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   This year we have an opportunity to do a very special mitzvah that only presents itself once every twenty-eight years: the mitzvah of Birchat Hachama. This is the bracha that is made when the sun, moon and the constellations all line up the same way that they did when they were created. The Torah tells us that Creation began on Sunday, the first day. On the fourth day, Wednesday, the sun, moon and other luminaries were created. As the solar year is 365_ days long, it takes twenty-eight years for the sun to be in the exact same position at the same time of day, on the same day of the week as it was when it was created.

   This phenomenon which marks the fourth day of Creation, coincides with Tekufat Nissan, the Jewish calendar’s beginning of Spring, which will take place this year on April 9, 2009. This is, however, somewhat problematic because, as we all know, Rosh Hashanah which marks the creation of man on the sixth day of Creation takes place not two days later in Nissan but rather six months later in the month of Tishrei. This brings us to our question: according to Jewish tradition, just when was the world created, after all? In Nissan or Tishrei?

    This question is the subject of a famous dispute in the Gemara between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Yehoshua asserts that Adam Harishon was created on the first of Nissan, while Rabbi Eliezer maintains he was created on the first of Tishrei. We know that our halachic authorities throughout the ages have generally decided like Rabbi Eliezer, hence, we hold that the New Year begins in Tishrei. Indeed, this is reinforced by the tefillot of Rosh Hashanah in which we say, “This day is the beginning of Your creation.” Yet, the fact that we recite Birchat Hachama in Nissan lends some credence to the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua.

    There are many explanations as to how to reconcile this apparent contradiction. Rabbi Meir David Hertzberg in his sefer, Or Hachammah, suggests a rather novel one which is based on a Medrash. The Medrash states that before Adam Harishon sinned by eating from the Eitz Hadat, the Tree of Knowledge, the planets and constellations traveled very fast, much faster than they do today. The commentaries explain that this was designed to give Adam Harishon the utmost pleasure in Gan Eden by enabling Spring to come more quickly so that the fruit trees would bear fruit the very day that they were planted. When Adam Harishon sinned, this situation changed dramatically because his very punishment was that it would be difficult for him, and all mankind after him, to bring forth sustenance from the land. Hence, the orbits and seasons were slowed to the pace that we see them today and crops now take months from planting to harvesting instead of days.

    This Medrash helps us resolve the apparent contradiction between the positions of Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer. When the sun was created on the fourth day it was on Tekufat Nissan, the beginning of the season of Spring according to Rabbi Yehoshua. However, by the time the sixth day came about, the great speed of the planets and their orbits had already advanced the season to Tekufat Tishrei, the beginning of Fall, an advance of two seasons in two days. This would allow for the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer.

    Hence, it turns out that both opinions and practices are correct and do not contradict each other. We acknowledge the wonders of God and the splendor of His celestial luminaries by making Birchat Hachama in Nissan on the exact day and at the exact time that they were created in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua’s opinion. We also commemorate the creation of Adam Harishon on Rosh Hashanah in Tishrei in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. It was only after Adam Harishon sinned, on the afternoon of the day he was created, that all the celestial bodies slowed down, thus creating the seasons of the year as we know them. The author wishes to site the book Birchas HaChamah authored by Rabbi J. David Bleich published by Artscroll for the source material for this article.