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...

Last week, we mistakenly wrote that the first opportunity for Kiddush L'vana for those who wait 7 full days after the molad would be Tue. night Nov. 8 after 11:12. The moon set that night at 10:40pm. The first op, therefore, was Wednesday night. Sorry about that.

7 Cheshvan - we in Eretz Yisrael begun asking for TAL UMATAR LIVRACHA in the weekday Amida.

8 Cheshvan is the 678th yahrzeit of R' Asher b. Yechiel Ashkenazi, better known as the ROSH. Among the giants of the Rishonim, his commentary to the Talmud, and his halachic rulings served as a major source of his son, the Baal HaTurim and the and other significant codifiers of Jewish Law.
11 Cheshvan is the 3559th yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu.

Let's review the issue of how many days in Cheshvan. In our fixed calendar, Cheshvan "normally" has 29 days. In some years, a 30th day is added. How & why? Rosh HaShana each year is fixed based on the day of the molad of Tishrei and several rules for when to push RH a day or two later than the day of the molad of Tishrei. So too, the RH of the following year is also determined. If there are 353 or 354 days from one RH to the next, then Cheshvan stays with its 29 days. But if there are 355 days until the next RH, then the needed extra day is 30 Cheshvan. If the year is a 13-month year, then if the number of days from this RH until the next is 283 or 384 days, Cheshvan stays with 29 days. If it is 385 days, Cheshvan gets the extra day. Years that get the extra day - 30 Cheshvan - are called SHALEIM, full or complete. These SHALEIM years have 355 or 385 days.

Years with 354 or 384 days are called K'SEIDER or K'SIDRAN, and Cheshvan has its "normal" 29 days. In these kinds of years, Kislev has its "normal" 30 days.

Years of 353 or 383 days are short, defective, lacking. They are designated CHASEIR and in addition to Cheshvan being 29, Kislev will lose its 30th day.

This year, 5766, began on a Tuesday. Whenever that happens, 12-month or 13-month year, the year is K'SEIDER. Always in our fixed calendar, Tuesday Rosh HaShana means the months are "in order", Cheshvan having 29 days and Kislev having 30. The other months are not variable.

A 12-month year that begins on Tuesday (like this year) is followed by a Shabbat RH. A 13-month year that begins on Tuesday is followed by a Monday RH. (The other RH days of the week are more complicated.)

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