionary Trace ---------------
3684 keciyl, kes-eel'; from 3688; prop. fat, i.e.
(fig.) stupid or silly:- fool (-ish).
Bamidbar (Numbers) 24:15-19 Then he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of
Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, The oracle of one
who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from
the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and
whose eyes are opened: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not
near. A star will come out of Jacob; a
scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the
foreheads of
What does this mean?
Iyov (Job) 9:9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the
Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Bear:
5906 `Ayish, ah'-yish; or `Ash, awsh; from 5789;
the constellation of the Great Bear (perh. from its migration through the
heavens):-Arcturus. Ayath. See 5857.
------------- Dictionary Trace ---------------
5789 `uwsh, oosh; a prim. root; to hasten:-assemble
self.
5857 `Ay, ah'-ee; or (fem.) `Aya' (Neh.
(Isa.
Orion:
3685 Keciyl, kes-eel'; the same as 3684; any
notable constellation; spec. Orion (as if a burly one):-constellation, Orion.
------------- Dictionary Trace ---------------
3684 keciyl, kes-eel'; from 3688; prop. fat, i.e.
(fig.) stupid or silly:- fool (-ish).
Pleiades is the Septuagint
translation of:
3598 Kiymah, kee-maw'; from the same as 3558; a
cluster of stars, i.e. the Pleiades:-Pleiades, seven stars.
--------------- Dictionary Trace -------------
3558 kuwmaz, koo-mawz'; from an unused root mean.
to store away; a jewel (prop. gold beads):-tablet.
II Luqas (Acts) 28:11 After three months we
put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian
ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.
Constellation: Bethulah
Meaning......: Virgin
Star...: Tsemech
Meaning: Branch. Used exclusively of the Messiah. Jer 23:5-6, Zech 3:8,
Zech
Star...: Zavijaveh
Meaning: Gloriously beautiful. Isa 4:2
Constellation: Mozanaim
Meaning......: Scales. Iyov (Job) 31:6, Eze 45:10
Ibn Ezra (From "The Secret of the Torah", A
translation of Abraham ibn Ezra’s Sefer Yesod Mora Ve-Sod Ha-Torah, by H.
Norman Strickman.)
The secret of the ephod[7] is extremely precious[8], for six names[9] were inscribed on each one of the two sapphire stones that were on the ephod. One stone was on its right, and one[10] was on its left[11].
Observe: There was no image on the stones [of the ephod]. This alludes[12] [to the twelve sections
of the sky]. These sections can be perceived only by the mind[13]. They correspond to the number of the tribes of Israel.
The breastplate was like the work of
the ephod (Shemot (Exodus) 28:15)[14]. It was square[15], corresponding to the four
compass points. Each one of its stones[16] was therefore[17] unlike the other.[18] The boxes and the rings that were permanently set
in the breastplate[19] allude to the celestial equator.
The urim[20] are to be taken at face value.[21] So is the tummim.[22] The tummim
corresponds to the cubed number.[23] Moses first placed them[24] on the breastplate, in accordance with the
position of the heavenly bodies[25], on the day that he erected the tabernacle. The wise will understand.
B. Talmud
Yoma 73b... And although the decree of a prophet could be revoked, the decree of
the ‘Urim and Thummim’ could not be revoked, as it is said: By the judgment of
the Urim. Why were they called ‘Urim and Thummim’? ‘Urim’ because they made
their words enlightening.[26] ‘Thummim’ because they fulfil their words. ...
Yoma 73b ... in wrong order and received his answer in right order.[27] And as soon as he knew that he had asked in wrong
order, he asked again in right order, as it is said: Will the men of Keilah
deliver up me and my men in to the hand of Saul? And the Lord said.’ They will
deliver thee up.[28] But if the occasion required both questions, both
were answered, as it is said: And David inquired of the Lord, saying: Shall I
pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him: pursue;
for thou shalt surely overtake them and shalt without fail recover all.[29] And although the decree of a prophet could be
revoked, the decree of the ‘Urim and Thummim’ could not be revoked, as it is
said: By the judgment of the Urim. Why were they called ‘Urim and Thummim’?
‘Urim’ because they made their words enlightening.[30] ‘Thummim’ because they fulfil their words. And if
you should ask: Why did they not fulfil their words in Gibeah Benjamin?[31] It is because they did not inquire[32] [whether the result would be] victory or defeat.[33] But at last, when conquered, they [the Urim and
Thummim] approved their action, as it is said: And Phinehas, the son of
Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying: ‘Shall I yet
again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I
cease?’ and the Lord said: Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver him into thy hand.[34]
How
was it effected? — R. Johanan said: [The letters]
stood forth.[35] Resh Lakish said: They joined each other. But the
‘Zade’ was missing?[36] R. Shmuel (Samuel) b. Isaac said: They contained
also the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the ‘Teth’, too,
was missing? — R. Aha b. Jacob said: They contained also the words: The ‘tribes’[37] of Jeshurun.
