Shabbat—The Sabbath and
kiddush cup Jewish law
(halacha) accords
Shabbat () the status of a holiday, a day of rest celebrated on the seventh day of each week. Jewish law defines a day as ending at either sundown or nightfall, when the next day then begins. Thus, •
Shabbat begins just before sundown Friday night. Its start is marked by the lighting of
Shabbat candles and the recitation of
Kiddush over a cup of
wine. •
Shabbat ends at nightfall Saturday night. Its conclusion is marked by the prayer known as
Havdalah. The fundamental rituals and observances of Shabbat include: • Reading of the
Weekly Torah portion • Abbreviation of the
Amidah in the three regular daily services to eliminate requests for everyday needs • Addition of a
musaf service to the daily prayer services • Enjoyment of three meals, often elaborate or ritualized, through the course of the day • Restraint from performing
melacha (see
above). In many ways,
halakha (Jewish law) sees
Shabbat as the most important holy day in the Jewish calendar. • It is the first holiday mentioned in the
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), and
God was the first one to observe it (
Genesis). • The
Torah reading on
Shabbat has more sections of
parshiot (Torah readings) than on
Yom Kippur or any other Jewish holiday. • The prescribed penalty in the Torah for a transgression of
Shabbat prohibitions is
death by stoning (
Exodus 31), while for other holidays the penalty is (relatively) less severe. • Public
observance of Shabbat is the benchmark used in
halacha to determine whether an individual is a religiously observant, religiously reliable member of the community.
Arbah Parshiyot There are four Sabbaths, all during or in proximity to, the month of Adar, which have special significance because of additions which are made during the Torah reading on those days. These include: •
Parshat Shekalim: the
Shabbat either preceding or coinciding with
Rosh Chodesh Adar (
Adar II on a leap year). The portion that is read describes the half-shekel that was brought during
Adar. •
Parshat Zachor: the
Shabbat immediately preceding
Purim. The passage that is read describes the commandment to remember the actions of Amalek. (Listening to this portion being read fulfills that commandment and so special care should be taken to attend Shul this week even if one doesn't always normally attend.) •
Parshat Parah: the
Shabbat immediately following
Purim. The additional Torah portion describes the ritual of the red heifer. •
Parshat Hachodesh: the Shabbat preceding
Rosh Chodesh Nissan. The portion read describes the commandment to recognize
Nissan as the first of the Hebrew months.
Other Special Sabbaths Other Sabbaths throughout the year are considered specially significant because of the time of year or the Torah portion and/or Haftorah being read.
Shabbat Shuva is the
Shabbat preceding
Yom Kippur and
Shabbat Hagadol is the
Shabbat preceding
Pesach. On both of these it is customary for the rabbi of the synagogue to give an extended lecture on a topic related to the upcoming holiday.
Shabbat Bereishit is the Shabbos immediately following Simchat Torah, in which the yearly Torah-reading cycle restarts anew.
Shabbat Shira is the Shabbos on which the Shirat Hayam is read as part of Parshat Beshalach; it is customary to leave out breadcrumbs before this Shabbos for wild birds to eat.
Shabbat Chazon is the Shabbos preceding ''Tisha b'Av
, during which the ominous haftorah of Chazon Yishayahu is read (this completes a cycle of three ominous haftoras leading up to Tisha b'Av
). Shabbat Nachamu
is the Shabbos following Tisha b'Av'' during which the consolatory haftorah of Nachamu Ami is read (this begins a cycle of seven consolatory haftorahs following Tisha b'Av, known as the ''Shiva d'Nechemta
). The Shabbat
preceding every Rosh Chodesh
(except Rosh Hashana
) is known as Shabbat Mevorochim''; a prayer is added to the liturgy in anticipation of the coming month.
Rosh Chodesh—The New Month Rosh Chodesh () is a minor holiday or observance occurring on the first day of each month of the Jewish calendar, as well as the last day of the preceding month if it has thirty days. •
Rosh Chodesh observance during at least a portion of the period of the
Nevi'im could be fairly elaborate. See, for example,
1 Samuel 20 • Over time there have been varying levels of observance of a custom that women are excused from certain types of work, as in
Megilla 22b:4: "the days of the New Moon, when it is customary for women to refrain from work". • Fasting is normally prohibited on
Rosh Chodesh. Beyond the preceding, current observance is limited to
changes in liturgy. :In the month of
Tishrei, this observance is superseded by the observance of
Rosh Hashanah, a major holiday.
