The Hebrew Month of Adar (& Adar II)
Adar is the 12th month on the Jewish calendar counting from Nisan.
“When Adar enters, joy increases,” the Talmud says. This reaches its climax on the 14th of the month, as we celebrate Mordechai and Esther’s triumph over the wicked Haman.
The spirit of Purim permeates the entire month, making it a time of unparalleled rejoicing and good mazal (“fortune”) for the Jewish people.
During a Jewish leap year, which occurs seven times in a 19-year cycle (approximately once every three years), there is an added month called “Adar I,” inserted before this month of Adar (termed “Adar II” in leap years). This aligns the lunar months with the solar year, ensuring that the holidays fall in the proper seasons.
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Is it commanded by Ha’Shem somewhere to add a leap year? I can not find it so I am wondering if it was solely changed to keep the festivities inline with the seasons and no other reason. I wonder if the calendar was set in a way to keep us on a different time line from the rest of the world. I wonder what today would be if it had stayed exactly as written with no deviations. 🧐
Of course, no leap *year* is ever added.
A leap month is added when needed to ensure that the spring month is the first month of the year according to the Divinely ordained command in Shemot 12:
2 Hachodesh hazeh (the month at this time) shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
From this, we understand that a year begins with the spring month.
Therefore, a leap month is periodically inserted to maintain synchronization with the seasons.
Furthermore, Sukkot must be celebrated at the turn of the year. Therefore, the first month must be exactly six months before the seventh month in which Sukkot is celebrated.
Hashem commanded us in His Torah explicitly that Passover must occur in Chodesh Ha'aviv - springtime. Since there is a discrepancy between the solar and lunar year of about 11 days, the way to fulfill this commandment is by adding an extra month every few years so Passover is always in the spring. Please see here for a fuller explanation of this Mitzvah to create a leap year.
This ought to state that the graphic is from the perspective of the Southern Hemisphere, to avoid misunderstanding. To everyone north of the Equator, including Jerusalem, it appears to be the Muslim crescent.
I’m a person who lives north of the equator; and even after you pointed this out, I still don’t see any resemblance to any Muslim crescent.
No one has ever seen the actual moon of Earth in a configuration like a Muslim crescent symbol because it’s *impossible*.
🇰🇲 🇹🇳 🇲🇷 🇵🇰 🇹🇲
Looking at the star and crescent together, it’s also impossible for a star to shine through the moon. If this rendition had a star shining through the moon, you would have a point. But as it is, any resemblance to any Muslim crescent is imaginary.
You miss the point that the Muslim crescent is waning, with or without the symbolic addition of the star. Ours is always the waxing New Moon crescent north of the Equator, as it is of course seen in Eretz Israel.
Where are we in the current 19 year time cycle?
Todah.
Please reverse the graphic for "Rosh Chodesh," above. It shows the Waning Moon (Islamic) NOT the New Moon.
Thank you.
The artist’s conception is similar to the view of a first crescent moon observed from Antarctica.
To approximate a view from Yerushalayim, it would have to be rotated 150°.
Why in the world would it be a view from Antarctica❓️
Whatever the rotation, it ought to be a recognizable New Moon! Not a Waning one.
You've got to be joking. But many confuse a waning one when they mean the new one.
There is no joke. The artist’s depiction is easily recognizable as a last crescent phase of the moon as seen from the North Pole. There’s no need to argue with someone who agrees with you about the incorrect orientation of the crescent, namely, that to be a first crescent, it must be understood as oriented as seen from the South Pole. I have no idea why. But that’s how it is. It’s art which has only a remote connection to reality.
•"Argue"? Because I pointed out something that doesn't make sense, and for us Jews, is rather meaningful?
•Especially considering that we can usually rely on Chabad online for correct information.
•It was not actually "agreed with" that it's incorrect, in your other reply.
•An unwillingness or actual inability to make a correction is an indication of some kind of problem that I hope can and will be addressed soon.
•Trying to make it a negative about my reply does not help anyone make progress here.