An
objection was raised: No priest was inquired of who
does not speak by means of the Holy Spirit and upon whom the Divine Presence
does not rest, for Zadok inquired and succeeded, whilst Abiathar inquired and
failed, as it is said: But Abiathar went up until all the people had done
passing out of the city?[38] — He helped along.[39]
AND
ONE INQUIRED ONLY FOR A KING. Whence do we know these things? — R. Abbahu said:
Scripture said, And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire
for him by the judgment of the Urim;[40] ‘he’ i.e., the king, ‘and all the children of
* * *
A prophet needs no "tools" to speak the word of HaShem, but I would point out to you that the oracle of
Urim and Thummin was used by HaShem's prophets and priests
to divine the will of HaShem, dozens of times in the Tanakh, the Old Testament.
See for example: Shemot (Exodus) 28:30. Interestingly the words Urim and
Thummin are of Chaldean origin and translate as "perfects
lights". Lights could be taken as a
reference to the heavenly hosts. Is it mere coincidence that the modern hymn of
the three wise men sung at Christmas
should go "guide us to thy perfect light."?
Yirimiyah (Jeremiah) 50:10 And
+------------------------------------------------+
3778 Kasdiy, kas-dee' (occasionally with enclitic
Kasdiymah, kas-dee'-maw; towards the Kasdites:-into
-------------- Dictionary Trace -----------------
3777 Kesed, keh'-sed; from an unused root of
uncert. mean; Kesed, a relative of Abraham:-Chesed.
The Urim and Thummin oracle was thought to be two
distinct objects fastened to the breastplate of the high
priest for discerning HaShem's will. This bares a remarkable resemblance to
a legend recalled in the Torah[41] concerning
a large astrological tablet which Abraham, the Chaldean, bore on his chest at
times when he was consulted as a prophet by kings of the east.
Jacob's son Joseph
who is a prophet of God makes use of a prophetic tool called a "cup of
divination":
Bereshit
(Genesis) 44:1-5 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward
of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry,
and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver
one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain."
And he did as Joseph said. As morning dawned, the men
were sent on their way with their donkeys. They had
not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his
steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say
to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? Isn't this the cup my master
drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked
thing you have done.'"
And has predictive dreams with what is clearly astronomical meaning. The
only way to correctly interpret his dream is my means
of astronomy. His father immediately understands Joseph's dream of the sun and
the moon being references to himself and his wife:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 37:5-10 Joseph had a dream, and when he old it to his
brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the
field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves
gathered around mine and bowed down to it." His brothers said to him,
"Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they
hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had
another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said,
"I had another dream, and this time the sun and
moon and eleven stars were
bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers, his
father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother
and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before
you?"
This further suggests that Jacob himself
understood astronomy. These predictions of Joseph are
fulfilled EXACTLY, see: Bereshit (Genesis) 45:9-12. Joseph is further described
in scripture as a "God fearing man" Bereshit (Genesis) 42:18, who receives
the blessing of his father Jacob after his prophesy
with its astronomical symbolism concerning him comes to pass.
Scripture clearly states that Daniel was "learned" in the knowledge of the Chaldean astrologers and in fact was
made "Chief of the astrologers":
Daniel
4:4-9 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace,
contented and prosperous. I had a dream that made me
afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my
mind terrified me. So I commanded that all the wise men of
He was obviously a different kind of prophet from the other royal advisers.
At no point does he explicitly condemn Astronomy as such. Only that HaShem
alone provides the "inspiration" (ie. Holy Spirit) for correct
prophesy. Indeed, He even intervenes to prevent the execution of the pagan
astrologers and is kindly towards them.
First century historian of the Jews, Herodias
asserts that the Patriarch Abraham was the inventor of astrology. There is
widespread misconception that Astrology started solely with the
"pagan" Greeks when it actually started with the Chaldeans. The Midrash supports the notion that Abraham was an
astrologer. Biblical evidence of this may be found in Bereshit (Genesis)
THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, Book 3, Chapter 6:7
7. Over against this table, near the southern wall, was set a candlestick
of cast gold, hollow within, being of the weight of one hundred pounds, which
the Hebrews call Chinchares, if it be turned into the
Greek language, it denotes a talent. It was made with its knops, and lilies,
and pomegranates, and bowls (which ornaments amounted to seventy in all); by
which means the shaft elevated itself on high from a single base, and spread
itself into as many branches as there are planets, including the sun among
them. It terminated in seven heads, in one row, all
standing parallel to one another; and these branches carried seven lamps, one
by one, in imitation of the number of the planets. These lamps looked to the
east and to the south, the candlestick being situate obliquely.
THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, Book 3, Chapter 7:7
7. Now here one may wonder at the ill-will which men bear to us, and which
they profess to bear on account of our despising that Deity which they pretend
to honor; for if any one do but consider the fabric of the tabernacle,
and take a view of the garments of the high priest,
and of those vessels which we make use of in our sacred ministration, he will
find that our legislator was a divine man, and that we are unjustly reproached
by others; for if any one do without prejudice, and with judgment, look upon
these things, he will find they were every one made in way of imitation and
representation of the universe. When Moses distinguished the tabernacle into three parts, and allowed two of them to the priests, as a place accessible and common, he denoted
the land and the sea, these being of general access to all; but he set apart
the third division for God, because heaven is
inaccessible to men. And when he ordered twelve
loaves to be set on the table, he denoted the year, as distinguished into so
many months. By branching out the candlestick into seventy parts, he secretly
intimated the Decani, or seventy divisions of the planets; and as to the seven lamps upon the candlesticks, they referred to the
course of the planets, of which that is the number. The veils, too, which were
composed of four things, they declared the four
elements; for the fine linen was proper to signify the earth, because the flax
grows out of the earth; the purple signified the sea, because that color is
dyed by the blood of a sea shell-fish; the blue is fit to signify the air; and
the scarlet will naturally be an indication of fire. Now the vestment of the high priest being made of linen, signified the earth; the
blue denoted the sky, being like lightning in its pomegranates, and in the
noise of the bells resembling thunder. And for the ephod, it showed that God
had made the universe of four elements; and as for the gold interwoven, I
suppose it related to the splendor by which all things are enlightened. He also
appointed the breastplate to be placed in the middle of the ephod, to resemble
the earth, for that has the very middle place of the world.
And the girdle which encompassed the high priest
round, signified the ocean, for that goes round about and includes the
universe. Each of the sardonyxes declares to us the sun and the moon; those, I mean, that were in the nature of buttons
on the high priest's shoulders. And for the twelve stones, whether we
understand by them the months, or whether we understand the like number of the signs of that circle which the Greeks call the Zodiac, we
shall not be mistaken in their meaning. And for the mitre, which was of a blue
color, it seems to me to mean heaven; for how otherwise could the name of God
be inscribed upon it? That it was also illustrated with a crown, and that of
gold also, is because of that splendor with which God is pleased. Let this
explication suffice at present, since the course of my narration will often,
and on many occasions, afford me the opportunity of enlarging upon the virtue
of our legislator.
Jubilees, Chapter 12:15... And Terah went forth from
Antiquities of the Jews:
Book 1 - Chapter 3:9. Now when Noah had lived three hundred and fifty years
after the Flood, and that all that time happily, he died, having lived the
number of nine hundred and fifty years. But let no one, upon comparing the
lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live,
think that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our
lives at present an argument, that neither did they attain to so long a
duration of life, for those ancients were beloved of God, and [lately] made by
God himself; and because their food was then fitter for the prolongation of
life, might well live so great a number of years: and besides, God afforded
them a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use they
made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries, which would not have
afforded the time of foretelling [the periods of the stars] unless they had
lived six hundred years; for the great year is completed
in that interval. Now I have for witnesses to what I have said, all those that
have written Antiquities, both among the Greeks and barbarians; for even
Manetho, who wrote the Egyptian History, and Berosus, who collected the
Chaldean Monuments, and Mochus, and Hestieus, and, besides these, Hieronymus
the Egyptian, and those who composed the Phoenician History, agree to what I
here say: Hesiod also, and Hecatseus, Hellanicus, and Acusilaus; and, besides
these, Ephorus and Nicolaus relate that the ancients lived a thousand years. But as to these matters, let every
one look upon them as he thinks fit.
The following text is quoted from: Abraham Ibn Ezra's Sefer Yesod Mora
Ve-Sod Ha-Torah
Ten is the foundation of all sums,[42] for all sums that follow ten[43] are made up of a part[44] or parts of ten,[45] or one come into being by doubling ten,[46] multiplying ten[47] or by a combination of the two.[48] Furthermore, it is well known that wind and fire form one sphere, and water and earth a second sphere.[49] There is indisputable proof that these spheres
are circled by eight other spheres.[50] All of this clearly adds up to ten. The yod[51] therefore has the shape of the periphery of a
circle that encompasses everything in it.[52]
The word yod means a gathering.[53] It comes from the same root[54] as the words todah [company[55] and todot [companies][56] in And the other company (Ezra-Nechemiah
(Nehemiah)-Nechemiah (Nehemiah)
Now if one starts counting the spheres from the first sphere,[57] then the first sphere is the holy sphere.[58] On the other hand, if one starts the count of the
spheres from the lunar sphere,[59] then the tenth sphere is the holy sphere. Both
the firstborn and the tenth born are there fore holy.[60]