Related observances: • The date of the forthcoming
Rosh Chodesh is
announced in synagogue on the preceding Sabbath. • There are special prayers, the
kiddush levana, said upon observing the waxing moon for the first time each month.
Rosh Hashanah—The Jewish New Year Elul and Selichot The month of
Elul that precedes
Rosh Hashanah is considered to be a propitious time for
repentance. For this reason, additional penitential prayers called
Selichot are added to the daily prayers, except on
Shabbat.
Sephardi Jews add these prayers each weekday during
Elul.
Ashkenazi Jews recite them from the last Sunday (or Saturday night) preceding
Rosh Hashanah that allows at least four days of recitations. Throughout Elul, the shofar is blown at the end of the morning prayers (except for on Erev Rosh Hashana). Psalm 27 is recited at the end of morning prayers and at the end of afternoon or evening prayers (depending on the community's custom) from the first day of Elul through Hoshana Raba (the last day of Sukkot).
Rosh Hashanah ,
apples and
honey,
pomegranates, kiddush wine •
Erev Rosh Hashanah (eve of the first day): 29 Elul • Rosh Hashanah: 1–2
Tishrei According to
oral tradition,
Rosh Hashanah () (lit., "Head of the Year") is the Day of Memorial or Remembrance (,
Yom HaZikaron), and the day of judgment (,
Yom HaDin). God appears in the role of King, remembering and judging each person individually according to his/her deeds, and making a decree for each person for the following year. The holiday is characterized by one specific
mitzvah: blowing the
shofar. According to the Torah, this is the first day of the seventh month of the calendar year, Morning prayer services are lengthy on
Rosh Hashanah, and focus on the themes described above: majesty and judgment, remembrance, the birth of the world, and the blowing of the
shofar. Most communities recite the brief
Tashlikh prayer, a symbolic casting off of the previous year's sins, during the afternoon of
Rosh Hashanah. Though the Bible specifies
Rosh Hashanah as a one-day holiday, specifies four different "New Year's Days" for different purposes: • 1
Tishrei (conventional "
Rosh Hashanah"): "new year" for calculating calendar years,
sabbatical-year (shmita) and
jubilee cycles, and the age of trees for purposes of Jewish law; and for separating grain
tithes. • 15
Shevat (
Tu Bishvat): "new year" for trees–
i.e., their current agricultural cycle and related tithes. • 1
Nisan : "New Year" for counting months and major festivals and for calculating the years of the reign of a Jewish king • In biblical times, the day following 29
Adar, Year 1 of the reign of ___, would be followed by 1
Nisan, Year 2 of the reign of ___. • In modern times, although the Jewish calendar year number changes on
Rosh Hashanah, in certain contexts the months are still numbered from
Nisan. • The three pilgrimage festivals are always reckoned as coming in the order
Passover-
Shavuot-
Sukkot. This can have religious law consequences even in modern times. • 1
Elul (''
Rosh Hashanah LeMa'sar Behemah): "new year" for animal tithes. However, the Halacha does not follow this opinion, but rather that the animal tithe goes by 1 Tishrei''.
Aseret Yemei Teshuva—Ten Days of Repentance The first ten days of
Tishrei (from the beginning of
Rosh Hashana until the end of
Yom Kippur) are known as the Ten Days of Repentance (עשרת ימי תשובה,
Aseret Yemei Teshuva). During this time, in anticipation of
Yom Kippur, it is "exceedingly appropriate" for Jews to practice
repentance, an examination of one's deeds and repentance for sins one has committed against other people and God. This repentance can take the form of additional supplications, confessing one's deeds before God, fasting, self-reflection, and an increase of involvement with, or donations to,
tzedakah "charity".
