14th Perek: Laws of Kidush Hachodesh
| Related Text: | Mishneh Torah (Rambam): Kiddush HaChodesh - Chapter 14 |
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jmj616
Brooklyn, NY
November 29, 2009
2 orbits of the moon Having trouble understanding the 2 orbits of the moon. Is it referring to the fact (?) that the moon spins on its axis and also orbits around the Earth? Reply
Re: 2 orbits If one were to continuously watch the moon, they would not see it in the exact position each day that it would be if it was orbiting at a consistent speed that it takes to orbit around Earth in 29.5 days.
The Rambam is saying that this is because the moon actually makes a small orbit of its own unrelated to Earth. The center of that orbit is what continuously moves completing the cycle each month.
This is the meaning of the two orbits. One is the orbit of the moon around its own center, and the other is the orbit of that center around the Earth.