However, from another point of view, the integers end with nine.[61] For ten is the first of the tens, and one is not
considered a number. There are thus only eight
numbers.[62] Four of them-namely, two, three, five, and seven, are prime numbers.[63]
When we add one, which is a root, and a square, a foundation[64] and a cube, to the square of the first of the
even numbers,[65] we get five[66] If we add one to the square of the first of the
odd numbers,[67] we get ten.[68]
We thus have the revered name of God.[69] If we add one to the square of five,
we get the sum of God's entire name.[70] The same is also the case if we add up the letters that spell out yod, heh.[71] If we add one to the square of seven, we get fifty,
[which alludes to] the holy jubilee year[72] and the day when the festival
of Shavuot is observed.[73]
Berachoth 58b OVER
SHOOTING-STARS [ZIKIN]. What are ZIKIN? Shmuel (Samuel) said: A comet.[74] Shmuel (Samuel) also said: I am as familiar with
the paths of heaven as with the streets of Nehardea, with the exception of the
comet, about which I am ignorant. There is a tradition that it never passes
through the constellation of Orion, for if it did, the world
would be destroyed. But we have seen it pass through? — Its brightness passed
through, which made it appear as if it passed through itself. R. Huna the son
of R. Yahoshua (Joshua) said: Wilon[75] was torn asunder and rolled up,[76] showing the brightness of Rakia.[77] R. Ashi said: A star was removed from one side of
Orion and a companion star appeared on the other side, and people were bewildered
and thought the star had crossed over.[78]
Shmuel
(Samuel) contrasted two texts. It is written, Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and
the Pleiades.[79] And it is written elsewhere, That maketh Pleiades
and Orion.[80] How do we reconcile these? Were it not for the
heat of Orion the world could not endure the cold of Pleiades; and were it not
for the cold of Pleiades the world could not endure the heat of Orion. There is
a tradition that were it not that the tail of the Scorpion has been placed in
the Stream of Fire,[81] no one who has ever been stung by a scorpion
could live. This is what is referred to in the words of the All-Merciful to
Iyov (Job): Canst thou bind the chains of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion?[82]
What
is meant by Kimah [Pleiades]?6
Shmuel (Samuel) said: About a hundred [ke'me-ah] stars. Some say they are close
together; others say that they are scattered. What is meant by ‘’Ash [the
Bear]’?6 — Rab Judah said: Jutha. What is Jutha? — Some
say it is the tail of the Ram; others say it is the hand of the Calf.[83] The one who says it is the tail of the Ram is
more probably right, since it says: ‘Ayish will be comforted for her children .[84] This shows that it lacks something, and in fact
it looks like a piece torn off;[85] and the reason why she follows her is because she
is saying to her: Give me my children. For at the time when the Holy One,
blessed be He, wanted to bring a flood upon the world,
He took two stars from Kimah and brought a flood upon the world.
And when He wanted to stop it, He took two stars from
‘Ayish and stopped it. But why did He not put the other two
back? — A pit cannot be filled with its own clods;[86] or another reason is, the accuser cannot become
advocate. Then He should have created two other stars for it? — There is
nothing new under the sun.[87] R. Nahman said: The Holy one, blessed be He, will
one day restore them to her, as it says: and ‘Ayish will be comforted for her
children.[88]
Shabbath 146a the serpent came upon Eve he injected a lust into
her:[89] [as for] the Israelites
who stood at Mount Sinai, their lustfulness departed; the idolaters, who did
not stand at
Rosh HaShana 11b R. Yahoshua (Joshua) and R. Eliezer are herein
consistent [with views expressed by them elsewhere], as it has been taught: ‘In
the sixth hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.[94] R. Yahoshua (Joshua) said: That day was the
seventeenth day of Iyar, when the constellation of Pleiades sets at daybreak
and the fountains begin to dry up, and because they [mankind] perverted their
ways, the Holy One, blessed be He, changed for them the work of creation and
made the constellation of Pleiades rise at daybreak and took two stars from the
Pleiades and brought a flood on the world. R. Eliezer said: That day was the
seventeenth of Marheshvan, a day on which the constellation of Pleiades rises
at daybreak, and [the season] when the fountains begin to fill , and because
they perverted their ways, the Holy One, blessed be He, changed for them the
work of creation, and caused the constellation of
Pleiades to rise at daybreak and took away two stars [from it] and brought a
flood on the world’.[95]
Baba Bathra 16b The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things[96] [ba-kol].What is meant by ‘in all things’? R.
Meir said: In the fact that he had no daughter; R. Judah said: In the fact that
he had a daughter. Others say that Abraham had a daughter whose name was
ba-kol. R. Eliezer the Modiite said that Abraham possessed a power of reading
the stars[97] for which he was much sought after by the
potentates of East and West.[98]
Shabbath 156a It was stated. R. Hanina said: The planetary
influence gives wisdom, the planetary influence gives wealth, and Israel stands under planetary influence. R. Johanan
maintained:
Shabbath 156a R. Hanina said to then, [his disciples]: Go out
and tell the son of Levi, Not the constellation of the day but that of the hour
is the determining influence. He who is born under the constellation of the sun[105] will be a distinguished[106] man: he will eat and
drink of his own and his secrets will lie uncovered; if a thief, he will have
no success. He who is born under Venus will be wealthy and unchaste [immoral].
