Parashat Truma 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... First opportunity for Kiddush L'vana, 3-day after the Molad custom, was Tuesday night. 7-day custom AND Motza'ei Shabbat sayers of K.L. have a great opportunity this Motza"Sh, Feb. 12th. The whole following week is good, including Motza"Sh Feb. 19 (don't purposely wait for then) and even Sunday night Feb. 20 until 1:25am. More on the two Adars, now that we are into the first. Which is the "real" Adar? The question isn't askable for the time of Sanhedrin. Then (past and future), there is Adar, followed by... Nisan or another Adar, depending upon the pronouncement of Sanhedrin. With our fixed calendar, there are two ways of looking at the situation. Each with some logic on its side. Logically, the first Adar should be seen as the real one, followed by the second Adar whose function is to postpone Pesach so that it falls in the Spring. Then, for reasons of linking the Geula of Purim with the Geula of Pesach, Purim and the Four Parshiyot were moved into the Adar closer to Nissan. And that's the logic for the other view. Having moved Purim and Parshiyot into the second Adar, it became the "real" Adar. After all, what kind of Adar is there without Purim? Either way, the presents of Purim and Shushan Purim Katan in the first Adar makes a statement. It says, this is the real Adar, but Purim was moved out for other reasons (in addition to the juxtaposing Geula to Geula, there are sources that claim that the Purim story happened during a second Adar in a Shana M'U'beret). Proof is the residue of Purim that remains behind on the 14th and 15th of Adar Rishon. If Adar Alef were just the added month, there would be no cause to have a Purim Katan. Or maybe it says, "I used to be the real Adar when I had Purim, but..." The issue is not just academic. In which Adar does a boy or girl reach the age of mitzvot? In which Adar is a yahrzeit observed? (more to come) In a Shana M'uberet (13-month year, like this year), T'ruma is read well before the Four Parshiot time period begins (37% of the years). In a Shana P'shuta, T'ruma can be SH'KALIM (3.3%, rare), ZACHOR (4.3%, also rare), or a HAFSAKA, a break in the flow of the Parshiot (55.5%) [The Truma Homepage]
|
