I've Always Wondered
Who Makes the Hebrew Calendar, Then? Originally Published July 26-27, 2019.

Last week we talked a bit about the rules that govern the creation of the Hebrew calendar, and someone asked who makes the calendar.  The answer is “We do!” As we mentioned, there are rules that were already being followed and were codified in the sixteenth century in the Shulhan Arukh (Orakh Ḥayyim 428), including […]

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I've Always Wondered
Why Are The Israelis Reading a Different Parashah This Week? Originally Published July 19-20, 2019.

This week we are reading Parashat Balak, but our friends and relatives in Israel are reading Pineḥas.  What gives? Well!  It was very sharp of you to catch that difference!  It has to do with the celebrations of the various festivals.  When a festival falls on Shabbat, we read the Torah portion associated with that […]

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