Okay so why is this Pesach not like every other Pesach? Well, just when you think it’s safe to put down your mop and sponge chop a shacharit and siyum to avoid fasting if you’re a 1st born, or even just a l’chaim and then dash off to incinerate some Chametz… hang on just a second, this year has a twist – Birkat ha Chama. Yes, you’ll need to save some l’chaim, put on your dancing shoes and come with fine voice as the minhag according to Eliyahu Kitov in The Book of Our Heritage is to recite the bracha after a dawn shacharit with great joy, song and praises both before and after the bracha. He doesn’t give specifics as to exactly what dance steps to follow or songs and praises to be sung but seeing this is done only once every 28 years it seems we should make a good show of it!

There are a few other things Rav Kitov writes about which caught my eye. For one, the fact that it’s Erev Pesach this year is nothing particularly significant, as technically the day can fall at the beginning, middle or end of the month of Nissan. That the bracha is recited in Nissan is a machloket, based on the opinion of R.Yeshoshua that creation took place in Nissan as opposed to Tishrei -which is a bit confusing given we hold that New Year is in Tishrei – but we can’t solve all problems in one blog entry! The thing that is less controversial is that it was the evening of the 4th day of the week (Tuesday night) that the sun was put in its place, and that is why Wednesday morning is the important moment where after 28 years the sun has finished it’s solar cycle and is in exactly the same position, or we’re in the same position relative to the sun (same thing?) as we were 28 years prior. Only once in 532 years is it in exactly the same position as it was during Creation vis-à-vis the day of the week and the day of the month.

This year marks the conclusion of 206 28year cycles, spin the calculating wheels and you should get 5768. Well that’s funny, you should say, maybe we missed it last year already? Think again! You’re forgetting about the year of the flood where all the normal functioning of things in the world was suspended.

A couple of other potential questions/situations to give Rabbis grey hairs over…. What if it’s a cloudy day? Machloket. What if I was cleaning/locating chametz all night, slept in, and missed the dawn minyan? Machloket (although saying the bracha within the 1st 3 halachic hours of the day is highly recommended). What if I’m a woman? Rollover and dream of matza – you’re spared this one, and it’s not just because of time bound reasons; it is linked to an incidence of women offering incense to the “Queen of the heavens” in the days of the prophet Yirmeyahu. In other words, apparently a woman making a blessing relating to the sun is a bit too close for comfort and some people might get the wrong idea – just don’t say the reason is marit eyin anywhere near Rav Fink!