Questions tagged [calendar]
Questions about calendars. The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar that determines the dates of Jewish festivals.
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What did people say in Shemoneh Esrei and Kiddush of Shavuos when it didn't fall out on the 6th of Sivan?
During Shemoneh Esrei and Kiddush of Shavuos, we describe the Yom Tov as "this day of the holiday of Shavuos, the time of giving our Torah" (יום חג השבועות הזה זמן מתן תורתינו).
Before we had a fixed ...
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Why was the calendar not arranged so that Yom Kippur never falls on Shabbat?
Our Sources give the impression that Shabbat is the holiest of the yamim tovim. On Shabbat, we rest, eat and drink of the best, sleep, rejoice, have sex with the spouse, wear nice clothes, etc. It ...
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Difference of leining between Israel and Chutz Laaretz in 5779 [duplicate]
As anyone may know, because the last day of Pesach in chutz laarets fall out on Shabbat we read the special parsha for the 8th day of Pesach while in Israel since it wasn't Pesach anymore, they read ...
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Did R' Akiva's students die in one year?
שנים עשר אלף זוגים תלמידים היו לו לרבי עקיבא מגבת עד אנטיפרס וכולן מתו בפרק אחד מפני שלא נהגו כבוד זה לזה
Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students in an area of land that stretched from ...
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1answer
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Yahrzeit in different time zone
If a person passes away in one place but [some] relatives live in another place in which, due to time zone differences, it is already the next day (or still the previous), do those relatives establish ...
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votes
1answer
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Why is Pesach sheni one month after Pesach rishon?
Bamidbar 9:11 tells us that Pesach sheni happens a month after Pesach rishon.
Pesach sheni was for the unclean or people on a long journey, who couldn't bring Pesach at its appointed time. Did they ...
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What was done with the orders of the cohanim during a leap year?
In 1 Chronicles chapter 24 David set out orders for the cohanim to serve in the Beis Hamikdash. What he established is intuitive for a 12 month year, but what was done in a 13 month year? If possible, ...
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Sources for how many days of holidays are there per year?
Specifically, I am looking for a traditional source like the Baal Haturim. I overheard that a number that I don't remember, but basically like 49 days out of the year are holy days. Is there a mesorah ...
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For how long was there confusion about the date of a holiday?
The second day of Yom Tov outside of Israel was caused either by the length of time it took messengers to get to far away communities and tell them when the new month was declared or the confusion ...
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Why Kaddish for a parent is said for eleven months?
This answer cites a source which explains that Kaddish for a parent is customarily not said for 12 months so as not to imply a parent's status as that of "wicked."
Not wanting to label a parent ...
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Will the day of the final salvation be celebrated every year in the days of the Moshiach?
Following "what-berachos-should-be-made-when-moshiach-comes", I wondered, for all the great events that G-d did to us we set (in the Torah or Rabbinically) a yearly festive - celebrating the date - ...
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Colours for months
According inner.org, each month of the year has a corresponding colour to it. This does not seem to be in Sefer Yetzirah. What is the source for this and what is the significance with regards to each ...
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The date of Amalek fighting Moses and Israel in the wilderness [duplicate]
וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם׃
Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. (Ex 17:8)
When exactly was it, what day was chosen to fight the Israelites and why that ...
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1answer
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Is there a limit to the number of consecutive leap years?
The Rambam in Hilchot Kiddush Hachodesh 4:5 (Thanks @DonielF) states that Sanhedrin was allowed to declare a leap year not just based on "seasonal alignment' (I.e. 16 Nissan should be after the spring ...
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What exactly do we celebrate on Purim - the 14th of Adar?
In the Purim timeline, we can see a series of beneficial events:
the King couldn't sleep and remembered Mordechai (the turn of the story)
Hanging of Haman with his sons and Appointing of Mordechai ...
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Why are agricultural requests based on holiday timing?
There are a few changes to the amida which reflect the changes in the seasons -- we add (or change to) mashiv haru'ach umorid hagashem (or geshem) at Shmini Atzeret (and back at Pesach) and switch TO ...
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Are anniversaries celebrated in Adar I or Adar II?
For those who celebrate anniversaries, or for calculating the end of Shanah Rishonah, if a couple gets married in Adar of a non-leap-year, when is the anniversary celebrated in a leap year? Is it in ...