What is the reason? Because fire was created therein.[107] He who is born under Mercury will be of a
retentive memory and wise. What is the reason? Because it [Mercury] is the
sun's scribe. He who is born under the Moon will be
a man to suffer evil, building and demolishing, demolishing and building. eating and drinking that which is not his and his
secrets will remain hidden: if a thief, he will be successful.[108] He who is born under Saturn (Shabbtai) will be a
man whose plans will be frustrated.[109] Others say: All [nefarious] designs against him
will be frustrated. He who is born under Zedek [Jupiter] will be a right-doing
man [zadkan] R. Nahman b. Isaac observed: Right-doing in good deeds. ‘He who is
born under Mars will be a shedder of blood. R. Ashi observed: Either a surgeon,
a thief, a slaughterer, or a circumciser. Rabbah
said: I was born under Mars.[110] Abaye retorted: You too inflict punishment and
kill.[111]
Shabbath 156b Because Zedek [Jupiter][112] stands in the West?[113] I will turn it back and place it in the East.’ And thus it is written, Who hath raised up Zedek
from the east?[114] He hath summoned it for his sake.[115]
Midrash Rabbah -
Bamidbar (Numbers) X:8 Wine and intelligence have been
compared to Kimah[116] and to Scorpio. Whenever Kimah is visible in the sky, Scorpio is
invisible, and as soon as Scorpio appears Kimah goes out of sight. So wine is
like Scorpio and knowledge is like Kimah. As the
scorpion injures with its tail so wine injures in the end; as it says, At the
last it biteth like a serpent (ib. XXIII, 32). And as Kimah ripens the fruit
and gives it flavour, so intelligence imparts fragrance and relish to a man's
words. When the wine goes in intelligence takes its leave. Wherever there is
wine there is no intelligence. ‘When the wine enters, the secret (sod) comes out’; the numerical total of wine (yayin) is
seventy2 and the total of sod (secret) is seventy.3
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 32:1-9 Listen, O heavens,
and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall
like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers
on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of HaShem. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the
Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does
no wrong, upright and just is he. They have acted corruptly toward him; to
their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. Is this the way you repay HaShem, O foolish
and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed
you? Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your
father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. When
the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of
The stars, too, were bounded according to the
number of the sons of
Midrash Rabbah -
Bamidbar (Numbers) II:7 7.
ACCORDING TO THE ENSIGNS (II, 2).[117] There were distinguishing signs
for each prince; each had a flag and a different color
for every flag, corresponding to the precious stones on the breast[118] of Aaron. It was from these that governments[119] learned to provide themselves with flags of
various colors. Each tribe had its own prince and its
flag whose color corresponded to the color of its stone. [In Aaron's
breast-plate]
Reuben's stone
was ruby and the color of his flag was red; and embroidered thereon were
mandrakes.[120]
Simeon's was
topaz and his flag was of a green color; the town of Shechem
was embroidered thereon.[121]
Levi's[122] was smaragd and the color of his flag was a third
white, a third black, and a third red; embroidered thereon were the Urim and
Thummim.[123]
Issachar's was a
sapphire and the color of his flag was black like stibium, and embroidered
thereon was the sun and moon, in allusion to the text, And of the children of
Issachar, men that had understanding of the times[125] (I Chron. XII, 33).
Zebulun's was an
emerald and the color of his flag was white,[126] with a
ship embroidered thereon, in allusion to the text, Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea (Gen. XLIX, 13).
Dan's was
jacinth and the color of his flag was similar to sapphire,[127] and embroidered on it was a serpent, in allusion
to the text, Dan shall be a serpent in the way (Gen. XLIX, 17).
Gad's[128] was an
agate and the color of his flag was neither white nor black but a blend of
black and white; on it was embroidered a camp, in allusion to the text, Gad[129], a troop
shall troop upon him (ib. 19).
Naphtali's was an
amethyst and the color of his flag was like clarified wine of a not very deep
red; on it was embroidered a hind, in allusion to the text, Naphtali is a hind
let loose (ib. 21).
Asher's was a
beryl and the color of his flag was like the precious stone with which women
adorn themselves; embroidered thereon was an olive-tree, in allusion to the
text, As for Asher, his bread shall be fat (ib. 20).
Joseph's was an onyx and the color of his
flag was jet black; the embroidered design thereon for both princes, Ephraim
and Manasseh, was
On the flag of Ephraim was embroidered a bullock, in allusion to the text, His
firstling bullock (Deut. XXXIII, 17), which applies to Yahoshua (Joshua)[130] who came
from the tribe of Ephraim.
On the flag of the tribe of Manasseh was embroidered a wild ox, in allusion to the text, And
his horns are the horns of the wild-ox (Deut. XXXIII, 17), which alludes to
Gideon son of Joash who came from the tribe of Manasseh.[131]
Benjamin's was jasper and the color of his flag was a
combination of all the twelve colors; embroidered
thereon was a wolf, in allusion to the text, Benjamin
is a wolf that raveneth (Gen. XLIX, 27). The reason, then, why it is said,
ACCORDING TO THE ENSIGNS is because each prince had
his own distinguishing sign.
Midrash Rabbah - Esther VII:11 With Kislev came the merit of Hanukah,[132] with Tebeth the merit of
Nehemiah, as it says, And the children of the captivity did so. And Nehemiah
the priest... were separated... in the first day of
the tenth month... and they were finished with all the men that had married
foreign women, etc. Nehemiah X, 16 f.). With Shebat came up the merit of the
Men of the Great Synagogue; for on the twenty-third
of that month all
Midrash Rabbah - Vayikra (Leviticus) XXIX:8 8. R. Hiyya b. Abba in the name of R. Levi opened
his discourse with the text, Sons of Adam[139] are vanity, and sons of man[140] are a lie; if they be laid in the balances, they
are together from nothingness (Ps. LXII, 10).[141] In the ordinary way, what do people say?
