Nisan VIII: Largest Birthday Under the Sun!

Tomorrow morning I will kiss Jerusalem goodbye, making a pit stop at the market to buy a tambourine. I want to be prepared to usher in the Messianic Era with music and dance, just as the women did when they crossed the Red Sea. You may think I’ve lost it, gone of the deep end a little…but I assure you, it’s perfectly normal here. I’m just showing symptoms of the easily-contracted disease called “Jerusalem Syndrome”. Jerusalem Syndrome is living in constant anticipation that the Moshiach is coming any second…in the more advanced stages of the sickness, one actually begins to think they are the Moshiach. Don’t worry, I am taking Echinacea.

Anyways, I am off to Sefat, the mystical, airy city known for being the center of Kabbala, for the next couple of weeks. I met a magical woman 3 months ago at a Shabbos table who was coordinating a week-long festival to commemorate the Birthday of the Sun, Passover, and the ensuing Chol HaMoed. We hit it off and I became her little sidekick. Now I am going to work the festival and chill quite hard in my favorite place in Israel. It’ll be a really good scene. the festival is promoting renewal, solar energy, music, dance, lectures, musical Temple services, etc.

The Sun Blessing (BirKat HaChama) and how you can do it from home...
Once every 28 years, the Sun completes its cycle and returns to the position it occupied when it was placed in its firmament on the fourth day of creation. This is a rare event, but even more tripped out is this year the Birthday is the morning before Passover (14th Nisan). It's recorded that during the Exodus from Egypt and during the Story of Purim, the Sun’s Birthday was on the 14th of Nisan too…hence all the buzz that something crazy is about to go down.

Nevertheless, it's an auspicious time to plant seeds for a better future, to thank our Creator, who provided us with this vital and crucial source.

"Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who re-enacts the works of creation.”

Here’s a little clip made for the event…check out my shout out to the sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=risjAsoMft4

If you plan to make your own ceremony, please let me know and we'll link it onto our world-wide network. For more information about the festival and how to make your own event check out the website http://www.sunblessing.org/ or join our facebook group http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=105281455174