II.

THE JEWISH CALENDAR.

1. Nisan.—The Sabbath before Passover is called ‏שבת הגדול‎ “the Great Sabbath,” on account of the importance of the approaching festival.

14th: ‏ערב פסח‎ “the Eve of Passover.” Fast of the First-born. 15th to 22nd: ‏פסח‎ “Passover.” 16th: “Beginning of counting the Omer,” ‏ספירת העומר‎ 17th to 20th: ‏חול המועד‎ “Half-holydays.” 23rd: ‏אסרו חג‎ “Farewell to the Festival.”

2. Iyar.—14th: ‏פסח שני‎ “Second Passover” (Num. ix. 9 sqq.).

18th: ‏ל״ג בעומר‎ the 33rd of the Omer. “Scholar’s feast.” ‏שני חמישי ושני‎ Fasts kept by some, on the first Monday, Thursday, and Monday succeeding each other in the beginning of the month, in order to atone for sins they may have committed on the Holydays.

3. Sivan.—3rd, 4th, and 5th: ‏שלשת ימי הגבלה‎ “The three days of bordering” (Exod. xix. 10–12).

5th: ‏ערב שבועות‎ “The eve of the Feast of Weeks.” 6th and 7th: ‏שבועות‎ “Feast of Weeks,” also called “Pentecost.” 8th: ‏אסרו חג‎ “Farewell to the Festival.”

4. Tammuz.—17th: “Fast of Tammuz,” ‏שבעה עשר בתמוז‎

5. Ab.—“Sabbath before the Fast,” ‏שבת חזון‎ (see p. 413)

9th: “Fast of Ab,” ‏תשעה באב‎ “Sabbath after the Fast,” ‏שבת נחמו‎ (ibid.). 15th: ‏חמשה עשר באב‎ “15th of Ab.” Reconciliation of the Benjamites with the other Israelites (Judges xxi.).

6. Ellul.—‏ימי הסליחות‎ “Days of propitiatory prayers,” beginning on the first day of the month according to the Spanish Rite, and according to the German Rite, on the Sunday (or 2nd S.) before ‏ראש השנה‎

29th: ‏ערב ראש השנה‎ “The eve of New-year.”

7. Tishri.—1st and 2nd: “New-year,” ‏ראש השנה‎

3rd: “Fast of Gedaliah,” ‏צום גדליהו‎ 1st to 10th: “The ten penitential days,” ‏עשרת ימי תשובה‎ “The Sabbath after New-year,” ‏שבת שובה‎ (see p. 405). 9th: ‏ערב יום כפור‎ “The eve of the Day of Atonement.” 10th: ‏יום כפור‎ or ‏יום הכפורום‎ “The Day of Atonement.” 14th: ‏ערב סכות‎ “The eve of Sukkoth.” 15th to 21st: ‏סכות‎ “Feast of Tabernacles.” 17th to 21st: ‏חול המועד‎ “Half-holyday.” 21st: ‏הושענא רבא‎ “The Great Hoshana Service.” 22nd and 23rd: ‏שמיני עצרת‎ “Feast of the eighth day.” 23rd: ‏שמחת תורה‎ “Rejoicing of the Law.” 24th: ‏אסרו חג‎ “Farewell to the Festival.” Heshvan.—‏שני המישי ושני‎ “The Fast of ‘Monday, Thursday, and Monday,’ kept by some in the course of the month.”

9. Kislev.—25th to 2nd (or 3rd) of Tebeth: ‏חנוכה‎ “Feast of Dedication.”

10. Tebeth.—10th: ‏עשרה בטבת‎ “The Fast of Tebeth.”

11. Shebhat.—15th: ‏חמשה עשר בשבט‎ “New-year for trees.”

The last Sabbath in the month (or the first of Adar, if on Saturday) is ‏שבת שקלים‎ “The Sabbath of Shekalim.” Exod. xxx. 11–16 is read in addition to the weekly section.

12. Adar.—7th: Anniversary of death of Moses.

Sabbath before Purim, ‏שבת זכור‎ (Deut. xxv. 17–19). 13th: ‏תענית אסתר‎ “Fast of Esther.” 14th: Purim, ‏פורים‎ “The Feast of Lots.” 15th: ‏שושן פורים‎ “Purim of Shushan.” The last Sabbath but one, ‏שבת פרה‎ Num. xix. is read as an extra lesson. The last Sabbath in the month, or the first of Nisan, if on Saturday, is ‏שבת החודש‎ Exod. xii. 1–20 is read as an extra lesson.

[13. Adar Sheni.—‏שושן פורים‎, ‏שבת זכור‎, ‏תענית אסתר‎, ‏פורים שבת פרה‎, and ‏שבת החדש‎ which in an ordinary year are observed in Adar, are in a leap-year kept in Adar Sheni; and ‏שבת שקלים‎ either on the last Sabbath in Adar, or on the first of Adar Sheni, if on Saturday.]

Note.—The 15th of Shebhat is, according to the opinion of the Hillelites (Mishnah, Rosh ha-shanah i. 1), “New-year for the trees;” i.e., in reference to tithes, and to the fruit of the fourth or fifth year (Lev. xix. 24, 25); the fruit that begins to grow on a tree between the 15th of Shebhat of one year and the same date next year is reckoned as the fruit of one year.

Various reasons are given for the distinction of the 15th of Ab: (a.) The punishment decreed against the Israelites in the wilderness in connection with the spies (Num. xiv. 29) was discontinued from the 15th of Ab. (b.) The posts set up by Jeroboam on the borders of his kingdom for the purpose of preventing Israelites from going up to Jerusalem were removed on this date. (c.) The preparation of the wood for the altar was completed on the 15th of Ab. (d.) On this day the Israelites obtained permission to bury the bodies of those killed in the war against Hadrian. (e.) The reconciliation between the Benjamites and the other Israelites took place on the 15th of Ab (Judges xxi. 21 sqq.).

The Mishnah (Taanith iv. 8) states that the 15th of Ab and the Day of Atonement were to the Israelites once days of the greatest national rejoicings for all alike, rich and poor. In memory of these general rejoicings the daughters of Jerusalem wore on these days borrowed white garments, in order that those poor who had none of their own should not feel ashamed. The Mishnah then describes the causes of the rejoicings; namely, the dancings in the vineyards (Judges, l. c.) for the 15th of Ab, and the giving of the Law (i.e., the giving of the second tables, which, according to Tradition, took place on the 10th of Tishri), and the building of the Temple (i.e., the rearing of the Tabernacle, which, according to Tradition, was commanded on the 10th of Tishri for the rejoicings on the Day of Atonement).