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... Sh'kalim and HaChodesh are fixed based on Rosh Chodesh (Adar or Nissan). Zachor is fixed based on Purim. PARA is always the Shabbat before HaChodesh. This results in there sometimes being a free Shabbat (known as a HAFSAKA) between Sh'kalim and Zachor, and sometimes not. Sometimes there is a HAFSAKA between Zachor and Para, and sometimes not. But never is there a HAFSAKA between Para and HaChodesh. It cannot happen because of the "rule" of Para. It is the Shabbat before HaChodesh. Period. Sometimes there are two HAFSAKOT; usually there is one. Never is there none. This year's HAFSAKA between Zachor and Para was filled in Jerusalem by Shgabbat Purim. Which gives us the unusual situation of reading from multiple Sifrei Torah on five consecutive Shabbatot. Aside from this situation, three is the largest number of consecutive Shabbatot with more than one Torah on each Shabbat. This Shabbat, 22 Adar Bet, is the 100th yahrzeit of R' Yechiel Michel HaLevi Epstein z"l, the ARUCH HASHULCHAN. 2403 years ago (in 3365) on 25 Adar, Nevuchadnetzar died. On that day, Tzidkiyahu was released from prison and he died on the following day and was buried with honor [The Parshat Sh'mini Homepage]
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