Tzom Gedalia—Fast of Gedalia •
Tzom Gedalia: 3 Tishrei The
Fast of Gedalia () is a minor Jewish fast day. It commemorates the assassination of the governor of
Yehud province,
Gedaliah, which ended any level of Jewish rule following the destruction of
Solomon's Temple. According to the simple reading of the Bible, the assassination occurred on Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishrei), and if so, the fast is postponed to 3 Tishrei in respect for the holiday and it is further postponed to 4 Tishrei if 3 Tishrei is Shabbat. However, the Talmud states explicitly that it took place on 3 Tishrei. As on all minor fast days, fasting from dawn to dusk is required, but other laws of mourning are not normally observed. A Torah reading is included in both the
Shaharit and
Minha prayers, and a
haftarah is also included at
Mincha. There are also some additions to the liturgy of both services.
Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement blows the
shofar •
Erev Yom Kippur: 10 Tishrei (Yom Kippur evening begins at sunset) •
Yom Kippur: 10 Tishrei (Yom Kippur day ends at sunset)
Yom Kippur () is the holiest day of the year for Rabbinic Jews. Its central theme is
atonement and
reconciliation. This is accomplished through prayer and complete fasting—including abstinence from all food and drink (including water)—by all healthy adults. Bathing, wearing of perfume or cologne, wearing of leather shoes, and sexual relations are some of the other prohibitions on
Yom Kippur—all them designed to ensure one's attention is completely and absolutely focused on the quest for atonement with God.
Yom Kippur is also unique among holidays as having
work-related restrictions identical to those of
Shabbat. The fast and other prohibitions commence on 10
Tishrei at sunset—sunset being the
beginning of the day in Jewish tradition. A traditional recitation in
Aramaic called
Kol Nidre ("All Vows") is traditionally performed just before sunset. Although often regarded as the start of the
Yom Kippur evening service—to such a degree that
Erev Yom Kippur ("Yom Kippur Evening") is often called "Kol Nidrei Night"—it is technically a separate tradition. This is especially so because, being recited before sunset, it is actually recited on 9
Tishrei, which is the day
before Yom Kippur; it is not recited on
Yom Kippur itself (on 10
Tishrei, which begins
after the sun sets). : The words of Kol Nidre differ slightly between Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions. In both, the supplicant prays to be released from all personal vows made to God during the year, so that any unfulfilled promises made to God will be annulled and, thus, forgiven. In Ashkenazi tradition, the reference is to the coming year; in Sephardic tradition, the reference is to the year just ended. Only vows between the supplicant and God are relevant. Vows made between the supplicant and other people remain perfectly valid, since they are unaffected by the prayer. A
Tallit (four-cornered
prayer shawl) is donned for evening and afternoon prayers–the only day of the year in which this is done. In traditional Ashkenazi communities, men wear the
kittel throughout the day's prayers. The prayers on
Yom Kippur evening are lengthier than on any other night of the year. Once services reconvene in the morning, the services (in all traditions) are the longest of the year. In some traditional synagogues prayers run continuously from morning until nightfall, or nearly so. Two highlights of the morning prayers in traditional synagogues are the recitation of
Yizkor, the prayer of remembrance, and of liturgical poems
(piyyutim) describing the
temple service of Yom Kippur. Two other highlights happen late in the day. During the
Minchah prayer, the
haftarah reading features the entire
Book of Jonah. Finally, the day concludes with ''
Ne'ilah,
a special service recited only on the day of Yom Kippur''. Ne'ilah deals with the closing of the holiday, and contains a fervent final plea to God for forgiveness just before the conclusion of the fast.
Yom Kippur comes to an end with the blowing of the
shofar, which marks the conclusion of the fast. It is always observed as a one-day holiday, both inside and outside the boundaries of the
Land of Israel.
Yom Kippur is considered, along with 15th of Av, as the happiest days of the year (Talmud Bavli—Tractate Ta'anit).
Day Before Yom Kippur Some consider the Day Before Yom Kippur, i.e. 9 Tishri, a holiday its own right. The day before Yom Kippur is not Erev Yom Kippur - which is the actual
evening of Yom Kippur on 10 Tishri, immediately after sunset and the recitation of
Kol Nidre. It is a mitzva (commandment) to eat on the Day Before Yom Kippur, with the sages saying that one who eats throughout this day and then fasts on
Yom Kippur proper receives merit as though he had fasted twice. Slight liturgical changes are made to Shacharit, while more significant liturgical changes are made to Mincha. Many Ashkenazi Orthodox men traditionally take a mikvah on the day before Yom Kippur.
