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...

In our fixed calendar, when there are 2 Adars, the first one always has 30 days and the second one always has 29 days.

Since Sh'vat has 30 days, the Rosh Chodesh of both Adars is two days.

With the molad this month being 5:19pm on Thursday, March 10th, the first op for Kiddush L'vana is Sunday night, March 13. With the 3 days (72 hours) reached less than an hour before it will be dark enough to say K.L., we will be dealing with a "young" moon - just about as small as it can be and be able to say K.L.

7-day people will be able to say K.L. on Thursday night, March 17th, when the moon will just be reaching first quarter (that's when half the disk is lit).
First Motza"Sh opportunity will be Sat. night, March 19th. Last op will be Thu. night, Megila night for us all.

The last P'kudei-RoshChodesh-Sh'kalim was in 5741 (24 years ago). The next one scheduled (after this year) is 3 years from now. The one after that is scheduled for 5812, 44 years later. (IY"H with a Sanhedrin, the schedule changes.)

In addition to P'kudei being Rosh Chodesh & Sh'kalim , there are two other year-types when Sh'kalim is Rosh Chodesh Adar, when Parshat HaShavua will be Mishpatim (3 yrs. ago) or T'rumah (11 yrs. ago).

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