Questions tagged [calendar]
Questions about calendars. The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar that determines the dates of Jewish festivals.
403
questions
0
votes
1answer
47 views
Zodiac of Adar I
The zodiac sign of the month Adar in a non-leap year is Pisces (Dagim). But what kind of Adar I, which is in a leap year? Two months cannot have the same zodiac sign.
1
vote
1answer
38 views
When did the Cutheans undermine the lighting of signal fires to announce the new moon?
Back when the months of the Jewish calendar were determined by observations of the new crescent moon, eyewitnesses would bring their testimony to the rabbinical court in Jerusalem, and the court would ...
3
votes
2answers
70 views
Climate and growing season in Iron Age Israel and Judah [closed]
Jan A Wagenaar, Origin and Transformation of the Ancient Israelite Festival Calendar, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2005, proposes that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was originally in the month of ...
0
votes
0answers
44 views
Is there somewhere I can find a list of just Rosh Chodesh for the year in Gregorian with one and two-day RC?
It would be convenient if I could find a list of RC for the year, such as
5781 2020/2021:
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat 1/14 Th
Rosh Chodesh Adar 2/12-13 F S
...
But this is what I've found:
https://...
-1
votes
1answer
96 views
Date/Week of Creation off by a day?
Question: If we believe that Sunday is Yom Rishon of Creation, then what do we do with the given date of Creation being Monday, October 7, 3761 B.C.E. according to our current calendar? Are there ...
5
votes
1answer
84 views
Sources for Rav Saddia Goan on set days for Pesach
Rashi in Pesachim 58b mentions and rejects an opinion that in the days of the Tannaim the rules for which day of the week Pesach and (Rosh Hashana) can fall out, לא בד"ו פסח, were already in ...
0
votes
2answers
148 views
What is the relation between the month Nisan and the spring equinox?
I'm searching for the relation between Nisan and the spring equinox according to Scripture.
I know of the texts Genesis 1:14, Exodus 12:2-3, Leviticus 23:15 and Deuteronomy 16:1.
I find multiple ...
1
vote
0answers
17 views
Finding the daf for a day in history [duplicate]
Is there any online app (or simple process of calculation) that can indicate which daf was studied for any calendar day in Daf Yomi history?
0
votes
1answer
70 views
What is the original source for Yahrtzeit customs?
There are various customs and even halachot associated with yahrtzeits, such as saying kaddish, getting called to Torah, lighting candles, fasting, serving as a prayer leader, giving charity, ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
The New Year in Tishrei?
Why does this Gregorian to Hebrew calendar converter show Elul 29 as the first day of the new Jewish year? I have not ticked the "After Sunset" box.
It converts September 8, 2018, to Elul 28,...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Why aren't the two days of Rosh Hashannah structured as every other Rosh Hodesh? [duplicate]
I don't recall the exact location Rambam's Mishneh Torah, but he discusses that during the time of Sanhedrin, if witnesses came before sundown of the 30th day, then that day was considered Rosh Hodesh,...
5
votes
1answer
488 views
What is the א“ת ב”ש ג"ר calendar mnemonic?
The Gemara Arakhin 9b discusses certain rules of the calendar. Specifically, it mentions that Rosh Hashana will always be on the same day of the week as the day of the Omer (the 2nd day of Pesach), or ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Confuse about the date
From this website, I get:
14th of Nisan, 3793 = Fri, 1 April 0033
To make easier, assumed that the sunset is always exactly on 6.00 pm.
So, 14th of Nisan duration is from 6.01 pm to 6.00 pm
and 1 ...
3
votes
0answers
35 views
Apparent contradiction if Elul was made full when necessary
The Gemara Rosh Hashanah 19b 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 Chinana bar Kahana say that Rav said: ...
0
votes
2answers
174 views
How to determine Sabbath day in the Jewish calendar?
I'm trying hard to understand it by reading the internet, but still I fail to elaborate what is in my mind as I am still unable to understand it.
First, I would like to propose the things I know about ...
3
votes
3answers
161 views
Could the Hebrew calendar calculations have been know since the time of Moses?
