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 following really belongs in next week's TT, but that one might be too crowded with other material. So here is a head's up on a calendar curiosity... In our fixed calendar, Rosh HaShana is fixed on a particular day, based on the molad of Tishrei and four rules of postponement. RH begins on the day of the molad of Tishrei, unless... [1] if the molad is after noon, then RH is set for the following day. [2] If the day is SUN, WED, or FRI, then RH is the following day. Either [1] or [2] can postpone RH by a day (from the day of the molad), or they can both cause a 2-day postponement. RH is the day of the molad less than 25% of the time. [1] and/or [2] account for over 70% of the postponements of RH. 2 other rules: 1 occurs 3.3% of the time and the fourth rule, the one that fixes RH this coming year on TUE occurs a bit more than ½%. The 4th D'chiya (postponement of RH from the day of the molad) rule: In a year following a 13-month year), if the molad of Tishrei is Monday morning after 9h 32m 13p, even if it is before noon, RH is set on Tuesday. Last occurrences: 5688, 5519, 5441, 5194. If RH would stay on MON, the day of the molad of Tishrei, the previous year, 5765 would have only 382 days, which cannot be. By moving to TUE, it gives 5765 its 383 days. [The
Parshat Ki Tavo Homepage]
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