Sukkot—Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) booth •
Erev Sukkot: 14 Tishrei •
Sukkot: 15–21 Tishrei (22 outside Israel) • The first day of Sukkot is (outside Israel, first
two days are) full
yom tov, while the remainder of Sukkot has the status of
Chol Hamoed, "intermediate days".
Sukkot ( or ,
sukkōt) or
Succoth is a seven-day
festival, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or just Tabernacles. It is one of the
Three Pilgrimage Festivals (
shalosh regalim) mentioned in the Bible. Sukkot commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. The word
sukkot is the plural of the
Hebrew word
sukkah, meaning booth. Jews are commanded to "dwell" in booths during the holiday. This generally means taking meals, but some sleep in the
sukkah as well, particularly in Israel. There are specific
rules for constructing a
sukkah. Along with dwelling in a
sukkah, the principal ritual unique to this holiday is use of the
Four Species:
lulav (palm),
hadass (myrtle),
aravah (willow) and
etrog (citron). On each day of the holiday other than Shabbat, these are waved in association with the recitation of
Hallel in the synagogue, then walked in a procession around the synagogue called the
Hoshanot.
Hoshana Rabbah The seventh day of the Sukkot is called
Hoshanah Rabbah, the "Great
Hoshanah" (singular of
Hoshanot and the source of the English word
hosanna). The climax of the day's prayers includes seven processions of
Hoshanot around the synagogue. This tradition mimics practices from the
Temple in Jerusalem. Many aspects of the day's customs also resemble those of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hoshanah Rabbah is traditionally taken to be the day of the "delivery" of the final judgment of Yom Kippur, and offers a
last opportunity for pleas of repentance before the holiday season closes.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah • Shemini Atzeret: 22 Tishrei (combined with Simchat Torah in Israel) • Simchat Torah outside Israel: 23 Tishrei The holiday of Shemini Atzeret () immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot. The Hebrew word
shemini means "eighth", and refers to its position on "the eighth day" of Sukkot, actually a seven-day holiday. This name reflects the fact that while in many respects Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday in its own right, in certain respects its celebration is
linked to that of Sukkot. Outside Israel, meals are still taken in the Sukkah on this day. The main notable custom of this holiday is the celebration of
Simchat Torah (), meaning "rejoicing with the Torah". This name originally referred to a special "ceremony": the last
weekly Torah portion is read from
Deuteronomy, completing the annual cycle, and is followed immediately by the reading of the first chapter of
Genesis, beginning the new annual cycle. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved. This ceremony so dominates the holiday that in Israel, where the holiday is one day long, the whole holiday is often referred to as
Simchat Torah. Outside Israel, the holiday is two days long; the name
Shemini Atzeret is used for the first day, while the second is normally called
Simchat Torah.
Hanukkah—Festival of Lights • Erev Hanukkah: 24
Kislev • Hanukkah: 25 Kislev – 2 or 3
Tevet The story of Hanukkah () is preserved in the books of the
First and
Second Maccabees. These books are not part of the
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), they are
apocryphal books instead. The miracle of the one-day supply of
olive oil miraculously lasting eight days is first described in the
Talmud (Shabbat 21b), written about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees. Hanukkah marks the defeat of
Seleucid Empire forces that had tried to prevent the people of
Israel from practicing Judaism.
Judah Maccabee and his brothers destroyed overwhelming forces, and rededicated the
Temple in Jerusalem. The eight-day festival is marked by the kindling of lights—one on the first night, two on the second, and so on—using a special candle holder called a
Hanukkiah, or a
Hanukkah menorah. Religiously, Hanukkah is a minor holiday. Except on Shabbat, restrictions on work do not apply. Aside from the kindling of lights, formal religious observance is restricted to
changes in liturgy. Hanukkah celebration tends to be informal and based on custom rather than law. Three widely practiced customs include: • Consumption of
foods prepared in oil, such as potato pancakes or
sufganiyot, commemorating the miracle of oil • Playing the game of
dreidel (called a
sevivon in Hebrew), symbolizing Jews' disguising of illegal Torah study sessions as gambling meetings during the period leading to the Maccabees' revolt • Giving children money, especially coins, called
Hanukkah gelt. However, the custom of giving presents is of far more recent, North American, origin, and is connected to the
gift economy prevalent around North American
Christmas celebrations.
