Torah Calendar
9-22 Iyar, 5786
April 26-May 9, 2026
For this week's study schedule & classes, CLICK HERE
Attributes of the month of Iyar: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: YOD KEH KEH VAV, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of Yithalel Hamithalel Haskeil Veyado'a -- "Let him that glories [glory in this, that] he knows and understands [Me]" (Jeremiah 9:23). The month's corresponding letter is: VAV; Human attribute: THOUGHT; Body Part: RIGHT KIDNEY; Tribe: ISSACHAR; Constellation: SHOR (Taurus, the Ox).
This month is particularly conducive to deep contemplation and understanding. It is also conducive to healing since all the sick among the Children of Israel who left Egypt were completely healed in this period in preparation for the Giving of the Torah. Thus the Hebrew name of the month of Iyar is made up of the letters Aleph-Yud-Reish, the initial letters of the Hebrew words Ani YKVK Rophecha, "I HaShem am your Healer" (Exodus 15:26).
Monday April 27 / 10 Iyar
Today is the first of the three optional daytime fasts of BeHaB (signifying days 2, 5 & 2 of the coming 2 weeks, i.e. "Monday-Thursday-Monday") that follow the Pesach festival after the end of Nissan. The practice is based on Job 1:5, where Job sacrificed to atone for possible inappropriate behavior on the part of his children during their feasting. Great spiritual gains are available for those who are able to observe these fasts.
"Any rains that fall during the month of Iyar are a great remedy for all sicknesses -- there is no remedy like them in all the drugstores. It is good to stand in the rain and bare one's head a little and open one's mouth to the rain"
The Ohev Yisrael of Apta
Thursday April 30 / 13 Iyar
Second of the fastdays of "BeHaB".
Friday May 1 / 14 Iyar
Pesach Sheni
In Temple
times those who had been ritually impure
or far from Jerusalem at the time of
the Pesach sacrifice on 14 Nissan had
a second opportunity to bring their paschal
sacrifice on Pesach Sheni, "the
second Pesach" (see Numbers 9:1-22).
Today is a semi-festival and the usual Tachanun supplications are not recited
in the Synagogue services. Some celebrate Pesach Sheni by eating Matzot. The
most appropriate time to eat the Matzot would be on Friday evening since the
Pesach Sheni sacrifice was offered on the afternoon of 14 Iyar and eaten that
night at a "Seder" together with Matzot.
Today is the Yahrzeit of the great Tanna, Rabbi Meir "Baal HaNess" ("Master of the miracle"), familiar from his teachings throughout the Talmud. He is buried in Tiberias, Israel. It is also the Yahrzeit of his equally outstanding contemporary, Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai, who is buried aside the Safed-Meiron road.
Friday night-Saturday
May 1-2 / 15 Iyar
Shabbat parshat EMOR
Torah reading: EMOR, Leviticus
21:1-24:23, including laws relating
to the priesthood and the annual cycle
of festivals; Haftara: Ezekiel
44:15–31 on the laws relating to
the priests of the Future Temple. Pirkey
Avot Chapter Four is read after the
Minchah service on Shabbat afternoon.
On this day the 30-day supply of Matzot which the Children of Israel took with
them out of Egypt came to an end, and when they cried out for food, HaShem
sent them the Manna. This is a day to focus on the miracles with which the
Almighty provides us with our livelihood, physical and spiritual, and to develop
our trust that He will always supply us with everything we need. The practical
expression of this trust is when we pray to Him for what we need.
Pirkey Avot chapter 4 is read after the Shabbat afternoon Minchah service.
Monday May 4 / 17 Iyar
Today is the third of
the three optional fasts of BeHaB following
the Pesach festival. The fast is observed
from dawn until nightfall, and Selichot
(penitential prayers) are recited in
the synagogue. Great spiritual gains
are available for those who are able
to observe these fasts.
Today is the Yarhzeit of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov (1748-1800),
son of Udil (daughter of the Baal Shem Tov) and author of Degel Machaneh
Ephraim.
"Any rains that fall during the month of Iyar are a great remedy for all sicknesses -- there is no remedy like them in all the drugstores. It is good to stand in the rain and bare one's head a little and open one's mouth to the rain"
The Ohev Yisrael of Apta
Monday night-Tuesday
May 4-5 / 18 Iyar
Lag BaOmer
This
is the 33rd day of the Omer count (Lamed=30;
Gimmel=3), exactly two thirds of the
way from Pesach to Shavuot, famous as
the day when the plague that had struck
Rabbi Akiva's students ceased in the
merit of his foremost disciple, Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai, known as RaShBI,
author of the kabbalistic teachings of
the Zohar. While the
other students failed to show each other
due respect, R. Shimon said, "For
me, everything depends on friendship" (Zohar).
Lag BaOmer is the Yahrzeit of R. Shimon, and hundreds of thousands flock to
the site of his burial cave on Mt Meiron in
the northern Galilee. All over the world Jews light bonfires and rejoice in
honor of RaShBI. This is a propitious day for binding ourselves to all the
true Tzaddikim and for the study of the secrets of the Torah.
Lag BaOmer is also the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Isserles (1520-72) author of the Mappah, glosses on the normative Torah law code Shulchan Aruch which give the Ashknezi legal rulings where they differ from those of the main work.
Tuesday night-Wednesday May 5-6 / 19 Iyar
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Riminov, (?-1815), an important Hassidic leader who emphasized the benefit of daily recital of Parshat HaMann (Exodus 16:4-36 about the Manna) accompanied by prayers for livelihood.
"All medicines come from the earth. Therefore during the season when the earth gives forth her bounty and puts strength into all the trees and plants, i.e. during the month of Iyar when the fruits ripen, all medicinal plants have greater power, because the earth then puts strength into them. However at other times, even if one were to take exactly the same medicines, they would not have the same power. This is why people take medicines in the month of Iyar - May."
Rabbi Nachman, Likutey Moharan I, 277
Friday night-Saturday
May 8-9 / 22 Iyar
Shabbat Parshat BEHAR-BECHUKOSAI
This week's Torah reading is the double portion of BEHAR, Leviticus 25:1-26:2 giving the laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and the laws of sale of property, joined with BECHUKOSAI, Leviticus 26:3-27:34, detailing the rewards for keeping the Torah and the punishments for failure to do so. With today's reading we conclude the book of Leviticus -- Hazak Hazak Venit-Hazek!!! Haftara: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14. On Shabbat afternoon we read chapter 5 of Pirkey Avot.