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1answer
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Longest Jewish year
This year, 5779, is the longest possible year on the Jewish calendar. Not only is it a leap year, but Cheshvan and Kislev both have 30 days, for a total of 385 days. How often does that happen?
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Is there any situation when the haftarah of Tetzaveh might be read during a non-leap year?
This past Shabbat, we read the haftarah of Tetzaveh. If I have calculated correctly, I don't think there is any situation where this haftarah would be read during a non-leap year. I think that ...
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Why do we have Adar I & Adar II- why don't we give the additional month a new name?
Building off the question of why Adar is chosen as the month to be doubled, why in a leap year do we have an Adar I and Adar II?
Why wasn't the additional month given a brand new name?
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1answer
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Jewish and Gregorian year's last digit
I've noticed that outside of the period between Rosh ha-Shana and 31 of December (included) the last digit of the current year in both systems is always the same, e.g. 5779 - 2019
What are the ...
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1answer
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Why does the date for the prayer for rain change from one century to the next?
My due diligence:
Praying for rain in the Diaspora
How to calculate 60 days from tekufat tishri for any given year?
On which evening should we start saying “V'tein tal u'matar li'vrachah”?
I see ...
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On which evening should we start saying “V'tein tal u'matar li'vrachah”? (The ArtScroll siddur disagrees with The Book of Our Heritage.) [duplicate]
If a Jew lives outside of Israel, they should start saying "וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה" ("And give dew and rain for a blessing") during evening prayers on a certain evening in December.
Various ...
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Is there a difference between ירחים and חדשים?
As a word meaning "months," the word חדשים is used in Ber. 38:24 and then multiple locations after Sh'mot 12:2.
יְרָחִים appears in Sh'mot 2:2, then (possibly) in Dev 33:14 and twice in Iyov.
When ...
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1answer
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What does “in the month of Nissan” mean for postexilic Jews?
In Nehemiah 2:1 we read:
"And it came to pass in the month of Nissan, in the twentieth year of
King Artaxerxes..."
What did the Jews in the postexilic era mean when they only mentioned the ...
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0answers
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System of counting months in Noach
Going through Noach with the help of Rashi, there are 3 different systems of counting months.
From (Tishrei|Nisan) 1 2 3
From (Kisleiv|Sivan) when the rain stopped
From (Cheshvan|Iyar) when the rain ...
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Why the Second day of Rosh Hashanah isn't בל תוסיף? [duplicate]
Rosh-Hashanah is clearly one day from the Torah.
As it falls on the first day of the month, in the days of keeping the Real New Moon, there's no way of informing the other places outside Jerusalem, so ...
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1answer
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Has Elul Been Made Full Since the Time of Ezra?
In the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah (19b) it says:
והאמר רבי חיננא בר כהנא א"ר מימות עזרא ואילך לא מצינו אלול מעובר
לא מצינו דלא איצטריך הא איצטריך מעברינן ליה
Didn’t Rabbi Chinnana bar Kahana ...
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1answer
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Date of the Akeida?
Are there sources in our tradition which discuss the Hebrew date of Akeidas Yitzchak? The fact that we read the Akeida on Rosh Hashana or, properly, every day suggests to me that the "real" date is ...
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How do religious Orthodox Jews reconcile their calendar with the Darwinian theory of evolution? [duplicate]
This is a genuine question. I'm curious because I read somewhere that even the most religious Orthodox Jews accept the Darwinian theory of evolution, and that even they don't believe dinosaurs lived ...
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1answer
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Does week starting on monday reflect in Sabbath? [duplicate]
Some countries do adopt weeks starting in Monday, whereas the weekend (Saturday followed by Sunday) is at the end of the week, making Sunday the seventh day.
In Brazil, where I am from, weeks start ...
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1answer
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Changing the day of Shabbos?
There are many arguments for calendar reform, one of which argues that we should set up the calendar so that every date always falls on the same day (Invariable Calendar) .
If this Invariable ...
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Why doesn't our decrease of joy extend beyond Tish'a B'Av?
Citing from here
There is a famous Mishnah that is cited towards the end of Masechet
Ta’anit (4:6) that states:
“Mishenichnas Av, Mema’atin Besimcha”
“When the month of Av arrives, we ...
