 Parshat VaYeishev 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... This Shabbat we "bench" Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the only Rosh Chodesh on which we say whole Hallel. Rosh Chodesh will be the following Shabbat and Sunday. Since there is a Sunday before the Rosh Chodesh Shabbat-Sunday, the custom is to say: ROSH CHODESH TEVET Y'H'YEH B'YOM SHABBAT KODESH U'L'MACHARATO B'YOM RISHON HABA ALEINU V'AL KOL YISRA'EL L'TOVA The U'L'MACHARATO means "and on its morrow", thereby distinguishing the Sunday we mean to mention from the Sunday which is the day after the Shabbat on which we are benching Rosh Chodesh. Sounds confusing, but if you read it again, slowly, it should make sense. The word U'L'MACHARATO does NOT belong in other situations of a two-day Rosh Chodesh. Only Shabbat-Sunday. Speaking of two day Rosh Chodeshes... Kislev is one of the two variable months in our calendar, usually having 30 days (as it does this year), but sometimes having only 29. Therefore, Rosh Chodesh Tevet is usually two days, but sometimes one day. And also therefore, the 3rd of Tevet is usually not Chanuka, but sometimes it is the 8th day. The Molad of Tevet will be next Friday night (Dec 18), 21h 8m. That is 8:47pm clock time. The actual Molad will be later that night at 12:41:35am. The moon will not be visible on Motza'ei Shabbat. It will first be visible on Sunday evening. [The VaYeishev Homepage] |