Pt1 Celestial Phenomena: Comets and Constellations in the Talmud (Mishnah Berakhot 9:2; Berakhot 58b-59a)

This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline is below.

The Mishnah and subsequent Talmud discusses various natural phenomena and the blessings recited upon witnessing them, along with explanations of celestial objects and events.¹

Outline

Blessings for Witnessing Extraordinary Natural Phenomena (Mishnah Berakhot 9:2)

The Talmud Passage:

1. Shmuel’s Knowledge of the Heavens and the Enigma of Comets

2. The World-Ending Danger of Passing of Comets Near Orion

3. The Constellations Orion and Pleiades as Balancing Forces of the Universe

4. Constellations and the “River of Fire” Influence the Lethality of Scorpion Stings

5. Interpretations of the Names and Positions of Pleiades and Ursa Major

6. Constellations and Cosmic Justice: The Tale of Ursa Major's Lost Stars and the Promise of Restoration

Blessings for Witnessing Extraordinary Natural Phenomena (Mishnah Berakhot 9:2)

Mishnah_Berakhot.9.2

When witnessing notable natural phenomena, one should recite blessings: 

For comets,² earthquakes,³ lightning, thunder, and strong winds—demonstrations of divine power—the blessing is: "Blessed...Whose strength and power fill the world" (שכחו וגבורתו מלא עולם). 

For mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and deserts, the blessing is: "Blessed...Who performs the act of Creation" (עושה מעשה בראשית).⁴

1. על הזיקין, 

2. ועל הזועות, 

3. ועל הברקים, 

4. ועל הרעמים, 

5. ועל הרוחות, 

אומר: "ברוך שכחו וגבורתו מלא עולם"

1. על ההרים, 

2. ועל הגבעות, 

3. ועל הימים, 

4. ועל הנהרות, 

5. ועל המדברות, 

אומר: "ברוך עושה מעשה בראשית"

One who sees conspicuous natural occurrences recites a blessing. 

1. For zikin 

2. and zeva’ot, which the Gemara will discuss below, 

3. for lightning, 

4. thunder, 

5. and gale force winds, manifestations of the power of the Creator, 

one recites: Blessed…Whose strength and power fill the world. 

1. For extraordinary (Rambam) mountains, 

2. hills, 

3. seas, 

4. rivers, 

5. and deserts, 

one recites: Blessed…Author of creation.

The Talmud Passage

Berakhot.58b.11-59a.3

Shmuel’s Knowledge of the Heavens and the Enigma of Comets

In the Mishnah, it is taught that upon seeing zikin (זיקין), one recites: "Whose strength and power fill the world." 

Shmuel interprets that “zikin" are comets (כוכבא דשביט).⁵

He adds that he knows the paths of the sky as well as the streets of his city, Neharde’a—except when it comes to comets, whose nature remains mysterious to him.

על הזיקין: 

מאי זיקין? 

אמר שמואל: כוכבא דשביט. 

ואמר שמואל: 

נהירין לי שבילי דשמיא כשבילי דנהרדעא, 

לבר מכוכבא דשביט, דלא ידענא מאי ניהו. 

We learned in the mishna that over zikin, one recites: Whose strength and power fill the world. 

The Gemara asks: What are zikin? 

Shmuel said: A comet. 

Shmuel also said: 

The paths of the sky are as clear to me as the paths of my city, Neharde’a, 

except for comets, that I do not know what they are. 

The World-Ending Danger of Passing of Comets Near Orion

The Talmud continues the discussion of comets, quoting a tradition (גמירי) that a comet passing through the constellation of Orion (כסלא)⁶ would cause the destruction of the world.⁷

The Talmud questions this, noting that comets are observed near Orion. It offers three explanations:

1. The comet’s aura,⁸ not the comet itself, passes Orion, creating the illusion of a close approach.

2. Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua suggests that a rip in “Vilon”,⁹ revealing light (נהורא) from a higher firmament, creates the comet-like appearance.¹⁰

3. Rav Ashi proposes that it’s actually a star moving from one side of Orion, which causes a nearby star to react in fear (מיבעית), making it seem as though something is passing through.

Each explanation reinterprets the phenomenon to avoid the implication of impending destruction.

וגמירי: 

דלא עבר כסלא, 

ואי עבר כסלא — חרב עלמא. 

והא קא חזינן דעבר! 

1. זיויה הוא דעבר, ומתחזי כדעבר איהו. 

2. רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע אמר: וילון הוא דמקרע, דמגלגל ומחזי נהורא דרקיע. 

3. רב אשי אמר: כוכבא הוא דעקר מהאי גיסא דכסלא, וחזי ליה חבריה מהך גיסא, ומיבעית, ומחזי כמאן דעבר.

And we learn through tradition 

that a comet does not pass the Orion constellation, 

and if it does pass Orion, the world will be destroyed. 

The Gemara asks: Don’t we see that comets pass Orion? 

1. The Gemara rejects this: The aura of the comet passes Orion and it appears as though the comet itself passes. 

2. Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said a different answer: It is merely that vilon, one of the firmaments, rips and furls and the light of the next firmament is seen, and this appears like a comet. 

3. Rav Ashi said another explanation: It is not a comet that passes Orion, but a star that is uprooted from one side of Orion, and another star, from the other side of Orion, sees it and gets startled and shudders, and appears as if it is passing.

1. For a related talmudic discussion, somewhat earlier in the tractate, for the blessing made at the site of miracles, see my piece here. See also my piece here on the geonic blessing upon the taking of virginity.

2. זיקין; see below.

3. זועות; see the Talmud, Berakhot.59a.4:

ועל הזועות.

מאי זועות?

אמר רב קטינא: גוהא.

And we learned in the mishna that over zeva’ot one recites the blessing: Whose strength and power fill the world.

The Gemara asks: What are zeva’ot?

Rav Ketina said: An earthquake.

4. Literally: “Who does the act of ‘In the beginning’ (בראשית) ”.

“In the Beginning” (בראשית) is the incipet of the biblical Book of Genesis, where the Creation of the world is described.

5. Literally: “rod star”.

6. Compare: אוריון (קבוצת כוכבים) – ויקיפדיה > “בספרות היהודית”

7. For more on Talmudic astrology, see my previous series, Part 2 here.

8. זיויה - on this word, see my piece here (section “Rav“) quoting the phrase “ziv of the Shekhina”, and the Wikipedia entry I cite there for a relevant Mandean term.

9. וילון ; one of the Seven Heavens.

10. For a diagram of the Talmud’s Bablylonian cosmology, see my piece here on the Tehom.