Such-and-such a man shall marry such-and-such a
woman; but ’Sons of Adam are vanity’; such-and-such a woman shall be married to
So-and-so, but ’Sons of man are a lie; they are together from nothingness’.[142] R. Hiyya explained this to mean that while they
are still composed of nothing in the womb of their mother they are united. R.
Nahman explained the verse to mean: In spite of all the vanities and lying acts
which the children of Abraham our father commit in this world, he is
sufficiently worthy to make atonement for them all.
Hence it is written, He was the greatest man among the Anakim (Josh. XIV, 15).[143] If they be laid in the balances’-- (be-moznayim):
they are granted atonement during ’moznayim’; that is to say, in the month
whose constellation is Libra (moznayim). Which month is that? It is the month of Tishri, which signifies: Mayest Thou dissolve
(tishre), pardon, and atone for the sins of Thy people. When? IN THE SEVENTH MONTH. Another exposition: It is called ’the
seventh (hashebi'i) month’ because it is full[144] (mesubba’) of everything; in it the wine-vats are
full, in it there are blessings, there is atonement in it, there is the festive
booth, the palm-branch and the willow’ in it.
* * *
The sign
of Nisan is T'leh / Aries / Ram corresponding to Judah and the faculty of speech.
This is the month the Jews overcame the Egyptian
deity of the ram.
Iyar is Shor / Taurus /
Bull corresponding to Issachar (Torah scholars) and the faculty of thought. In
this month we must be as strong and stubborn as a bull in preparation to
receive the Torah.
Sivan is Te'umim / Gemini
/ Twins corresponding to Zevulun (Torah supporters) and the faculty of motion.
This is the month of Shavuot when we received the
double tablets and should strengthen our efforts to support Torah.
Tamuz is Sartan / Cancer
/ Crab corresponding to Reuven (means "see") and the faculty of sight.
Just as the crab hides, so we should refrain from the distractions of this
summer month and direct our sights toward spiritual pursuits.
Av is Ari / Leo / Lion
corresponding to Shimon (means "hear") and the faculty of hearing. In
this month, the lion-like nations of
Elul
is Bethulah / Virgo / Virgin corresponding to Gad and the faculty of action.
This is the month of repenting, to purify our thoughts and deeds in preparation
of Rosh Hashana.
Tishri is Moznaim / Libra
/ Scales corresponding to Ephraim (fruitful) and the faculty of coition. In this month is Rosh Hashana on which we
are judged, and hope to merit a productive new year.
Cheshvan is Akrav /
Scorpio / Scorpion corresponding to Menashe and the faculty of smell. This
month lacks a holiday and may be spiritually cold
as venom, yet one must work hard to change the letters of Menashe to
"neshama" - spirituality.
Kislev is Kashet /
Sagittarius / Archer corresponding to Benjamin
(warriors) and the faculty of sleep. Here we must
direct and propel the inspiration from Chanukah
through the rest of the winter to overcome spiritual slumber.
Tevet is Gedi / Capricorn
/ Kid corresponding to Dan (judge) and the faculty of anger. The siege against Jerusalem began in this month as a result of baseless
hatred among Jews. Here we must be as steadfast as a
goat to refrain from judging unfavorably which leads to anger and destruction.
Shevat is D'li / Aquarius
/ Water Drawer corresponding to Asher (wealth) and the faculty of taste. By
this month most of the rain in
Adar is Dagim / Pisces /
Fish corresponding to Naftali and the faculty of laughter.
Just as fish are covered by the sea, in this month we observe Purim which celebrates the hidden miracles of G-d which
bring salvation and joy to the Jewish people.
* * *
Pesiqta de Rab Kahana,
Pisqa Twenty-Three:The New Year, XXIII:VIII 2. Said R. Nahman, “All of the vanities and lies
that the Israelites do in this world — Abraham, our father, is worthy of
effecting atonement for all of them, What is the
Scriptural proof text? He was the
greatest man among the Anakim (Joshua 14:15).
“If they are placed in
the balance, when does he effect atonement for them in the scales? It is in the
month that is subject to the constellation of the
scales [of Libra]. And which month is subject to the constellation of Libra? It
is Tishri.
The word Mazal
does not literally mean "luck." The Hebrew
word Mazal, which literally means the astrological zodiac sign or the luck which comes from the stars, has been
said to really be composed of three words: makom, z'man, limmud,
being in the right place at the right time and knowing how to utilize
opportunities.
"Mazal"
is literally associated with the twelve signs of the
Zodiac, which are called the "Mazalot," but we use the word in
a way which means more than just the Zodiac. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto explains
that there is a multi-leveled conceptual system through which HaShem interacts with the physical
creation. In other words, "energy" which
originates with HaShem travels through this system and eventually reaches us. At
some point along the way, this energy is said to pass through the Mazalot,
the stars and the planets, which then transfer it to the rest of creation. This
explains how people trained in astrology may know what will happen to an
individual in the future. They are "reading," through the
configuration of the Mazalot, the energy that is yet to be delivered.
