Hebrew Calendar
Jewish Year
The
months of the Jewish year are lunar in nature. Unlike the months of the
Gregorian solar year that is the norm in the world today, the months of the
Jewish year reflect the phases of the moon. This can be seen most clearly in
the length of the months. Whereas the months of the Gregorian calendar vary in
length between 28 and 31 days in order to make a solar year of 365
(or, in leap years, 366) days, the months of the Jewish year are either
29 or 30 days long. This reflects the fact that a lunar month is 29.5 days
in length, and the months always must begin with the new moon.
The Jewish Months (And When They Usually Fall)
Shevat (January-February)
Adar (February-March)
Nisan (March-April)
Iyyar (April-May)
Sivan (May-June)
Tammuz (June-July)
Av (July-August)
Elul (August-September)
Tishrei (September-October)
Heshvan (October-November)
Kislev (November-December)
Tevet (December-January)
Adjustments and Leap Years
A
year of 12 lunar months is 11 days shorter than a solar year. To
ensure that holidays in the Jewish calendar continue to occur at the correct
season, traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Hillel II in the fourth century CE, developed
a lunar-solar year. He inserted a leap month at the end of the year seven times
in every 19-year cycle.
In
order to further fine-tune their calculations, the rabbis determined that the
months of Nisan, Sivan, Av, Tishrei, and Shevat are always 30 days long.
Iyyar, Tammuz, Elul, Tevet and Adar are always 29 days long. Heshvan and
Kislev are either 29 or 30 days in length. In a leap year, there are
two months of Adar. When that occurs, Adar I is 30 days long, and Adar II
29. A short Jewish year, therefore, consists of 353 to 355 days, while a leap
year varies between 383 and 385 days.
Babylonian Origins of the Months’ Names
Jewish
months are Babylonian in origin.
Rosh Chodesh, The New Moon
The
Jewish month begins with the new moon, the Rosh Chodesh. There are special prayers
associated with the beginning of the month, and Rosh Chodesh ceremonies have
oftentimes played an important role particularly among the female members of
the Jewish community.
Religious
Year
Similar
to fiscal years, there are four Jewish years in a year. Rosh Hashanah fall in
Tishrei; the new harvest is the 14th of Nissan.
The
year of the Trees falls on the ninth of Av. (Tu B’shvat)
The
year of Taxation
Resh
Lakish said “On the first of Adar, an announcement is made concerning the
Shekalim.” (Masechet Megillah)
The first of the Four
Special Shabbatot is Shabbat Parshat Shekalim. It occurs either on the
last Shabbat of the month of Shevat, or on the Shabbat which in that year
coincides with Rosh Chodesh Adar.
Harvest
Year
Fifteenth
of Nisan (Passover) celebrates the reaping of the first barley an the planting
of the wheat.
Jewish Virtual Library
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
Comments
Post a Comment