Questions tagged [calendar]
Questions about calendars. The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar that determines the dates of Jewish festivals.
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When does a day start/end in the far North/South?
As I understand it, a day in the Jewish calendar is from sunset to sunset. How is this handled if you are living so far north or south that you have long periods of daylight or darkness?
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Why use Babylonian calendar instead of our own?
Why did the Hebrews not create their own calendar system instead of copying the pagan Babylonians'?
I find it interesting that they use a pagan calendar which often honours pagan gods. Why is this ...
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How do we know that the civil Saturday is the correct Shabbat?
Disclaimer: I am not a religious Jew, this question is only out of curiosity.
I understand that observant Jews observe Shabbat from Friday night to Saturday. And from this question and this it seems ...
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Nittle Nacht Meaning
What is Nittle Nacht?
What does the name mean?
What is its significance?
Which Halachic authorities speak about it, and what do they say?
What is the actual date for it?
How is it effected this ...
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Is it heresy to follow secular dating on the destruction of the first Temple?
There is a discrepancy between rabbinic and secular sources regarding when the first Temple was destroyed -- a difference of some 165 years or so, which are called the "Missing Years."
My question is ...
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Praying for rain in the Diaspora
Why on this year (and on other years that precede civil leap years) do we start praying for rain in the Diaspora (by inserting the phrase 'Vetein tal umatar") at maariv of December 5 and not maariv of ...
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6 chapters of Avos in 7 weeks
Some study pirke Avos weekly through the summer, from Pesach to Rosh Hashana. Others do so only for the six Shabasos between Pesach and Shavuos, one chapter a week. I've heard the latter custom ...
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How long does one say Kaddish for a parent?
For example, if one's parent died on 1 Nissan, and was buried on 2 Nissan, what is the last day on which kaddish would be said for them?
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Birthdays in Judaism
Is there any significance in Judaism attached to the day someone was born (aside for the 13th year)? Is there anything wrong with celebrating one's birthday? And is it more correct to celebrate the "...
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First-Temple-Era names of the Hebrew months?
The Chumash refers to the months simply as "the first", "the second", and so on. Today we know them by their Babylonian names (Nisan, Iyar ...) Occasionally the Prophets from the First-Temple Era use ...
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An improved Jewish calendar after this one expires?
Conventional wisdom has it that about 1600 years ago, the latter Hillel utilized his Sanhedrin to sanctify the Hebrew calendar as we know it today until the year 6000. (Presumably by that point we'll ...
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Moshe Rabeinu's Yarzheit
It is common knowledge that Moshe Rabeinu was Niftar on 7 Adar. Was it a plain year with 1 Adar or a leap year with 2 Adars? If it was a leap year on what Adar was he Niftar?
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20 Sivan and the inappropriateness of new days of commemoration
The kina (elegy) "Mi yiten roshi mayim" recited on 9 Av was composed in commemoration of the events of the First Crusade as it passed through the Rhineland. It includes the following lines (freely ...
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How Do I Know If it's a Hebrew Leap Year?
How can I tell if a given year is a Hebrew Leap Year? The simpler, the better.
[Assuming we are using a fixed calendar, not like the "olden days".]
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New date at sunset: question on Sifse Chachamim
Avoda Zara 25 cites a difference of opinion as to how long the sun stood still for Y'hoshua: twelve hours, twenty-four, or thirty-six. According to those who say twelve or thirty-six, the sun finally ...
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Tuesday and Friday nights
Bavli P'sachim 112:2 has a story of an angel of destruction who would work daily (see Rashash) until asked to quit. When she requested some time to work, the rabbi she was talking with allowed her ...
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Aharon's and Miriam's Yahrtzeit
The Book of Numbers spans almost the entire 40 year period in the desert, documenting numerous events that occurred to the Jews as they wandered. I count only 5 dates mentioned in the text (listed in ...
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In a leap year, is the extra month Adar I or Adar II?
I'm implementing support for the Hebrew calendar in Noda Time, my date/time library for .NET. I think I'm mostly there aside from text support (although beta testers would be very welcome!) but one ...
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Why does the Torah give us exact dates for the flood?
This question asks why the flood didn't end on the 18th of Cheshvan (one year after the start). My question is more basic: why does the torah give us precise dates here at all? Bereishit 7:11 tells ...
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Why not two days of Rosh Hodesh, as we have two days of yontif?
The reason for two days of yontif (outside Israel) is based on uncertainty about the date due to distance from Jerusalem and time needed to travel to convey the news of when the month started. The ...
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When is the next shmita year (as of 5772)?
When is the next shmita year? Is there disagreement about which year? If so, which Jewish sects or traditions believe the shmita is in which years? If you specify years since creation, please also ...
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When is "vesain tal umotor" said in Australia?
When is "vesain tal umotor" said in the Southern Hemisphere eg Australia?
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Who divided the Tehillim into days?
Who divided the Sefer Tehillim into daily sections (both day of week and day of month)?
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Why still keep two days of Yom Tov outside of Israel?
Why do we continue to keep two days of Yom Tov outside of Israel? The reason for two days was revelant during the temple era as we needed two witnesses to see the new moon. But today, with no Temple ...
