Only Seven More Days...

23 Adar 5785

Excerpted from The Book of Our Heritage by Eliyahu Kitov (Vol 2, pp.394, 458)...

The complete obliteration of Amalek will occur at the time of the final redemption, immediately preceding the month of Nisan.  A trace of that obliteration is felt each year during Purim, which falls in the month preceding Nisan.  The reading of Parashas Zachor was therefore prescribed for this time of year.

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...Rosh Chodesh Nisan begins the new year for the kings of Israel; i.e., the year of their reign is calculated from Nisan.  The sovereignty of the kings of Israel is dependent upon the tangibility of the kingdom of Heaven.  For this reason, the two mitzvos of designating a king over Israel and destroying Amalek are adjacent in the Torah.

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The last seven days of Adar - from the twenty-third until Rosh Chodesh Nisan - are called the "days of dedication."  It was then that Moshe Rabbenu consecrated the Tabernacle after its construction.  On Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the Mishkan was first put into use and Aharon and his sons began to serve as kohanim.  During the seven days of dedication, Moshe Rabbenu alone served as the kohen.  Every day he would erect the Mishkan; offer sacrifices of consecration; eat the sanctified portions; perform all of the service of the Kohen Gadol; and take the Mishkan apart.

These days of dedication of the first Mishkan of God - constructed by Moshe at God's command - are destined to be repeated when the Mashiach comes.  It is said that his coming and the rebuilding of the Beis ha-Mikdash will take place in the month of Nisan.  Thus, the days of dedication serve as a memorial to the Mishkan made by Moshe, as well as a time of prayer for the final redemption and the rebuilding of the Beis ha-Mikdash in which the Divine Presence will dwell eternally.

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The Moon represents Israel while the Sun represents the nations. It's remarkable that at the very moment that the Moon has no light and seems to have disappeared, it is precisely then that it has the power to eclipse the Sun itself, denying it the power to shed its own light.

March 29, 2025 Partial Solar Eclipse - Path of the Eclipse Shadow

Regions seeing, at least, a partial eclipse: Europe, North in Asia, North/West Africa, Much of North America, North in South America, Atlantic, Arctic. [For specific places, see here.]

The US and Canada will see the most coverage of any other countries within the shadow's path.