Tenth of Tevet • Asarah B'Tevet: 10 Tevet The Tenth of Tevet (, ''Asarah B'Tevet'') is a minor fast day, marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem as outlined in
2 Kings 25:1 :And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. This fast's commemoration also includes
other events occurring on 8, 9 and 10 Tevet. This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see
Tzom Gedalia, above). This is the only minor fast that can fall on a Friday under the current fixed
Jewish calendar.
Tu Bishvat—New Year of the Trees • Tu Bishvat: 15
Shevat Tu Bishvat () (lit., "fifteenth of Shevat", as is the number "15" in Hebrew letters), is the new year for trees. It is also known as (
Ḥag ha-Ilanot, Festival of Trees), or (
Rosh ha-Shanah la-Ilanot, New Year for Trees). According to the
Mishnah, it marks the day from which fruit
tithes are counted each year. Starting on this date, the biblical prohibition on eating the first three years of fruit (
orlah) and the requirement to bring the fourth year fruit
(neta revai) to the
Temple in Jerusalem were counted. During the 17th century, Rabbi
Yitzchak Luria of
Safed and his disciples created a short seder, called
Hemdat ha‑Yamim, reminiscent of the seder that Jews observe on
Passover, that explores the holiday's
Kabbalistic themes. This
Tu Bishvat seder has witnessed a revival in recent years. More generally, Tu Bishvat is celebrated in modern times by eating various fruits and nuts associated with the
Land of Israel. Traditionally, trees are planted on this day. Many children collect funds leading up to this day to plant trees in Israel. Trees are usually planted locally as well.
Purim—Festival of Lots • Fast of Esther: normally 13
Adar • Purim: 14 Adar • Shushan Purim: 15 Adar • In
leap years on the Hebrew calendar, the above dates are observed in the Second Adar
(Adar Sheni). The 14th and 15th of First Adar
(Adar Rishon) are known as
Purim Katan Purim Katan Purim Katan () (lit., "small Purim") is observed on the 14th and 15th of First Adar in leap years. These days are marked by a small increase in festivity, including a prohibition on fasting, and slight changes in the liturgy.
Ta'anit Esther–Fast of Esther ''Ta'anit Esther'' (), or "Fast of Esther", is named in honor of the fast of
Esther and her court as Esther prepared to approach the king unbidden to invite him and
Haman to a banquet. It commemorates that fast, as well as one alluded to later in the
Book of Esther, undertaken as the Jews prepared to battle their enemies. This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see
Tzom Gedalia, above). While normally observed on 13 Adar, the eve of Purim, this fast is advanced to Thursday, 11 Adar, when 13 Adar falls on Shabbat.
Purim and Shushan Purim Purim () commemorates the events that took place in the
Book of Esther. The principal celebrations or commemorations include: • The reading of the
Megillah
. Traditionally, this is read from a scroll twice during Purim–once in the evening and again in the morning. Ashkenazim have a custom of making disparaging noises at every mention of
Haman's name during the reading. • The giving of
Mishloakh Manot, gifts of food and drink to friends and neighbors. • The giving of
''Matanot La'evyonim'', gifts to the poor and the needy. • The
Purim meal (''Se'udat Purim
or Purim Se'udah''). This meal is traditionally accompanied by consumption of alcohol, often heavy, although Jewish sages have warned about the need to adhere to all religious laws even in a drunken state. Several customs have evolved from these principal commemorations. One widespread custom to act out the story of Purim. The
Purim spiel, or Purim play, has its origins in this, although the
Purim spiel is not limited to that subject. Wearing of costumes and masks is also very common. These may be an outgrowth of Purim plays, but there are several theories as to the origin of the custom, most related in some way to the "hidden" nature of the miracles of Purim. Purim carnivals of various types have also become customary. In Israel there are festive parades, known as ''Ad-D'lo-Yada'', in the town's main street. The largest and most renowned is in
Holon. Most Jews celebrate Purim on 14 Adar, the day of celebration after the Jews defeated their enemies. Because Jews in the capital city of
Shushan fought with their enemies an extra day, Purim is celebrated a day later there, on the day known as ,
Shushan Purim. This observance was expanded to "walled cities", In practice, there are no Jews living in Shushan (
Shush, Iran), and Shushan Purim is observed fully only in
Jerusalem. Cities like
Safed and
Tiberias also partially observe Shushan Purim. Elsewhere, Shushan Purim is marked only by a small increase in festivity, including a prohibition on fasting, and slight changes in the liturgy.