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Eclipse of the moon, bad sign for the Jews
Tonight, December 20, 2010, there will be a full lunar eclipse visible from North America and many other areas. I recall there is a Gemara that says that a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for the Jews as ...
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Cheshvan or MarCheshvan?
The month of Cheshvan is called by many MarCheshvan. Are both correct or which one is more correct?
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Late Yom Hatzmaut
What is the rule: when is Yom Hatzmaut moved from the fifth of Iyar to an earlier or later date?
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Time Parameters of Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B'Simcha
Is "Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B'Simcha" just for the month of Adar, and then you take a step down in simcha for Nisan? Or are you supposed to raise your level of simcha and stay there until Av, when ...
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Does Passover occur on the first full moon after the equinox?
Christians claim that Jesus was put to death on Passover eve Nisan 14 they make the date for easter based on the first full moon after the spring equinox(paschal full moon)
This year (2016) Passover ...
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When did we start counting the Year since Creation?
This year is 5772 / תשעב (Taf-Shin-Ayin-Bet) on the Hebrew Calendar.
What is the earliest reference to the Year counting from the Creation of the world?
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Walled cities for Purim other than Jerusalem
The holiday of Purim is unique in that some locations celebrate it on different days. The rule is: if the city was walled at the time of Joshua's conquest of the Land of Israel then they celebrate on ...
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Parashas Shavua calculation
I'm writing a site where the user would be able to see the calendar with jewish-civil translation of dates, and also which parasas shavua falls on which Shabbos.
I'd like to know what is the formula ...
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"לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר" in the Megillah and Al Hanisim
As I was reading Al Hanisim this year, something odd struck me "לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר" - the 12th month. What struck me was that this year is a leap year so we actually celebrated Purim in the ...
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Mashiach in year 6000?
I have heard in various discussions that we have an idea that mashiach will come at the latest by year 6000.
Is this a normative belief? Furthermore, is this a belief that is understood literally by ...
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Why not say tachanun until 2 Cheshvan?
It's recorded in most siddurim I've used that some people have the custom to skip tachanun on Isru Chag (the day after Sukkos), and start again the day after, while others don't resume saying it until ...
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What will happen when our set calendar ends?
In a recent conversation I was told that the current Jewish calendar was only set till the year 6,000. There was conjecture as to what will happen after that time (assuming Moshiach has not yet ...
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Why do Kisidran years only occur when starting on a Tuesday or non-leap Thursday?
A careful analysis of the Tur's calendar chart will reveal that the only time the months alternate throughout the entirety of the year (with the exception of Adar Aleph) is if Rosh HaShanah is a ...
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When Adar Begins we increase our Joy-משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה
משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה- When Adar Begins we increase our Joy (I know it is not in Shulchan Aruch or the Rambam) What is the practical application of it?
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Why "hayom yom rishon", not "echad"?
Rabbi Menachem Greenblatt (St. Louis, Missouri) mentioned at s'uda sh'lishis (Shabas parashas "Ki Setze" 5772) that the correct name for Sunday is echad b(a?)shabas, as is written in k'suvos and ...
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Why do we count years from the date of Creation?
Why do we count years from the date of Creation? I intend two sub-questions here, of which the second is far more interesting, so please answer it:
Whence did this tradition originate?
Why do we ...
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How to calculate 60 days from tekufat tishri for any given year?
I'm trying to pin down an algorithm for calculating when to start saying ותן טל ומטר in diaspora. (In Israel it begins 7 Cheshvan.) I've gotten that we need to know how many centuries passed since ...
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247 year Jewish calendar cycle
I recently read on Matzav.com an article by Rabbi Dovid Heber discussing the 247 year cycle in the calendar. He mentioned that every 247 years the Hebrew calendar is exactly identical. Now in the ...
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How does one "add a year" in the Hebrew calendar?
I'm trying to support the Hebrew calendar in my Noda Time project, and need to support an operation of "add a year" - or more generally, answer the question of "Given an original date and a target ...
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Why is Purim on Adar II during a leap year?
On a leap year, when a second Adar is added, we celebrate Purim on the second Adar. I would think it should be celebrated on the first Adar, since the Megillah goes out of its way in several places to ...
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Why does the Jewish calendar HAVE to end?
It seems to be common knowledge that on or around the year 6,000 of the Jewish calendar "everything" (left intentionally vague) will come to an end and there will be a 1,000 year 'Shabbos'. I'm ...
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Is the Yovel every 49 or 50 years?
When is Yovel? Is it in the 49th year of the shmita cycle, or the 50th? And if it is in the 50th, when is the next shmita, in the 56th or 57th year? What is the practice in modern day Israel?
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Why isn't Rosh Hashana on Elul 30 and Tishrei 1
When Rosh Chodesh is two days, it's on the 30th of the old month and the first of the new month. Rosh Hashana falls on the beginning of the new month of Tishrei. Why then is Rosh Hashana on Tishrei ...
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How can I identify which dates Jewish holidays/special days fall on?
Not being Jewish I scheduled an event this year, only to learn shortly before it occurred that the date was a Jewish Holiday and so I had essentially excluded Jews. I live in the United States, and ...
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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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