Parashat Emor 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... The Molad of Iyar was Wednesday night, May 3rd (actually known as Leil Yom Chamishi), 36 minutes and 17 chalakim (almost 57 seconds) after 9. In Rambam notation, the Molad was Chamishi, 3 hours and 665 chalakim. On our clocks and watches, that would be 10:16pm on Wednesday, Israel Summer Time. The actual (astronomical) Molad is Thursday 7:13am IST. First opportunity for Kiddush L'vana (3 full days after the announced, average molad) was Sunday night, May 7th. (72 hours after the molad was Motza'ei Shabbat, 10:16pm. However, by that time, the Moon had set.) For those who have not said K.L. yet, this Motza'ei Shabbat is a perfect time. On another note... The Torah tells us that the Flood began in the second month. Does that mean Iyar? According to Rabbi Yehoshua, it does. The second month is IYAR. End of story. Rabbi Eliezer disagrees. He says that before Nissan was established as the first of our months, we start counting from Tishrei. That makes Cheshvan (a.k.a. BUL, as in MABUL) the second month, in Parshat No'ach.
[The Emor Homepage]
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