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Is the world at least six months older or younger than 5,778 Years?

Is the year "5778" that will come into effect on 1 Tishrei (tomorrow), six months early or six months late, knowing that the New Year (mentioned in the Torah) takes place on 1 Nisan, which the Torah calls "Rishon HaShanah" (Shemot 12,2) רִאשׁוֹן... הַשָּׁנָה?

The rabbis believe that 5778 is based on the creation of the world (that is, 5,778 years from the creation of the world), which they believed began in the month of Nisan, not on Tishrei.

Is the introduction of the rabbinical dating (which tomorrow will be 5778, in the month of Tishrei, which the rabbis have every prerogative to do) six months late?

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    are you subscribing to the view that the world was created in Nisan? This piece might help yutorah.org/togo/roshhashana/articles/…
    – rosends
    Sep 19, 2017 at 10:27
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    But first in the counting of the months doesn't necessarily equate to the first in the counting for the year, or the anniversary of the creation of the world. If you count from when Nisan was established as the first month, the 5778 is the wrong number.
    – rosends
    Sep 19, 2017 at 10:58
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    @ninamag No. 5778 did not present itself on 1 Nissan. It could be that 1 Nissan was the 5778th anniversary of the preconception of the world (a claim which has nothing to do with the counting of months), but that doesn't mean the year started then. Epochs are conventions and the convention is to start in Tishrei. Anything else is just bad communication.
    – Double AA
    Sep 19, 2017 at 14:00
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    "which the Torah calls 'Rishon HaShanah'" That's about as disgustingly misleading a quote as one could possibly imagine. The Torah calls the month of Nissan (not just 1 Nissan) the Rishon leChodshei HaShana, the first of the months of the year.
    – Double AA
    Sep 19, 2017 at 15:21
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    "they believed began in the month of Nisan" Which rabbis believe that? Not all do, and they don't believe it based on your misquoted verse. Please edit to clarify.
    – Double AA
    Sep 19, 2017 at 15:22

2 Answers 2

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While Nissan is the first month for numbering months, it isn't the first month of the calender year (i.e. what we use to calculate the number 5778).

The first Mishnah of Maseches Rosh Hashanah actually lists for different dates that are considered "new years", such as the fifteenth of Shevat as the new year for trees (according to Bais Hillel; this is what we call Tu B'Shvat).

Lehavdil, this is no different than how the secular calendar is run. January First is the first day of the calendar year, but you still have different dates for different "years". The US Government's fiscal year is September to August, the UK's tax year is April 6 - April 5, the academic year is September-August, etc.

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  • "While Nissan is the first month for numbering months, it isn't the first month of the calender year (i.e. what we use to calculate the number 5778)." And what do we use to calculate the numbeer 5778?
    – ninamag
    Sep 19, 2017 at 11:59
  • @ninamag Tishrei/Rosh Hashanah Sep 19, 2017 at 12:05
  • Shemot 12:2 הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם ... לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה: Exodus 12:2 This month shall be to you ... the first of the months of the year.
    – ninamag
    Sep 19, 2017 at 12:06
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    @ninamag You skipped 3 words in the middle, which changes the meaning to refer to naming standards (per Rashi). Sep 19, 2017 at 15:19
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    @ninamag The passuk does not say "Rishon HaShanah"! Sep 19, 2017 at 15:32
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Why is the coming Rosh Hashana Year of 5778 six months late, that is the Rosh Hashana Year of 5778 actually began on 1 Nisan, as according to the following Torah Passage:

Shemot 12:2 הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה

The Torah calls the month of Nisan "Rishon HaShanah" (Shemot 12,2) רִאשׁוֹן... הַשָּׁנָה.

The answer I believe (the italics below is mine) is:

"from the Sefer Or haChammah. A midrash in Bereishit Rabbah 10:4 states that the planets and spheres traveled at an extremely rapid speed prior to the time of Adam’s sin (on the sixth day of creation). According to this explanation, the planets traveled so fast that they completed a six month journey in an actual time frame of two days between the placement of the heavenly bodies in the firmament on the fourth day of creation in tekufat Nissan, and the time of the creation of man on the sixth day of creation. Consequently, even thought the world was created on the first day of Nissan, the sixth day of creation actually took place on the first day of Tishrei."

http://www.yutorah.org/togo/roshhashana/articles/Rosh_Hashanah_To-Go_-_5770_Rabbi_Reiss.pdf

The Rabbis, our Sages, created our calendar dating system, for example, 5778, based on and from the creation of the world, which they believe began on Nisan. The introduction of this rabbinical calendar dating, which tomorrow will be 5778, in the month of Tishrei, which the rabbis have every prerogative to do, is nevertheless six months late.

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    This is all just a HUGE misunderstanding.
    – ezra
    Sep 19, 2017 at 14:32
  • @ezra which part? Do you not believe that our Sages started giving a year date to the world from the creation of the world?
    – ninamag
    Sep 19, 2017 at 14:45
  • Again, a misunderstanding. Have you read the answer from Salmononius2?
    – ezra
    Sep 19, 2017 at 14:51
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    @ninamag I'm not sure I've ever heard of "Yom Rishon HaShavua" or if that even grammatically makes any sense.
    – Double AA
    Sep 19, 2017 at 15:52
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    @nima indeed that is possible.
    – Double AA
    Sep 19, 2017 at 16:25

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