Colbert spreads misinformation on Hebrew calendar
You know birkat hachamah has really made it to the big time when it appears on the Colbert Report!
Unfortunately, Stephen Colbert has taken “truthiness” to a new level and spread to a worldwide audience the bizarre urban legend that birkat ha-chamah has only happened on 14 Nisan (Erev Pesach) three times in history: right before the exodus from Egypt, during the events of Purim, and this year. The reason this urban legend (which has been traveling around the Internet) is so mystifying is because it’s so easy to disprove: birkat ha-chamah last occurred on 14 Nisan a mere three cycles ago, in 1925 (when many people were alive who are still alive today, including two of my grandparents).
I must admit: I expected something funnier from Colbert. Alas.
—feygele · April 13th, 2009 at 1:46 am
[...] recently pointed out that Stephen Colbert’s report on birkat hachamah included a strange urban legend that this [...]
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