Many years ago, I read (non-Jewish source, without explicit external references) that the calendar calculations have actually been in effect since Moses, but were kept in secret for many centuries.
...
2
votes
1answer
87 views
How many days are there in each year of the 304th Metonic cycle? [closed]
I need the number of days per year for my continuous Hebrew calender.
1
vote
1answer
106 views
What is the starting date of the current Metonic cycle? [closed]
I am setting up an extensive hebrew calendar from hebrew year 3000.
3
votes
1answer
151 views
How difficult would it be to make a simple Hebrew/Jewish Calendar covering the last 25 years with no access to the Internet?
How difficult would it be to make a simple Hebrew/Jewish Calendar covering the last 25 years using paper and pencils (including days of the week and corresponding Gregorian dates), with no access to ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
Why not say Shir Shel Yom in the evening?
I took a look at two questions:
One, which focused on WHY we say Shir Shel Yom included the claim of the Chashukei Chemed in the answer, that "אבל הוא הדבר אשר דברתי דמה שאנו אומרים שיר של יום אינו ...
3
votes
0answers
109 views
Video course on Jewish Calendar
I made an (elementary) video on the Jewish Calendar, which goes through the basic principles from beginning to end, and actually uses them to calculate the full calendar for 5780. It came in just ...
5
votes
1answer
214 views
All explicit dates in Tanakh
What are all the dates mentioned in Tanakh?
This question seeks all dates that are explicitly mentioned in the verses. No chronological extrapolation or exposition allowed here.
The date could be ...
3
votes
0answers
60 views
Where does Ramchal's idea of circulating calendar come from?
I am in search of any source preceding Derech Hashem, 4:7:6 (Sefaria Translation):
חגיגת החגים הזמניים: ואולם מלבד הקידוש הזה הנשער במדריגותיו כפי מדריגת קדושת הימים יש עוד ענינים פרטיים מיוחדים לכל ...
12
votes
2answers
4k views
Declare a leap year due to coronavirus?
Today (23 March 2020) Israel's Supreme Court rejected a petition to declare this year a leap year so Pessah can be postponed for a month, and the seders don't have to occur during a lockdown (...
5
votes
1answer
100 views
How is the week referred when there is no parsha read that Shabbat?
Frequently, I have seen on wedding invitations and other correspondences that refer to a date using the parsha name for that week. E.g. an invitation to a wedding may say יום שני בשבת פרשת בא - The ...
3
votes
1answer
188 views
Jewish and English birthdays [duplicate]
Can someone explain to me in simple language why my Jewish and English birthday are not on the same day this year. I will be 76 (4 time 19 ). My English is on Tuesday (today) and my Jewish one on ...
4
votes
2answers
51 views
Why does Adar signal additional joy?
There is an idea that once Adar comes in, we increase in joy.
Why is this so? Nisan signals the Exodus and our establishing as a people. Sivan has the giving of the Torah. Kislev has the story of ...
1
vote
0answers
65 views
Is there any research available for the original 'Hebrew' 3rd & 5th month names?
I'm looking at a question that was posted here 7 years ago about the original name of the months.
First-Temple-Era names of the Hebrew months?
There is mention of a possible month called, "Tzach."...
2
votes
1answer
99 views
Is there any (relatively) simple way to calculate when/how often the Daf Yomi cycle will finish a tractate on Erev Pesach?
Shulchan Aruch O.C. 470:1 codifies that firstborns fast on Erev Pesach. In my experience, the widespread practice is for firstborns to attend a siyum of the completion of a tractate of Talmud, usually ...
3
votes
2answers
157 views
Which event is more infrequent?
This year, we have a couple of infrequent events, and I'm trying to figure out which is less frequent, considering a 19 year cycle (which, I think, is the best time unit to use). Some of the data ...
3
votes
0answers
35 views
Why are Creation and the Mabul not commemorated independently?
Our calendar marks days and dates important to our existence but they all start from the Exodus from Mitzrayim which makes sense because
A -- that's when we started fixing a calendar that related to ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
Torah confusion between “daylight” and “a day”
The Torah uses the same word יום in the same verse to denote both "daylight" and "24 hours":
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה
וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃
...
