Birkat Hachama (ברכת החמה, "Blessing of the Sun") refers to an exceedingly rare Jewish blessing that is recited to the Creator, thanking Him for creating the sun. The blessing is recited when the sun completes its cycle every 28 years on a Tuesday at sundown. Jewish tradition says that when the Sun completes this cycle, it has returned to its position when the world was created. Because the blessing needs to be said when the sun is visible, the blessing is postponed to the following day, on Wednesday morning.
According to Judaism, the Sun has a 28 year solar cycle known as machzor gadol (מחזור גדול, "the great cycle"). A solar year is estimated as 365.25 days and the "Blessing of the Sun", being said at the beginning of this cycle, is therefore recited every 10,227 (28 times 365.25) days. The last time that it was recited was on April 8, 2009 (14 Nisan 5769 on the Hebrew calendar). This coincided with the day before the Jewish Holiday of Passover (Hebrew: פסח).
Other blessings are recited upon experiencing various natural phenomena, including lightning, comets, and meteor showers; as well as upon witnessing wondrous natural topography, such as great mountains, rivers and vast wilderness. When recited for these other experiences, the blessing is recited alone without additional verses or Psalms etc. The text of the blessing itself is as follows:
- "ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם עושה מעשה בראשית"
- "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe maker of the works of Creation."
Read more about Birkat Hachama: Source of The Practice, Codification in Jewish Law, Overview, The Vernal Equinox, The Solar Calendar, How The Date Is Calculated, Order of The Service, Occurrences of Birkat Hachama, Lerman's Thesis, Bibliography