WORD OF THE MONTH

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 Adar was Friday morning (Feb 23), 4h 57m 9p. Deadline for Kiddush L'vana is half way to the next Molad, which is 14 days, 18 hours, 22 minutes after the Molad. That is Friday night (March 9), 23h, 18½m, which translates on the clock to approx. 11:00pm Israel Standard Time. This really means that if one hasn't said K.L. until Megila night, he can still say it all that night. Cloudy (or other reason) and didn't say it even then — K.L. can be said on Leil Shabbat (usually, we do not say K.L. on Friday night. When it is the last opportunity, it can be said then) until 11:00pm. After that, even though the Moon will appear full to our eyes, it is "officially" waning, and K.L. can be said only in the presence of a waxing moon (after a minimum number of days from the Molad).

On another note... According the the Midrash, Ora was the name of Esther's Wednesday maiden, Menucha was her Shabbat one. There were 7 all together, but the others had less memorable names I'd have to look up again.