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...

Rosh Chodesh (Menachem) Av will be this coming Wednesday.

ROSH CHODESH MENACHEM AV Y'H'YEH B'YOM R'VI'I HABA ALEINU V'AL KOL YISRAEL L'TOVA

Note the optimism in that announcement. We are talking about the month that causes us to reduce of joy when it enters. We're talking about a month whose first part is saturated with ristrictions and ruls of mourning.

In fact, there have been those who suggested that we not bench Rosh Chodesh Av, because of its negative associations. The other side of the coin opinion, however, prevailed. We do bench Rosh Chodesh. One can almost say that there is no month that needs thae bracha more.

Standard custom is to call the month AV until after the 10th. From then we call it Menachem Av. But we announce the month with its full, comforting name, with the prayer that we should be privileged to see the month turn joyous with the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash, speedily in our time, AMEN.

The Molad of Av will be Tuesday, 14h 16m 7p. This is how it should be announced all over the world. Rambam notation for this time would be Tuesday, 20h 295p. This time translates to 2:55pm Israel Summer Time on Tuesday. This last time can be adjusted for where you are. For example, in New York, molad will be Tuesday, 14h 16m 7p, which is 7:55am Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, July 13th.

The actual molad (astronomical, not as announced, which uses the "average" molad for calculations) will be Tuesday, July 13th, 5:23am Israel Summer Time. This time too should be adjusted for your local time.