Word of the month for Parshat Pinchas

A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem....

There is a discussion in sources as to whether we should announce the coming of the Rosh Chodesh of our sad month. The conclusion is that it gets the Bracha - it needs it more than most. Custom is to call the month Av until after the 10th, then call it Menachem Av. In Rosh Chodesh benching, we use its longer, more "comforting" name. Rosh Chodesh will be IY"H on Friday, July 24th. (One day Rosh Chodesh)

We announce the Molad as Friday morning 5h 27m13p (which is 6:07am Israel Summer Time). The actual Molad is 3:43pm on Thursday. If we had a Sanhedrin today, they would sanctify Rosh Chodesh based on eye- witness testimony. In that case, Rosh Chodesh would have been Shabbat, not Friday. May AV become festive soon with the building...

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