Full Moon of Menachem Av Above Mitzpe Ramon

Full Moon, 7-21-13, between the cell towers of Mitzpe Ramon.

Full moon rising, 7-21-13, Mitzpe Ramon, Israel.

"Calling the full moon." - Mitzpe Ramon, Israel. 7-21-13.

Did You See the New Moon of Av with Venus?

It was a wonderful sight on the plateau above Mitzpe Ramon, the new moon of Menachem Av setting beside Venus. Here is the pair as they set above the dome of the Weiss observatory. If you missed them this month, don't fret. They will be visible again next month for the new moon of Elul when the King is in the field! May Mashiach come speedily in our days, and usher in a time of peace and rejoycing for all Israel for all time.

The new moon of Menachem Av to the left of bright Venus, as they set above the Weiss Observatory in Mitzpe Ramon.

"I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth."

The New Moon of Menachem Av with Venus

Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av is this Sunday night and Monday. The new moon will usher in the month of Av, more fully called Menachem Av, the consolation of Av, when the Jewish people seek consolation from G-d for the loss of the two holy temples that were destroyed on the 9th of Av. It is also the day the spies that Moses sent to spy out the land of Israel returned with an evil report that caused the Jews to wander in the desert for 40 years.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that the spies returned with an evil report because the people did not want to loose their spiritual connection to G-d and the Torah. In the desert all of their needs were taken care of, leaving them free to study Torah night and day. The well of Miriam provided water, the Manna fell from heaven, their clothes and shoes did not age or wear out.

We see from the result how wrong they were. It was time for them to share the burden of peoplehood and statehood. It was time for them to stop living off the freely-given food and drink of G-d. It was time to give up some of their study time to nation building and statecraft.

How similar to those ancient times are the times of today. The Chareidi Jews are like the Jews of the Exodus from Egypt. All of their needs are taken care of. They are give food and water freely as Miriam's well water and G-d's Manna. They can spend all of their time studying Torah with all of their needs cared for.

Yet their sin is the sin of the spies, the greatest sin of that generation. It is time to give up the Manna; it is time to give up Miriam's spring; it is time to give up all Torah study. It is time to join the People of Israel, time to become a nation; time to work for your bread and water; time to defeat the Cannaaites, time to join in building a nation, develop statecraft, and leave the Torah study of the desert of exile behind. Not to do so will be to repeat the sin of the Spies, a sin for which we are still punished to this day.

Don't forget to go out on Thursday night, July 11, just after dark and observe the waxing crescent moon shinning next to bright Venus. The moon will then be 3.17 days old and heading toward the fast of Av on the 9th of the month. May this beautiful sight and Venus be the "star coming out of Jacob" that will herald the coming of Mashiach and the Messianic age. Then the Chareidim can return to their all torah-study way of life.

The 3 day old new moon of Menachem Av shines next to Venus (right of the moon) on Thursday night, July 11th. Go out and look for it starting around 8:15pm.

Supermoon of June 22-23

The full moon of June shines at 2:32PM on June 23, Israeli Local Time. So, it will be full as it rises that evening and look pretty much the same the previous evening, Saturday night. This moon is considered a "Supermoon" because it occurs at the moon's perihelion, it's closest approach to earth in its elliptical orbit. In fact it will be the closest approach for all of 2013. Although the moon will look somewhat larger and brighter because of this perigee full moon, you will probably detect nothing with your naked eye, since you have no other moon to compare it to.

In fact, the term "Supermoon" is of modern vintage, probably having been invented by a blogger looking to make up something newsworthy to write about. So, write about it I will. :) Nevertheless, a full moon is always a lovely site, so watch it rise in the east just after sunset, especially if you have a beautiful setting like Machtesh Ramon to watch it rise over.

Comparison of an average full moon with a supermoon.

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Today is the Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice occurred today, June 21, 2013, at 8:04am Israeli Local Time. It is the longest day of the year. At the Tropic of Cancer the sun stands overhead at noon; it is Midsummer Night's Eve. At Stonehenge, the sun rose above the Heel Stone this morning. According to Professor Steve Rosen of Ben Gurion University, there is an ancient Stonehenge-like structure in Machtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater). He is giving a tour of it this evening at 6:15pm, starting at Be'erot Campground on the way to Ein Saharonim. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it since it is Erev Shabbat. This evening calls for a reading of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Better still, go find a live performance and watch it.

The sun rises over the Heel Stone at Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice.

 And now, a few memorable lines from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which always remind me of this night.

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine,

With sweet musk roses and with eglantine.

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.

And there the snake throws her enameled skin,

Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.

Titania sleeps in a midsummer night's dream...

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The Druze Beetle

After last night's star tour I found this Druze Beetle drinking water from a spill one of my guests had left on the desert ground. Druze beetles disappear in the winter cold and return in the summer. They have a unique method for gathering water. They turn their large bodies up into the wind to lower their body temperatures and encourage dew to form on their shells. The drew drips down their backs and into their mouths where they get a cool, refreshing drink. They are miniature weather makers with their own little bodies. I had never seen one drink water before. But this was a warm, windless night and this bug was not going to coax a drink out of the air, so I'm glad he found this puddle to slake his thirst. He sat motionless in it for a long time, then scurried off into the desert.

A Druze Beetle slakes his/her thirst in a pool of water from a guest's emptied water bottle. Astronomy Israel photo.