However, we are actually forbidden to engage in the prediction of the future
via astrology even though it may work. The source of this prohibition is,
"You shall be tamim (pure, perfect, simple) with HaShem your
G-d."
Mazal ("sign," pl. mazalot):
1. a spiritual conduit of Divine beneficence (from
the Hebrew root "to flow" [nozel]).
2. specifically, the thirteen
tufts of the "beard" of Arich Arpin.
3. a physical
embodiment of such a spiritual conduit, such as a star, planet, constellation,
etc.
4. specifically, the twelve
constellations of the zodiac.
5. According to our sages, the Jewish People are
not under the influence of the mazalot[145].
HaShem chose not to give
the Torah in Nisan or Iyar, for the mazal of Nisan is a lamb and the mazal of
Iyar is a bull and neither is capable of singing praise. Rather, He gave the Torah in Sivan, for the mazal of Sivan is twins, who
have hands with which to clap and legs with which to
dance.[146]
In Kabbala and Chasidut,
it is explained that the thirteenth mazal transforms the entire set of mazalot
into attributes of mercy. This is because numerically, twelve
is a closed, rigid, perfect system; reflected in the physical world by the
twelve lunar months and the twelve signs of the zodiac; in the Jewish
people, by the twelve tribes;
in the spiritual realm, by the twelve permutations of the letters
of the Divine Name Havaya, and so on. In each of these sets, however,
there is a (sometimes hidden) thirteenth element that adds the flexibility and
adaptive quality that makes the set alive, pliable and viable. This is perhaps
most clearly evident with regard to the twelve lunar months. In the Jewish calendar, a thirteenth month is added in seven out of every nineteen years in order to align the
lunar year with the solar year. Here, the thirteenth lunar month makes the
twelve original ones into an empathic system that can coexist with its solar
“mate.” Similarly, the thirteenth tribe, Levi, officiates at the Temple, reconciling the twelve tribes of the Jewish
people with their “mate,” HaShem.
By Rabbi Yaakov Bernstein and
Bereshit (Genesis), '97
To Rashi, the meaning of
the verses becomes: "If you will struggle diligently in Torah study in
order to guard and perform the commandments, I will give
rain in its season the earth will give forth its produce and the tree will
yield its fruit..."
The reward is difficult
to understand... for keeping the commandments there will be tangible reward in
this material world? Didn't the Talmud
say: "The reward for mitzvot is not in this
world?"[147]
Similarly, the Talmud states[148]: "Children, Length of days and wealth are
not dependent on merit [alone] but on 'mazal'
(fortune)."
However, the Tosafot
commentary there mentions that "a great mitzva is different," and can
change one's "mazal." The legal commentary Elya Rabba explains that
this is Rashi's meaning here, as well. Amailot Batorah, diligent application to
Torah studies, is a "great mitzva" that can help inspire a change in
one's mazal.
Indeed, Torah study is
unlike any other study. In Midrash Tanchuma to Parshat Noach, the Hakhamim describe to what lengths the
Torah Scholars must go: "The people who walked
in darkness, saw a great light," refers to them, because they deny
themselves sleep, struggling over obscure passages in
the Talmud, until the great light of understanding comes. They deny themselves food and drink and pleasures in this world,
instead spending their time toiling, struggling to
understand the Torah.
Mishlei
(Proverbs) 16 "The soul of the working man works for him,
for his mouth forces him." The soul of the man striving for Torah works
for him, for while he works in one area of Torah study, his soul strives for
him in another area. (Sanhedrin 99b).
The Elya Rabba explains:
One who constantly reviews his learning, it will become orderly for him. This
is the meaning of the prayer (in the daily blessings
over Torah study): "Please, HaShem, make the words of Your Torah sweet in
our mouths... so that we... may all know Your name and learn Torah for Your
name's sake..."
"So that we may all
know Your name:" All the Torah is the Name of HaShem. Another explanation:
The Zohar states (like Rashi and Tosaphot quoted
above), that diligent study of Torah can change a heavenly decree. Therefore,
we will know HaShem's name, and not the name of the "mazal"
(literally, a constellation).
(c) Rabbi Yaakov
Bernstein and Bereshit (Genesis), '97
* * *
The Egyptians worshiped
Capricorn (toleh) which was the "first-born" of the zodiac. When the
Israelites saw that Capricorn had fallen, they assumed that the sign of Taurus
(shor), which comes after Capricorn, was now foremost and had conquered
Capricorn. Because of this error they made the Calf, which parallels the sign
of Taurus. Therefore, whatever they did, they learned from the Egyptians. It is
not surprising that they followed what they were accustomed to.
[Hakham Yitschaq Magriso (
* * *
The Camp: Bamidbar (Numbers) 2:2 "The
Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting
some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of
his family."