Thank you. Shalom.
Happy Juneteenth לְהִתְרָאוֹת
It’s interesting that you haven’t defined which perspective is correct or why North Pole orientation is “makes sense” whereas South Pole orientation has to be a joke.
There’s no reason to rush into “correcting” the point of view.
Your idea to reverse the image would give it the perspective of an observer on the North Pole which isn’t significantly more relevant than the perspective from the South Pole.
It might make sense to you. But someone in the southern hemisphere necessarily sees it differently.
What I’ve gotten from this is that you have never seen a crescent moon from south of the equator and don’t even realize that what you’re asserting isn’t some absolute truth. If the artist was from Sydney, who are you to say that he doesn’t have a Jewish perspective?
I suggested orienting it to the point of view of Yerushalayim. But I’m not saying that’s the only correct perspective.
Hello!
The article states there are 7 Leap Months in each 19 year cycle. (Correct?) The last Adar II was 2022. (Yes?) When will the next Adar II cycle around? Is there a "formula" on how the Rabbis use to determine which year is next? Did the establishment of the formula really start back during the days of King Hezekiah?
The fixed calendar cycle was only introduced by Hillel the Second in the 4th century. Prior to that, leap years were decided on a year-to-year basis by the Sanhedrin. See chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/526875/jewish/The-Jewish-Calendar-Year.htm
The pattern is that a leap year occurs in years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19.
Hi. I have studied Purim and found it is a celebration for the remembrance of God’s deliverance of His people. Is this correct. Also it’s celebrated on the 14th and 15th of Adar. Is Adar in October?
Purim remembers the miraculous salvation the decree of Haman in ancient Persia. It is celebrated in Adar, which is a month that usually falls out near March. See this article.
Adar is in March
Since Adar is the time of Purim -- when there is an Adar II -- where is Purim celebrated? Or is it just celebrated throughout both months as a time of happiness/joy and good fortune?
In II Adar (Adar bet / Adar 2)
A birthday in adar I is observed in adar II?
Kol Tuv,
Yes I'm doing it for my adar Malissa (Missy) I'm a Jew so my answer is Yes
Hello, what years (Julian years) were the month of Adar 2 added during the first century C.E.? And how do we know? Thank you.
The fixed calendar cycle was only introduced by Hillel the Second in the 4th century. Prior to that, leap years were decided on a year-to-year basis by the Sanhedrin. As such, it is impossible to know with any certainty which we’re leap years during that time period. See this link
The Jewish calendar is unique.
It is a lunar calendar (354 1/4 days) and is adjusted for the difference of 11 days from the solar calendar (354 days).
Thank you very much.
A tropical year is 365.242199 days, not 354 days.
Any biblical refrence Adar II
There is no direct reference, but it is implied. The Torah simultaneously describes certain holidays as occurring during certain seasons (see Deuteronomy 16:1), while also using lunar months. The only way to have lunar years but holidays in season is to add leap months. See chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/526875/jewish/The-Jewish-Calendar-Year.htm
Yes. In the book of Ezekiel, when he lays down for 430 days. From the 4month/5th year of Jehoiakim to 6month/6year of Jehoiakim. The story reveals the only way Ezekiel could have laid down during the those dates for that period of time is if Ezekiel laid down during a long year (embolismic year). God bless....
When doing such arithmetic, especially in Hebrew, it’s helpful to show your work.
Both the initial and final months of the 16 in this ordeal were only partial, viz., some days after the 12th day of the 4th month of the 5th year until some day before the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year.
Year 5 months: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. (Subtotal: 9 months.)
Year 6 months: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. (Subtotal: 5 months.)
9 + 5 =14 complete months.
14 complete months × 29.5 days/month = approximately 413 days.
Initial month: 12 days (or at most 17).
Final month: 5 days (or fewer).
Total: 12 days + 413 days + 5 days = 430 days.
Very joyous holidays. Sometimes it is difficult to force joy on a personal level.