Introduction to the Jewish Calendar
 | Since Biblical times the months and years of the Jewish calendar have been established by the cycles of the moon and the sun. Torah law prescribes that the months follow closely the course of the moon, from its birth each month to the next New Moon.
20 Comments Posted
I want to know when and why was Rosh Hashanah established as start of a New Year when the first month is actually on Pesach?
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I found the article very informative. I may have been presented with this information when I attended Hebrew School but I never really learned it
Thank you,
P.S. I have looked for an answer to the question posted by Miriam Dembak, Kfar Saba, Israel, regarding the difference between the new year beginning on Tishri or beginning on Pesach.
If there was an answer I could not find it. Can you help me?
Thank you.
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Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in G-d's world.
The month of Nissan is when the Jews were first commanded by G-d to count the months of the year. "This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year." (Exodus 12:2)
There is a "head" -- beginning -- of the year (Rosh Hashanah) and there is a "head" -- beginning -- for the months (Nissan). There are other beginnings including "head of year for the trees," etc.
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Thanks for the information.
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In the month of Elul G'D created Adam, so we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the day humankind was created.
I was thinking, why is Nissan the first month?
And one curiosity i have: What is the formula used on the conversion of dates between the civil and jewish calendars? (people often say to me they don´t know or, appearently, it is on the Gemará (or another Torah book).
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In answer to Miriam Dembak, (above) I was once told that Rosh Hashanah is actually the Birthday of the World, whereas Pesach comes near the first full moon after the spring Equinox, and at the beginning of a new solar cycle when the Sun enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac and, hence, can be called the first month of the year.
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Thank you so much for explaining how the Jewish calendar is derived. It answered many questions that I had.
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It is not simple to convert dates, because there are 2 variables.
The first is whether the date is before or after the beginning of the Common Era, bearing in mind that there is no zero year. The civil calendar therefore goes from 1 BCE to 1CE.
The second variable is whether date is between Rosh haShanah and 31st December (inclusive), or between 1st January and Erev Rosh haShanah.
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How do I purchase a calandar ,,, Where do I get one?
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Help! I'm confused, as i understand our Creators instructions we are to start each month when the new moon is 1st sighted from Jerusalem (29 or 30 day cycles) and the new year upon the same sighting allowing the barley (also in Jerusalem) is aviv giving us a 12 or 13 month year depending on the crop maturation. we can observe The moon and barley in Jerusalem so why have we not switched back to a calender based on these observations?
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Rosh haShanah is not the Birthday of the World, but the birthday of Adam, on the 6th day of Creation.
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Thank you your information was what I needed, it was of great help.
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How was the choice of following a lunar cycle chosen over the solar cycle or the celestial? All ancient cultures has chosen one to follow. Can you imagine the debate which must have been intense between the three different camps? So..how did our ancestors choose that lunar was "superior" to solar/celestial?
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It was actually G-d who, on the cusp of the Exodus from Egypt, told Moses about the lunisolar cycle that His nation would follow.
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I don't understand why jewish New Year starts on the 7th month and not on the first month of the jewish canedar.
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Hi Ninee, if you scroll up the previous comments, you'll notice one which explains why Rosh Hashanah is in the seventh month, please check it out and feel free to write again if you have further questions.
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What was the halachic approach to the change from julian to gregorain claedar in the 1700s? The days of the week changed. What did we do about shabbat?
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Where did you get that from? The Gregorian/Julian switch only affected the days of the calendar (which have no connection to the Jewish calendar). They days of the week remained intact. Please provide a source.
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Yaakov you could be right I was working from assumption not a source. I know they moved 11 days, I assumed that therefore they lost a few days of the week.
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