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votes
1answer
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Does Kaddish for a Yahrzeit follow the day or the date?
Assuming a community where all who are eligible to say kaddish say it together:
The anniversary of a relative's passing is on the 16th of Av which happens to fall out on Shabbat, which begins at 7:59....
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What is the significance of the fact that every month that has a Biblical holiday in it is a 30-day month?
Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos are all in Tishrei, which has 30 days.
Pesach is in Nissan, which has 30 days.
Shavuos is in Sivan, which has 30 days.
What is the significance of this fact,...
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1answer
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Tisha b Av calendar confusion
I don’t understand the calendar this holiday:
iOS says today is 10 Av
hebcal.com says 10 Av as well
but:
google says Tisha b Av is today
chabad.org says Tisha b Av is today (https://www.chabad.org/...
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votes
1answer
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Personality traits of being born on certain weekdays
A few years ago I was reading that there are some teachings on the weekdays and their "personality" and also how it influences the person born on one of them.
Could anyone help me to find more ...
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2answers
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Was Yom Kippur ever on a Sunday?
As per this answer, since the fixing of the calendar (let's say, at the time of the gemara), Yom Kippur does not fall on a Saturday night.
Leon Wieseltier, in his book "Kaddish" (page 102) tells of ...
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What is the source for Hillel’s having included an expiration date in the calendar?
It’s often said that when Hillel instituted the current calendar, he set an “expiration date” of 6000 AM; at that point the calendar would be invalid. Since Mashiach presumably will come by then (as ...
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Can you have a new year w/o a halachic Rosh Hashana? [duplicate]
Rabbi Breitowitz raised this point (listen for approx 2-3 min from here, the point starts at 22:30m) Since the Jewish calendar was not sanctified (with a Rosh Hashana) beyond the year 5999, is it even ...
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1answer
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Salutations or greetings for the various Jewish holidays
Is it right to, and is there a particular salutation for most of the major holidays in the Jewish calendar?
I have a couple of new friends who celebrate their Jewish faith, I was wondering if there ...
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2answers
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Is there a book that lists major Jewish events that occurred on each day (Judaic calendar)?
A few months ago, I attended a shul on Shabbat that had a list of "notable" historic events that occurred on each Judaic date that was to occur in the following week. (E.g., if the week following was ...
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votes
2answers
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Why is there never a break between parshiot Parah and Hachodesh?
I think Talmud Megillah mentions the various arrangements for the 4 parshiot. This year, and next, we find a break between Sheqalim and Zachor as well as a 2nd one between Zachor and Parah. I ...
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1answer
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Must the first day of Nisan follow spring equinox
Looking for clarification on how ancient timekeepers set the day of Passover. I understand that it would begin on the 14th of first month of new year. I’m not clear if the new moon that starts the ...
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1answer
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Is there a pattern to whether a year is full/regular/deficient? Is there an online source that lists them?
There is a pattern for leap years that follows a 19 year cycle. Is there a similar pattern for whether a year is shleimah/kesidran/chaserah? (i.e. some function that takes the year and returns the ...
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1answer
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Names of mazalot in Judaism
Yesterday we discussed that during Zayin Adar we eat fish due to the constellation of Adar. Rambam lists these mazalot, and uses them extensively when discussing calendar calculations. They are also ...
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1answer
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Purim and Pesach in the same month
This year, Purim and Pesach occur in the same Gregorian month.
Has this occurred previously? If so, when?
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0answers
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Why Counting Months (first, second) is not a Mitzvah from Torah? [duplicate]
This is not a duplicate, the other question asks about adopting the Babylonian calendar system, please remove the notice.
The original names for Hebrew months, as they appear in Torah - are just ...
2
votes
1answer
84 views
Known birthdays
In the season of my birthday, I was wondering:
Which figures, from Tanach and Sha"s, do we know the exact birthday of? I am aware of Moshe's birthday being identified as the 7th of Adar. Which other ...
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votes
4answers
534 views
Which Brachas are said only once a year?
I am looking for a list of Berachos/blessings that are recited a maximum of once per year.
Which blessings (from prayer, Jewish rituals, or otherwise, by men or women) are recited only once per year?...
