The Baal Shem Tov, or Besht —  the founder of Chasidism — 
met the soul of the Messiah during an ascent to heaven. 
The Besht asked him, "When will the Master come?" 
The Messiah answered, "When your wellsprings break forth to the outside!" 
(from a letter written by the Besht to his brother-in-law about one of his soul ascents) 

Prayers, blessings, and study texts for the Eclipse


Download the neohasid solar eclipse resources here.

More Earth prayers on neohasid.org: click here.
Other Jewish solar eclipse resources collected by Rabbi Riqi Kosovske: click here.

For "Rays of Awe", the Shamir Collective's eclipse resource, click here
To get Rabbi Nehemia and Adina Polen's eclipse booklet, click here.


The crown of the sun, in Hebrew, atarah, becomes revealed only in the total eclipse. By all accounts, totality is a unique experience far different than witnessing a partial solar eclipse. It seems right therefore to say an additional blessing when one is privileged to see it. Here is one suggestion.

For the partial eclipse, when the sun’s light still fills the sky:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית
Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha’olam `oseh ma`aseh v’reishit

Blessed be You YHVH/Adonai our God, Ruler of all space and time, maker of the work of Creation

For totality, when the sun’s atarah (crown) becomes visible:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁכּוֹחוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ וְזִיווֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם
Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha`olam shekocho ug’vurato v’zivo malei olam

Blessed be You YHVH/Adonai our God, Ruler of all space and time, whose power and might and radiance fill the universe.

A prayer to say anytime during the eclipse:

May the revelation of the sun’s wings bring us healing, as it says, וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה וּמַרְפֵּא בִּכְנָפֶיהָ — “And the sun of righteousness will shine for you and will bring healing in its wings, and you will go out and gambol like calves set free.” (Malachi 3:20/4:2) May we recognize with awe the grandeur of Your works, as it says, שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה — “Lift on high your eyes and see: Who created these?” (Isaiah 40:26) so that we may be filled with אַמִּיץ כֹּחַ courageous strength to heal the Earth from human destruction. May the desire for peace eclipse the desire for war, may love eclipse hatred, may we see the light hidden within the light, the invisible within the visible. And may salvation arise for the heavens that shield us — יְקוּם פּוּרקָן לִשְׁמַּיָא — so that the sun’s rays shine for blessing and healing, for us and for all life.

All of the above along with more texts and verses can be found in neohasid's 3-page pdf, which also includes more information specific to this year's eclipse. Download the pdf.

View, add, share this google doc list with many wonderful and growing Jewish resources on the solar eclipse with texts, discussion, and liturgy, compiled by Rabbi Riqi Kosovske.

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Design in progress © Rabbi David Mevorach Seidenberg 2006