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...

Rosh Chodesh Av, the first day of the fifth month, is mentioned in this week's sedra. It is very rare for such a sedra of the week and calendar match up.

Kiddush L'vana for Av depends upon minhag. Many people/shuls/communities wait until after Tish'a b'Av. (see next week's TT IY"H for details). Minhag Yerushalayim is to keep to the 3 days after the molad rule. The molad is/was Friday morning (Aug. 5). Three days later is Monday morning. First KL there- fore is Monday night. Some who say KL during the Nine Days do not sing TOVIM M'OROT at the end. Some do.

The 7 days after the molad custom means first op for KL is Friday night. Not! So Motza'ei Shabbat. Also not. It's Leil Tish'a b'Av. Therefore, the first op is after Tish'a b'Av like most of the "world" (Jewish world, i.e. the KL-saying world).

Rosh Chodesh Av, like most (but not all) calendar dates, can fall on one of four days of the week - three of which are close to each other in frequency, and the fourth day is rarer by more than half. 1 Av can be Mon. (32%), Wed. (28.5%), Fri. (28%), Shabbat (this year, 11.5%). Never on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday. Same as Erev Pesach. This year was Shabbat.

30 days hath September... Know OUR calendar at least as well. Months with 30 days (in our fixed calendar): Tishrei, Shvat, Adar Rishon (when), Nissan, Sivan, and Menachem Av. These have only 29 days: Tevet, Adar (Adar Sheni, when), Iyar, Tammuz, and Elul. Two variable months: Cheshvan - usually 29 days, in "full" years (does not concern number of Adars a year has), 30 days. Kislev - usually 30 days, in "deficient" years, 29.

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