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<DIV>Joseph Mosseri wrote:<BR>> I clearly remember Birkat HaHammah in 1981 and at the time we were <BR>> taught that this berakhah is recited once every 28 years when the sun is <BR>> in the exact position it was in when it was created at the time of <BR>> Ma'aseh Bereshit.</DIV>
<DIV>Birkat Hachama is not cited according to the Jewish Calendar. By the way, She'elat Tal Umatar B'Shemonesre in the Galut, also is not according to the Jewish Calendar (see Artscroll Siddur).</DIV>
<DIV>Birkat Hachama is indeed cited every 28 years, but not 28 Rav Adda years, but 28 Mar Shemuel years.</DIV>
<DIV>The Shana of Rav Shemuel is little longer than the Shana of Rav Adda. (Rav adda Shana is 19 year cycle, including 7 leap year). Rav Shemuel Shana is as stated by Zev Zoro here, is 365.25 days. This is the same as the Julian Calendar was (est 46 BC). Because the Gregorian Calendar (est 1582 CE) is almost the same as the Julian (Julian - leap year every 4th year. Gregorian the same except of every century that not divided by 400. 1901 not leaped year, 1904 - leaped year, 1900 - not leaped year, 2000 - leaped year, 2100 not leaped, etc). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> As we know from Bereshit 1:14-19 this happened on the 4th day. According <BR>> to tradition Bereshit began on Rosh Hodesh Nisan<BR><BR>Chagim we go according to our "normal" Jewish calendar (Rav Adda). Tekufot - according to Mar Shemuel.</DIV>
<DIV>As mentioned, the two occasions we use Tekufot is for starting to cite Tal Umatar (60 after Tekufa), and Birkat Hachama.</DIV>
<DIV>For Tekufot we dont hold like Rav Eliezer, but according to Rav Yehuda, who said that the world (the man) was created in Nisan.</DIV>
<DIV>The best source in my opinion is the Tosafos to Masechet R"H, daf 8:</DIV>
<DIV>Man was created on Friday, Tishrei 1st. At the 3rd hours of the day (2 hours after 6:00 AM), he was ordered not to eat from the known tree, at the same time he was ordered Lekadesh Hachodesh. It means that the molad was 6 hours earlier, ie, 14 hours after Thursday 6:00 PM. This is molad VID. From this you can calculate Molad BaHaRad, and 6 month later, Molad Nisan Yetzira. This is Wednesday, Nisan 1st.</DIV>
<DIV>Without going to many calculations (but you can ask me if you want details), and because of the differnet in the length of Rav Ada to Mar Shemuel year, the Tekufat Nisan Yetzira is about week earlier, Wednsday, Adar 22nd (6 pm of Tuesday). </DIV>
<DIV>At that time if we want to know what the date was according to the Julian Calendar, it was March 26th, 3760 BC. Because the Julian year (Calendar) is identical to Rav Shemuel year, then it was easy to remember that it is the same day and month every 28 years - March 26th.</DIV>
<DIV>in 1582 when they switched to the Gregorian, they added 10 days, so if we wanted to keep the same Rav Shemuel date, we had to adjust to the Gregorian and add 10 days, it means that now it would be April 5th.</DIV>
<DIV>The since 1582 until now the gap increased by 3 more days (for the reasons I said above about the leap years). which is April 8th.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What I dont know to tell you, and I hope others will help here, who was the first source that said March 26th</DIV>
<DIV>(I think that Abudharam is the first source to say that the question of Tal U'Matar will start November 22nd).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kol Tuv</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>galsaba</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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