Every twenty-eighth year in the springtime, Jews gather in public to recite Birkas Hachama, The Blessing of the Sun. One of the rarest and least-known practices in Judaism, the ceremony thanks G-d for the kindness He besto... more »ws upon his creations every day. What is so special about the sun, and why is this blessing made so infrequently? Known in Torah writing as the Great Luminary, the sun is the primary support of earth s ecosystem. Plant, animal, and man all receive sustenance from it, and rely upon it as a source of growth. Learn about the origins of this great Mitzvah, and the significance of the sun in Jewish tradition.« less