What's My Sign?

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. If your Hebrew birthdate is June XX, 19XX, or Sivan XX 57XX, what zodiac sign are you? The Hebrew date shifts from year to year when compared with the Gregorian. Some years it is in Cancer, other years it is in Gemini.

A. Thanks for your very interesting question. Before I reply, I just want to disclaim that I, personally, put no stock in astrology. We have a saying that "ein mazal l'Yisroel" - even for those who believe in astrology, we believe that it exerts no influence over us.

That having been said, your Zodiac sign was - and will always continue to be - whatever it was when you were actually born (and therefore you would be a Cancer). Yes, the Zodiac sign for the month of Sivan is generally Gemini but the Hebrew calendar is neither purely lunar nor purely solar; rather, it is a combination called "lunisolar." Aligning the two calendars necessitates adding a leap month seven times in a 19-year cycle. So we are aware of this "lunar drift," which could be up to 30 days. The determining factor of one's Zodiac sign, to whatever extent it matters, is what was going on in the sky at the time of one's birth.

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.