3 replies to this topic

[Chaney]

Apologies in advance. I'm not entirely sure as to where to start this topic, and ask my question.

My question has to do specifically with leap years and the month(s) of Adar I & Adar II.


Are Adar I & II considered one month, or two? For example if I said "Let's celebrate in 36 months." Would a leap year be assumed as part of the period, or would it be something that I would have to add my into statement.

Thank you,
-Christopher.

[Rabbi Shapiro]

In general, Adar II is a different month. A "month" is not an arbitrary amount of days that we divide a year into. A month - chodesh - is a measurement of time against the cycle of the moon. (The secular months are not really months in that sense. Not only do they not coincide with the moon cycle, they do not coincide with anything at all. They are an arbitrary way of dividing up the year into 12 parts. There is no logical reason the year should be divided into 12 months as opposed to 5 months or 8 months. In fact, they used to be divided into 10 months (hence "Dec"ember = 10; "Oct"ober = 8, etc.) until they added July and August because of Julius and Augustus, which pushed everything after August down 2 months). A month is measured by something - we measure by the moon. It is not merely an arbitrary division of days.

[Menorah]

Isn't Adar Sheini the regular calendar month while Adar Rishon is the added month during a leap year?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Yes but it is a different month.