E. Kiddushin 71a Rab Judah said in Rab's name: The forty-two lettered Name[40] is entrusted only to him who is pious,[41] meek, middle-aged,[42] free from bad temper, sober,[43] and not insistent on his rights. And he who knows it, is heedful thereof,[44] and observes it in purity, is beloved above and popular below, feared by man,[45] and inherits two worlds, this world and the future world.[46]

ANNOUNCING THE NEW MOON:

May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, to renew our lives in the coming month. Grant us a long life, a peaceful life with goodness and blessing, sustenance and physical vitality, a life informed by purity and piety, a life free from shame and reproach, a life of abundance and honor, a life embracing piety and love of Torah, a life in which our heart's desires for goodness will be fulfilled. Amen.

May He who wrought miracles for our ancestors, redeeming them from slavery to freedom, redeem us soon and gather our dispersed from the four corners of the earth in the fellowship of the entire people Israel. And let us say: Amen

The new moon ____________ will begin on _____________. May it hold blessings for us and for all the people Israel.

(The congregation repeats the above two lines)

May the Holy One bless the new moon for us and for all His people, the House of Israel, with life and peace, joy and gladness, deliverance and consolation. And let us say: Amen

(The Reader repeats the above lines after the congregation)

The following section was from Jeff Stewart:

1080 Chelekim = 1hr = 1080prt

(1080prt/hr x 1hr/3600sec) = .3prt/sec = 1sec = .3prt

1 sec / .3prt = x sec / 1prt => x sec = (1sec / .3prt) x ( 1prt ) => x sec= 3.333sec 1prt = 3.333sec

The hour is divided into 1080 parts (prt), which are called “Chelekim”.

( 1dy x 24hr/dy ) = 24hr/dy      (24hr/dy x 1080prt/hr ) = 25,920prt/dy 1dy = 25,920prt

( 24hr/dy x 60min/hr ) = 1440 min/dy ( .3prt/sec x 60sec/min ) = 18prt/min 1min = 18prt

( 1440min/dy x 60sec/min ) = 86,400sec/dy

1prt = 3.333sec

1sec = .3prt

1min = 18prt

1hr = 1080prt

1dy = 25,920prt

V/YD - B/H/RD                                                           First New Moon - Year Before 1st New Moon

_____________          = 29dy 12hr 793prt _____________________________________

 12months 12 months

29dy 12hr 793prt = 29.53059 days (Will prove later) This is the mean length of the lunar month. This figure allows for calculating all future New Moons and their respective holidays.

In order to calculate the appearance of any New Moon in advance (especially Tishri and Nissan) it is necessary to know in addition to the rate of the moon’s orbit, the exact moment at which the cosmic clock went into operation. The clock went into operation on V/YD the 6th day 14th hour. We may now ascertain the appearance of any New Moon in advance by calculating the number of months that have passed from the first New Moon (V/YD) and multiplying by 29.53059.

Man was created on the 14th hour of the 6th day according to oral tradition. We know from Torah that man was created on the 6th day. The sixth day would have started after the sunset of the fifth day (it was dark then). Tradition holds that man was created after sunrise on the 6th day. (6:30pm - 8:30am Sept. 15th)

 Su Mo            Even Number of Weeks (50) (350days) (0-0) Sat Su M T W T F Sa

|---|---|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

0 ß---------------------------------------50weeks------------------------------------à 0

|---|---|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|

0 B/H/RD                                 12months (0 -0)                       World Created            V/YD

 Molad[47] Tohu              Shonat Tohu - Primordial Year 0 day    6th day 14hr

 Tishri 1                                                                                    Elul 25 (hypothetical) Tishri 1

 Primordial New Moon[48]                                                                                  Yom Harat Olam

 2dy 5hr 204prt                                                                        (B-day of the World)

 Monday Night (~11:30pm)                                                      Friday Morning (~8:30am)

 Assuming Tishri Sunset is around 6:30pm

First New Moon = Tishri 1 (Mid-September Rosh HaShana)

Man Created on V/YD according to oral tradition. B/H/RD is taken from Genesis 1. Count every 42nd letter from the first letter in Bereshit and you will come up with B/H/RD. The number 42 is related to the sacred name of G-d.

B/H/RD

B = Monday Second Day (Bet = 2)

H = 5hrs (Hey = 5)

RD = 204prts ( Resh = 200, Dalet = 4)

B/H/RD = 2nd day 5th hour 204th part of the hour

The Molad is the exact beginning of the New Moon, it is when the Moon is exactly between the Earth and the Sun. Six hours must pass before the New Moon is visible to people on Earth. When the moon is visible, this is the first day of the New Moon.

Remember that the accepted New Year is Nissan (for creation?)