Purim Meshulash If 15 Adar falls out on Shabbos, Jews in Jerusalem celebrate a unique 3-day Purim known as Purim Meshulash. The reading of the Megillah and the giving of ''Matanot L'evyonim
occur on Friday; the Torah Reading for Purim is read on Shabbos and Al-Hanisim
(the liturgical addition for Purim) is said; and the Purim Meal and the giving of Mishloach Manot'' occur on Sunday.
Pesach—Passover • Erev Pesach and Fast of the Firstborn, ("Ta'anit Bechorot"): 14
Nisan • Pesach (
Passover): 15–21 Nisan (outside Israel 15–22 Nisan) • The first day and last day of Passover (outside Israel,
first two and last two days) are full
yom tov, while the remainder of Passover has the status of
Chol Hamoed, "intermediate days". • Pesach Sheni (second Passover): 14
Iyar Month of Nisan As a rule, the month of Nisan is considered to be one of extra joy. Traditionally, throughout the entire month,
Tahanun is omitted from the prayer service, many public mourning practices (such as delivering a
eulogy at a funeral) are eliminated, and voluntary
fasting is prohibited. However, practices sometimes vary.
Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn seder The day before Passover (
Erev Pesach, lit., "Passover eve") is significant for three reasons: • It is the day that all of the involved preparations for Passover, especially
elimination of leavened food, or chametz, must be completed. In particular, a formal search for remaining
chametz is done during the evening of Erev Pesach, and all remaining
chametz is finally destroyed, disposed of or nullified during the morning of Erev Pesach. • It is the day observed as the
Fast of the Firstborn (תענית בכורות). Jews who are firstborn fast, in remembrance of the
tenth plague, when God killed the Egyptian firstborn, while sparing the Jewish firstborn. This fast is overridden by a
seudat mitzvah, a meal celebrating the fulfillment of a commandment; accordingly, it is almost universal for firstborn Jews to attend such a meal on this day so as to obviate their need to fast. • During the era of the Temple in Jerusalem, the
Korban Pesach, or sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, was carried out the afternoon of 14 Nisan in anticipation of its consumption on Passover night. No
chametz (
leavened food) is eaten, or even owned, during the week of Passover, in commemoration of the biblical narrative in which the Israelites left Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have enough time to rise. Observant Jews go to great lengths to remove all
chametz from their homes and offices in the run-up to Passover. Along with the avoidance of
chametz, the principal ritual unique to this holiday is the
seder. The
seder, meaning "order", is an ordered ritual meal eaten on the first night of Passover, and outside Israel also on the
second night. This meal is known for its distinctive ritual foods—
matzo (unleavened bread),
maror (bitter herbs), and four cups of
wine—as well as its prayer text/handbook/study guide, the
Haggadah. Participation in a Passover seder is one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals, even among less affiliated or less observant Jews. Passover lasts seven days in Israel, and eight days outside Israel. The holiday of the last day of Passover (outside Israel, last
two days) commemorates the
Splitting of the Red Sea; according to tradition this occurred on the
seventh day of Passover.
Pesach Sheni Pesach Sheni (פסח שני) ("Second Passover") is a day prescribed in the Torah to allow those who did not bring the Paschal Lamb offering
(Korban Pesach) a second chance to do so. Eligibility was limited to those who were distant from Jerusalem on Passover, or those who were ritually impure and ineligible to participate in a sacrificial offering. Today, some have the custom to eat matzo on Pesach Sheni, and some make a small change to the liturgy.