W
The camp of Reuben The
Camp of Ephraim
-------------
Reuben 46,500 | Bull
| Ephraim 40,500
Simeon 59,300 | | Manasseh 32,200
Gad 45,600 | E
| Benjamin
35,400
------ | P
| ------
151,400 | H
| 108,100
| R |
Numbers
|
I |
| M |
| |
-------------
-------------- ------------- --------------
| |
| L E V I |
| |
The Camp of Levi | Man
| |L -----
L| | Eagle
|
Numbers
S |
REUBEN | |V | |
V| | DAN
| N
| |
|I ----- I|
| |
| |
| L E V I |
| |
-------------- ------------- --------------
-------------
| |
| Lion |
| |
The Camp of
| |
Issachar 4,400 | | Naphtali
53,400
Zebulon 57,400 | U
| Asher 41,500
------ | | ------
186,400 | D
| 157,600
| |
Numbers 2:3-9
| A | Numbers
| |
| H
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-------------
E
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 1:4-13 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the
north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant
light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, And in the fire was
what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a
man, But each of them had four faces and four wings.
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like
burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a
man. All four of them had faces and wings, And their wings touched one another.
Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces
looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right
side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also
had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread
out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of
another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go,
without turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like
burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back
and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
Constellation order, birth order, numerical order, and alephbet order:
|
Month |
-4k
Years Greek |
-4K
Years Hebrew |
Value |
|||
|
Nisan |
Taurus |
Reuben |
Shaur |
Toleh |
Hay |
5 |
|
Iyar |
Gemini |
Simeon |
Teomaim |
Shaur |
Vav |
6 |
|
Sivan |
Cancer |
Levi |
Sartan |
Teomaim |
Zayin |
7 |
|
Tammuz |
Leo |
|
Arieh |
Sartan |
Het |
8 |
|
Av |
Virgo |
Zebulon |
Bethulah |
Arieh |
Tet |
9 |
|
Elul |
Libra |
Issachar |
Meoznaim |
Bethulah |
Yod |
10 |
|
Tishrei |
Scorpio |
Dan |
Aqurav |
Meoznaim |
Lamed |
30 |
|
Cheshvan |
Sagitarius |
Gad |
Qashot |
Aqurav |
Nun |
50 |
|
Kislev |
Capricorn |
Asher |
Ghedi |
Qashot |
Samnkh |
60 |
|
Tevet |
Aquarius |
Napthali |
Deli |
Ghedi |
Ayin |
70 |
|
Shevat |
Pisces |
Joseph |
Dagim |
Deli |
Tzadi |
90 |
|
Adar |
Aries |
Benjamin |
Toleh |
Dagim |
Koph |
100 |
Mazzorah according to Rabbi Yoel (Joel) C. Dobin:
(in Massaroth order and in birth order)
|
Reuben |
Taurus |
|
Simeon |
Gemini |
|
Levi |
Cancer |
|
|
Leo |
|
Zebulon |
Virgo |
|
Issachar |
Libra |
|
Dan |
Scorpio |
|
Gad |
Sagitarius |
|
Asher |
Capricorn |
|
Napthali |
Aquarius |
|
Pices |
|
|
Aries |
Dobin also says that "Magen" as in "Magen David" is a
technical term meaning the "position of the stars at a fixed point in
time".
Mazzorah according to A.E. Partridge[149]:
|
Reuben |
Aquarius |
Shevat |
|
Simeon |
Pisces |
Adar |
|
Levi |
|
|
|
|
Leo |
Av |
|
Zebulon |
Capricorn |
Tevet |
|
Issachar |
Cancer |
Tammuz |
|
Dan |
Scorpio / Eagle |
Heshvan |
|
Gad |
Aries |
Nisan |
|
Asher |
Libra |
Tishrei |
|
Napthali |
Virgo |
Elul/Tree with goodly
branches |
|
Joseph |
Taurus |
Iyar |
|
Benjamin |
Gemini |
Sivan |
|
Manasseh |
Sagitarius |
Kislev |
Babylonian Cuniform from before 500 B.C.:[150]
|
Month |
Sign |
Meaning |
|
Nisan |
Agaru (Aries) |
The messenger of the new year |
|
Iyar |
Temennu (Plieiades) |
The fountain |
|
|
Alap-same (Taurus) |
The bull of heaven |
|
Sivan |
Ri-u-but-same (Orion) |
The shephard |
|
|
Tuame (Gemini) |
The Spirit of Heaven |
|
|
rabuti (Gemini) |
The great twins |
|
Tammuz |
Namgaru (Cancer) |
The Crab |
|
|
Nagar-asurra |
Workman of the river bed. |
|
Av |
Aru rabu (Leo) |
The Great Lion |
|
Elul |
Siru (Spica) |
The ear of corn |
|
Tishri |
Ziba [lacuna] (Libra) |
The claws |
|
Heshvan |
Aqrabu (Scorpio) |
The Scorpion |
|
Kislev |
Qesheth[bow] (Sagitarius) |
Winged Fire-head |
|
Tevet |
Enzu (Capricorn) |
The Goat |
|
Shevat |
Ka-d (Aquarius) |
The Urn |
|
Adar |
Riksu (Pisces) |
The Cord |
|
Zodiacal
Guardians and their symbols: 1
|