The verse Genesis 1:14-15 ( … and they shall be for signs, and for appointed seasons, and for days, and years.” ) takes place on the 6th day, when man was created and can now see the signs.

By watching the moon every month, we can tell that there are about 29.5 days in a month.

Man was created on Friday morning (at the exact time of the New Moon) and the Primordial New Moon was on Monday ( a hypothetical year before). That means that if the number of days that are in a lunar month are ABOUT 29.5 then there would be ABOUT 354 days in the lunar year. Monday Evening to Monday Evening ( 50wk x 7dy/wk) = 350 days.

Mon - Mon 11:30pm = 50wks. Add 4days and 12hrs Tu=351 Wed=352 Th=353 Fri=354th day

Remember that actually only 5 full days had passed and 14 hrs, but we used the codified 6/14 in the equation. This gives an illusion of an extra day when figuring out the day of the week.

Now sometimes this 50 wk number is dropped in the calculation in order to simplify things and round out to the exact minute.

The actual calculation is [(V/YD - B/H/RD) + 50wks] / 12months

First real New Moon was on V/YD (during the day?) hypothetical new moon was on B/H/RD

[(V/YD - B/H/RD) +50wk] / 12mo = X X = 29.53059dy/mo Calculating this number

V/YD = 6dy 14hr

B/H/RD = 2dy 5hr 204prt

50wk = 350dy

Minus ( - ) means “the difference”

[(6dy 14hr 0prt - 2dy 5hr 204prt) + 350dy] / 12mo => 6dy 13hr 1080prt - 2dy 5hr 204prt => (4dy 8hr 876prt - 350dy) / 12mo

4dy/12mo = 1/3 dy/mo OR .33333 dy/mo

8hr/12mo = 2/3 hr/mo OR .66666 hr/mo => convert to parts => (.66666hr/mo x 1080prt/hr )=720prt/mo

876prt/12mo = 73prt/mo OR 73prt/mo

350dy/12mo = 29 1/6 dy/mo OR 29.16666 dy/mo

(29.16666dy + .33333dy + .66666hr + 73prt)/mo => 29.5dy + 720prt + 73 prt => 29dy 12hr 793prt / mo

(793prt/ x dy) = 25,920prt/dy => x dy = 793prt / (25,920prt/dy) = .03059dy

(finding out how much of a day 793 parts is)                              (.5dy = 12hr)

29.5dy + .03059dy = 29.53059dy (is the mean length of one lunar month)

A LITTLE YOM KIPPUR[49]

Yom Kippur is a day when our sins are forgiven. However, there are other days in the year which also contain a reflection of this power of cleansing and forgiveness.

Question: Which are these days? Answer: The days of Rosh Chodesh - the beginning of each month. As we say in our prayers "You have given Roshei Chodashim to Your people, a time of atonement throughout all their generations."

Although on Rosh Chodesh the sins of the preceding month are forgiven, we don't expect forgiveness unless we forsake our ways and return to HaShem. Thus, some people fast as an act of self-examination and remorse.

However, fasting is prohibited on Rosh Chodesh, and so the fast is observed on the preceding day. And thus its name - Yom Kippur Katan - a Little Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur Katan also resembles Yom Kippur in the recital of special penitential prayers and vidui (confession).

And if there is a minyan of people fasting in the synagogue, the special Torah reading and the Haftarah for public fast days are also recited.

Although it is only rare individuals who fast, the whole of Israel receives the merit of their fasting. For, since the fast is not obligatory, those who do fast, fast on behalf of all the Jewish People.

Perhaps this is the reason we say in our prayers of blessing for the month "All of Israel are friends." When a person accepts upon himself to do something he is not obliged to do, he does it in the merit of all the Jewish People - "All of Israel are friends."

Bibliography For Further Study

Understanding the Jewish Calendar, by Nathan Bushwick, Moznaim Publishing 1989

The B'nai Yissasschar: A Thematic Translation and commentary" in "Worlds of Jewish Prayer: A Festschrift in Honor of Rabbi Zalman M. Schacter-Shalomi", ed. Shoshana Harris Wiener and Jonathan Omer-Man, Hillel Goelman, Jason Aronson Inc 1994

Foundation of Astronomy, Michael A. Seeds, Wadsworth Publishing Company - Belmont WA.

Cracking The Bible Code, by Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.

The Pentateuch, translation and commentary by Samson Raphael Hirsch.

The Book of Our Heritage, by Eliyahu Kitov.

Footnotes

[1] Near relatives being disqualified from offering evidence together.

[2] I.e., found by the Beth din to be unreliable.

[3] Ex. XII, 1, 2.

[4] Even if you are near relatives.