-2
votes
2answers
69 views
Importance of “Days” in the process of Creation
Why is it important that the Creation process is divided into 6 "days", as opposed to "parts" or "stages" or even presented in simple succession without mentioning "units"?
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Holy days on the weekend [duplicate]
There are 13 holy days per year on which we must not work (outside of Israel): 2 Rosh Hashanah, 1 Yom Kippur, 4 Sukkot, 4 Pessah, 2 Shavuot. What are the minimum and maximum numbers of these days that ...
3
votes
1answer
132 views
Source for adjusting the calendar for Lo Ad'u Rosh rule
There are 4 rules that would cause the postponement of the 1st day of Rosh Hashanna from being on the day of the molad. One of the most commonly implemented rules is called Lo Ad'u Rosh, meaning that ...
3
votes
0answers
31 views
How does the Hebrew calendar work in areas with midnight sun? [duplicate]
There are two polar circles, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle. There are days North of the Arctic Circle, and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun never sets (summer), or never rises (...
1
vote
0answers
65 views
Why were Mishmarot a concern in the Qumran calendar?
I'm researching various sources regarding the Qumran calendar. I don't understand why there was a concern for incorporating the 24 priestly "watches" (mishmarot) (Refer to I Chronicles 4 for the names....
0
votes
2answers
165 views
“Hanukkah 8th day/Tevet 3/New Years Day” triple coincidences - What makes them so Rare?
I very recently became aware that Hanukkah 8th day sometimes (but rarely) falls on Tevet 3. What causes this to happen? At the same time, I also noticed that when Hanukkah 8th day/Tevet 3 happen ...
0
votes
0answers
58 views
Are there any halachic sources that discuss the Qumran calendar?
As a Torah reader, I was fascinated when I visited Heichal Hasefer - "Shrine of the Book" and read about the Qumran society and their calendar. As far as I know, there doesn't seem to be much, if ...
0
votes
0answers
60 views
Time as a Spiral
@PixelArtDragon asked what rabbi originated the idea that time is a spiral. @PixelArtDragon said that the earliest they've found is Rav Natan Breslov who lived from 1780-1844 - can anyone locate that ...
7
votes
3answers
655 views
Historical Daf Yomi calendar
Is there a website that allows you to find what Daf was studied on the a particular date as part of the Daf Yomi cycle?
1
vote
1answer
80 views
Adopting idolatrous Babylonian name of Month Tamuz
Jerusalem Rosh Hashana 6a
דא"ר חנינה שמות חדשים עלו בידם מבבל
R'Hanina said: the names of the Months were brought with them from Babylon
The Gemmorah explains the process of adopting the ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
What verses in Na"ch describe the details of Jewish calendar like Kidush HaChodesh and Ibbur Hashanah?
The Gemmorah in Jerusalem Rosh Hashana 6a explains the process of adopting the Babylonian names instead of Biblical ones.
דא"ר חנינה שמות חדשים עלו בידם מבבל
R'Hanina said: the names of the ...
1
vote
1answer
70 views
How can I calculate the number of days in a Hebrew month in a given year [closed]
Shalom, I am creating some pastoral care software for synagogues. One feature is the tracking of anniversary dates of life events - simchas, yahrzeits, etc. For this, I allow the user to set a ...
1
vote
2answers
128 views
Is there a book or online source explaining Jewish year-“type” sequences?
The current Judaic calendar allows for three types of year lengths:
Chaser ("missing") - 353 days
Kesidra ("in order") - 354 days
Shalem ("full") - 355 days
(Add 30 to each of the above for leap ...
9
votes
2answers
564 views
Idolatrous origin of the name TAMMUZ
The Gemmorah in Jerusalem Rosh Hashana 6a
explains the process of adopting the Babylonian names on Months instead of Biblical ones.
דא"ר חנינה שמות חדשים עלו בידם מבבל
R'Hanina said: the names ...
6
votes
2answers
461 views
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
869 views
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 ...
3
votes
0answers
22 views
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
64 views
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 Gevat ...
