Kiddush levana

Kiddush levana, also known as Birkat halevana, is a Jewish ritual and prayer service, generally observed on the first or second Saturday night of each Hebrew month. The service includes a blessing to God for the appearance of the new moon and further readings depending on custom. In most communities, ritual elements include the shalom aleikhem greeting and jumping toward the moon, with some also incorporating kabbalistic practices.

The oldest part of Kiddush levana, the blessing, is described by the Talmud. Other elements were introduced by Massechet Soferim in the 8th century, although their ultimate origin is obscure. In the years since, different Jewish communities have incorporated various quotations from the Bible and Talmud, liturgical compositions, and mystical customs into their version of the ritual. In the Ashkenazic rite it is an individual recitation, but a cantor may lead in Mizrahi communities. In Orthodox Judaism, it is almost exclusively reserved for men, but non-Orthodox Kiddush levana may involve men, women, or both.

Kiddush levana has featured in popular artwork, poems, jokes, stories, and folklore. Tunes based on its liturgy, especially "David Melekh Yisrael Hai veKayyam" and "Siman Tov uMazel Tov Yehei Lanu ulkhol Yisrael", have spread far beyond the original ritual. According to Marcia Falk, "There is, arguably, no more colorful and intriguing piece of liturgy in Jewish culture than Birkat halevana".

Since the 15th century, Kiddush levana has been "a highly visible target for rationalist critiques, both Jewish and non-Jewish". Generations of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book expurgated all ritual elements, and some other 20th-century prayerbooks ignored it entirely. By the 1970s, it was widely described as defunct, although it soon began to regain Orthodox popularity. In 1992, Chabad announced a campaign to popularize its observance.

As of 2024, Kiddush levana is included with ritual elements in all mainstream Orthodox prayerbooks, including recent editions of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book. It is endorsed by Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, and Jewish Renewal. Although Kiddush levana remains controversial within Reform Judaism, it has recently been endorsed by Dalia Marx, Sylvia Rothschild, and other Reform leaders. Since 1976, many non-Orthodox women's groups have adopted Kiddush levana, and non-Orthodox masculine versions began appearing circa 1993. The ritual has been adapted for use in same-sex weddings, coming-out ceremonies, Brit bats, and the 2024 solar eclipse. It continues to evolve.