Torah Calendar
25 Tishri-8 Marcheshvan 5778
15-28 October '17
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Attributes of the month of Tishri: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: VAV KEH YOD KEH, contained in the final Hebrew letters of the words of the verse vayir'U otaH sareY par'oH, "and the ministers of Pharaoh saw her" (Genesis 11:29). The month's corresponding letter is: LAMED; Human attribute: COITION; Body Part: GALL BLADDER; Tribe: JOSEPH; Constellation: MOZNA'IM (Libra, the Scales).
Saturday night-Sunday 14-15 October / 25 Tishri
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev (1740-1809), the great Chassidic luminary and beloved advocate of the Jewish people.
Wednesday night-Thursday 18-19 October / 29 Tishri
Today is the anniversary of the death of Shimon HaTzaddik (d. 311 B.C.E.), High Priest in the Second Temple and last of the Men of the Great Assembly (Avot 1:1), whose grave in Jerusalem is visited by great numbers of people on this day.
Thursday 19 October / 29 Tishri
The usual "Yom Kippur Katan" fast and special prayer service preceeding Rosh Chodesh are not observed on the eve of Rosh Chodesh of the months of Cheshvan, Tevet, Iyar and Tishri (ChaT'AT).
Thursday night-Friday 19-20 October / 30 Tishri
First Day of New Moon, ROSH CHODESH MARCHESHVAN
Ya'aleh VeYavo is introduced in the evening, morning and afternoon Amidah prayers of Rosh Chodesh and in the Birchat HaMazon Grace after Meals. "Half" Hallel is recited after the morning Amidah prayer, then the Torah is read in the Synagogue followed by the Mussaf Additional Service. It is appropriate to celebrate Rosh Chodesh with a festive meal, and fasting is forbidden.
Attributes of the month of Marcheshvan: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: VAV KEH KEH YOD, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of the words of the verse OOd'vash Hayom Hazeh YKVK, "and honey. This day HaShem..." (Deut 26:15-16). The month's corresponding letter is: NUN; Human attribute: SMELL; Body Part: INTESTINE; Tribe: LEVY; Constellation: AKRAV (Scorpio, the Scorpion).
Friday night-Saturday 20-21 October / 1 Marcheshvan
Second Day of New Moon, ROSH CHODESH MARCHESHVAN
"Half" Hallel is recited after
the morning Shabbat Amidah prayer, followed by the reading of the
weekly Torah portion of NOAH,
Genesis 6.9-11:32 after which there is an additional special
Torah reading for Rosh Chodesh (Numbers 28:11-15) followed by the special
Shabbat-Rosh Chodesh Haftara from Isaiah
chapter 66. After the Torah reading we recite the special Mussaf additional
service ("Atah yatzarta") for when Rosh Chodesh falls
on Shabbat.
On this day King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was completed (I Kings 6:38),
although it was not inaugurated until the following Tishri.
Monday night-Tuesday 23-24 October / 4 Marcheshvan
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczno Rebbe (1889–1943), who was deported from the Warsaw Ghetto and murdered in the Treblinka concentration camp, yet whose writings continue today to shine inspiration to many who practice Torah meditation and self-reckoning.
Thursday night-Friday 26-27 October / 7 Marcheshvan
Starting with the Thursday night evening prayer, those who live in Israel begin inserting the request for rain (Ve-tein tal u-matar, "and give dew and rain") in the fifth intermedate blessing of the thrice-daily repeated Shmonah Esray prayer (Bareich aleynu... "Bless this year for us...").
Friday night-Saturday 27-28 October / 8 Marcheshvan
Shabbat LECH LECHA
Torah Reading: LECH LECHA, Gen. 12.1-17.27. Haftara Isaiah Isaiah 40.27-41.16
The sum of the mathematical value of the Hebrew letters of Marcheshvan (Mem 40 + Reish 200 + Chet 8 + Shin 300 + Vav 6 + Nun 50 + 1 for the kolel + 6 units for each of the Hebrew letters of the name) is 611, the same as that of the letters of the word Torah (Tav 400 + Vav 6 + Reish 200 + Heh 5 = 611). This is a sign that we should increase our Torah study during the long nights of the winter.
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