Word of the Month

Word of the Month - Parshat Nitzavim - Vayelech / Haazinu

This Shabbat we would be benching Rosh Chodesh Tishrei if we did bench Rosh Chodesh Tishrei. But we don’t. The hidden nature of Rosh HaShana is partly responsible, and “confounding the Satan” gets into the act, as well. But Tishrei still has a molad, which in addition to being part of the Kiddush L’vana timing, is crucial to establishing the day on which Rosh HaShana falls, and in its wake, the way the year’s calendar unfolds. The molad of Tishrei 5771 is WED (Sep 8) 19h 36m 1p (approx. 8:15pm Israel Summer Time)
What we would call Wednesday evening, is considered in halachic terms to be LEIL CHAMISHI, the eve of Thursday. When the molad of Tishrei is anytime from after noon on Tuesday until noon on Thursday (and under specific circumstances, even at an earlier point on Tuesday morning), then RH is fixed for Thursday (and Friday). This year’s example is the simplist: Molad of Tishrei on Thursday = RH on Thursday. Next Tishrei’s molad and the fixing of RH 5772 based on it, helps determine the status of Cheshvan and Kislev, which this year (5771) both have 30 days. The M’uberet-P’shuta pattern determines that 5771 will have 13 months.
5771 has 385 days - the most any Jewish year can have. Approx. 16% of our years have 385 days

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