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was seen across North America. Many cultures view
this as an omen of danger, as the world darkens
(e.g. there was a total eclipse the day before
WWI broke out & some sources say an eclipse will
precede the cataclysmic war of Gog & Magog). What
do Jewish sources say? On the pasuk, "Let there
be luminaries in the heavens for signs &
seasons;" Rashi says "signs" refers to eclipses &
says this is indeed unfavorable, but he also
quotes Yirmiyahu 10:2 that if we are faithful to
Hashem then we will be protected & not harmed.
The Gemara Sukka says that there are 4 sins that
bring eclipses, notably including the rape of
young women & brothers dying together (the war in
Gaza?!). Most poskim say the bracha of "Oseh
ma’aseh b’reisheit" is not recited, possibly
because watching the eclipse with the naked eye
is dangerous, & so one should not be encouraged
to look at it & possibly do harm to himself. (With thanks to rabbis HW & ET)
Rabbis in Midrash
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Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
