Q&A: How to Study Astronomy in Order to Benefit Talmud Study
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
How to Study Astronomy in Order to Benefit Talmud Study
Question
Hello and blessings, Rabbi,
in the past, when I studied matters of astronomy in the teachings of the Sages, I looked a bit on the internet to understand what they were talking about,
but I have to say that I am completely ignorant when it comes to astronomy.
What way does the Rabbi recommend for studying astronomy so that there will be a tangible understanding of these passages in the Talmud?
Thank you.
Answer
I don’t know. Just note that their astronomy is different from ours. There is an institute at Kerem B’Yavneh Yeshiva that deals with this matter, and they have various publications whose exact purpose is this. It’s worth looking there.
The institute closed a few years ago. Maybe you can contact the yeshiva and get the publications. There is a website with articles by Yaakov Loewinger of blessed memory, a religious engineer who dealt with the subject:
http://yaaqov-loewinger.blogspot.com/