Parashat Kdoshim 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 Iyar sort of snuck up on us, without the usual fanfare in this WORD OF THE MONTH column. Be that as it may, Rosh Chodesh was/is/will be Friday and Shabbat, May 5th and 6th (the 6th also being the 69th birthday of #24, the Say Hey Kid). The Molad of Iyar was Wednesday night (actually known as the Eve of Thursday, 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) is Sunday night, May 7th. (72 hours after the molad would be Motza'ei Shabbat, 10:16pm. However, by that time, the Moon will have already set.) IYAR is one of the few months that has another name besides IYAR and besides its number - CHODESH HA'SHEINI. ...in the fourth year, in the month of ZIV, which is the second month, of the reign of Shlomo HaMelech... (1Kings 6:1)
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