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Moon

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It is known that G-d started to create the lights at the end of the third day of Creation (Tuesday). The time of Saturn government started at six o'clock in the evening, Jupiter replaced it at seven, Mars occupied its place at eight, Sun - at nine, Venus - at ten, Mercury - at eleven, and Moon - at twelve. Then the cycle repeated in the same sequence. And it happens like this till our very days.

During the first days since World Creation Sun and Moon were equivalent and similar both by size and brightness of the radiated light and orbital revolving rotation etc. They were absolutely identical as for all of that. But Moon complained: "Two kings can not share a single crown!" Then G-d decided to decrease Moon in all aspects numbered above.

Kabbala - the book explaining the secrets of the universe - reveals that Moon's derogation down to the state which we can see it now in, happened not occasionally, but in consequence of Adam and Hava first sin. The matter is Moon, as one of seven lights G-d rules the world by, occupied the very last place, as it can be seen from the sequence of government. However, in the very chain of this hierarchy, it represented the attribute, without which the qualities of above-standing planets could not reach for their final destination - Earth. Moon was something like the last channel on the way of that descending. It's not an occasion therefore, it is most close to Earth.

But what those unique qualities of Moon were about? Kabbala explains Moon is the mirror of those vital energies and powers G-d sends to each human in this world. We can remember that besides Seven Laws G-d instructed first man Adam about one more highly important commandment, given to him one only, but not to his descendants. Its observation was defining for world fate. Hashem commanded to him (Bereshit 2:17): "But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall die by death." In other words, if Adam didn't break this law, life would last forever, and death and evil would never come into the world, in consequence of which mankind became mortal.

How does it correspond with Moon? Till Adam and Hava didn't sin, Moon, through which the vital powers went downstream, was bright and round like Sun and it was always in the position we now call full moon. That is the moment of Sun set in West exactly coincided the moment of Moon rise in East. Thus there was no darkness in the world, as far as night was light like day. By such outward appearance Moon personified life, which was always full, light-saturated and constant like it own.

The evil got its way to the world in consequence of Adam's sin. It as if got great powers for destruction and it was choosing where to direct them. Moon came to be choice object - as the most important element of government. After that attack, Moon came to be the one that we can see today. Its sizes were decreased, its light grew dim strongly and its form started to change depending on time periods. As a mirror - human height decreased, its body's physical qualities grew dim strongly and its life cycle became similar to the phases of Moon: birth, growing up, blossoming, decline and... death - the way Moon follows monthly.

That's why today day counting based on Moon lacks if compared to day counting based on Sun. This lack occurred coz Moon was decreased in size and its revolving rotation around Earth changed a lot. However, periodically, once in some definite period of time, a well-known event named Sun eclipse happenes. During those seconds, Moon as if reminds who is the real king, hiding Sun with its body and being crowned with Sun's radiance. Thus, it as if says it's going to be back to its previous appearance.

So it's not occasionally that there is a prophecy in Bible (Yeshayahu 30:26): "And the light of Moon shall be like light of Sun." This prophecy coheres to the days of Mashiach (Messiah - Biblical language translation) and serves as one of signes of his coming into this world. That is in future, when Mashiach comes, Moon is going to become the same great light like Sun. From here it's understood there will be no leap-year and new moon in the future.

Lubavitcher rebbe writes (Hitvaaduyot 5744, Volume 3, Pages 1528-1530), that one could assume Moon would be similar to Sun right away after Resurrection of the Dead period. But it is known from Scripture that in Mashiach days and before Resurrection of the Dead period there would be no changes in Moon. It is explained that this is so because Moon transformation will happen right away after Mashiach coming (may it happen soon, in our days).

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