Q. Does one make a brocho (ose mase bereshis) when watching the solar eclipse?
A. We do not find in Talmud or Shulchan Aruch that our sages instituted any blessing for eclipses;
although a bracha is recited on other constant niflaos and wonders of Hashem’s Creation such as thunder, lightning, meteors and comets and according to many Poskim even earthquakes. Contemporary Poskim maintain that we do not recite a brocho on eclipses. (Orchois Rabbenu (1 p. 95) and Shaarei Brocho (21: n. 73- Shaar Hoayin 7: 6 n. 13, mentions that Shevet Halevy was in doubt).
Ase Lecha Rav (5: 7) explains that ose maaseh Bereishis is only recited for natural events, which are part of the positive Creation of Bereishis. The Talmud (Suka 29a) adverts that a likui chama, is an outcome of man’s sinful conduct. It is a threatening sign of a time of din and judgment. Most commentaries assume that likui chama refers to solar eclipses, although it is quoted that Horav Yoinosson Eibshutz zt’l maintained they were sunspots. (It is questionable how in 1751, without telescopes, sunspots could be observed).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is similar. On question 708 on this forum in regards to the Aurora Borealis lights, we wrote that: Although the Northern Lights is a display of one of the most striking and magnificent phenomena in nature, Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that since this event is not recorded in the Talmud or Poskim directly, one should recite Ose Maase Bereshis without the name of Hashem. However, for an eclipse one should not recite this brocho, even without Hashem’s name. This being similar to what the Talmud (Brochos 40b) mentions, that we don’t recite a blessing on
a produce that emanates from scourge or the opinion of the Tumim (97) on why we don’t recite a blessing on giving tzedaka, since it involves the curse of poverty.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
Important Numbers