Sefirah—Counting of the Omer •
Sefirat HaOmer (Counting of the Omer): 16 Nisan – 5
Sivan Sefirah (lit. "Counting"; more fully,
Sefirat HaOmer, "Counting of the Omer") (ספירת העומר), is the 49-day period between the biblical pilgrimage festivals of Passover and Shavuot. The Torah states Symbolically, this period has come to represent the spiritual development of the Israelites from slaves in the
polytheistic society of
Ancient Egypt to free,
monotheistic people worthy of the
revelation of the Torah, traditionally said to have occurred on
Shavuot. Spiritual development remains a key rabbinic teaching of this period. Sefirah has long been observed as a period of semi-mourning. The customary explanation cites a plague that killed 24,000 students of
Rabbi Akiva (BT
Yevamot 62b). In broad terms, the mourning practices observed include limiting actual celebrations (such as weddings), not listening to music, not wearing new clothing, and not shaving or taking a haircut. Minor liturgical changes are made on Lag Ba'omer; because mourning practices are suspended, weddings are often conducted on this day. Lag Ba'Omer is identified as the
Yom Hillula (yahrzeit) of
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one of the leading
Tannaim (teachers quoted in the Mishna) and ascribed author of the core text of
Kabbalah, the
Zohar. Customary celebrations include bonfires,
picnics, and bow and arrow play by children. while Hasidic rebbes hold
tishes in honor of the day. In Israel, Lag Ba'Omer is associated with the
Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire. In Zionist thought, the plague that decimated Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples is explained as a veiled reference to the revolt; the 33rd day representing the end of the plague is explained as the day of Bar Kokhba's victory. The traditional bonfires and bow-and-arrow play were thus reinterpreted as celebrations of military victory. In this vein, the order originally creating the
Israel Defense Forces was issued on Lag Ba'Omer 1948, 13 days after Israel declared independence.
Shavuot—Feast of Weeks—Yom HaBikurim es, a traditional food on
Shavuot • Erev Shavuot: 5
Sivan •
Shavuot: 6 (and outside Israel: 7) Sivan
Shavuot (), the Feast of Weeks, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals (
Shalosh regalim) ordained in the Torah. Different from other biblical holidays, the date for Shavuot is not explicitly fixed in the Torah. Instead, it is observed on the day following the 49th and final day in the
counting of the Omer. According to tradition, this day has had negative connotations since Moses broke the first set of tablets on this day. The Mishnah cites five negative events that happened on 17 Tammuz. This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see
Tzom Gedalia, above). When this fast falls out on Shabbat, its observance is postponed until Sunday.
The Three Weeks and the Nine Days • The Three Weeks: 17 Tammuz – 9
Av • The Nine Days: 1–9 Av • The Week of Tisha B'Av (beginning at the conclusion of Shabbat preceding Tisha B'Av) The period between the fasts of 17 Tammuz and 9 Av, known as the "Three Weeks" (Hebrew: בין המצרים, "between the straits"), features a steadily increasing level of mourning practices as Tisha B'Av approaches. Ashkenazi Jews refrain from conducting weddings and other joyful events throughout the period unless the date is established by Jewish law (as for a
bris or
pidyon haben). They do not cut their hair during this period. Starting on the first of Av and throughout the nine days between the 1st and 9th days of Av, Ashkenazim traditionally refrain from eating
meat and drinking
wine, except on Shabbat or at a
Seudat Mitzvah (a
Mitzvah meal, such as for a bris or
siyum).
Tisha B'Av—Ninth of Av before the reading of
Lamentations on
Tisha B'Av • Tisha B'Av : 9 Av ''Tisha B'Av'' () is a major fast day and day of mourning. A Midrashic tradition states that the spies' negative report concerning the Land of Israel was delivered on Tisha B'Av. Consequently, the day became auspicious for negative events in Jewish history. Most notably, both the
First Temple, originally built by King
Solomon, and the
Second Temple of Roman times were destroyed on Tisha B'Av. While the fast ends at nightfall of 9–10 Av, the restrictions of the Three Weeks and Nine Days continue through noon on 10 Av because the Second Temple continued to burn through most of that day. When 9 Av falls on Shabbat, when fasting is prohibited, the fast is postponed until 10 Av. In that case, the restrictions of the Three Weeks and Nine Days end with the fast, except for the prohibition against eating meat and drinking wine, which extend until the morning of 10 Av. • Fasts for droughts and other public troubles. Much of the Talmudic tractate
''Ta'anit is devoted to the proclamation and execution of public fasts. The most detailed description refers to fasts in times of
drought in the Land of Israel. Apparently these fasts included a
Ne'ilah'' (closing) prayer, a prayer now reserved for recitation on Yom Kippur only. :While the specific fasts described in the Mishnah fell into disuse once Jews were exiled from the land of Israel, various Jewish communities have declared fasts over the years, using these as a model. Two examples include a fast among Polish Jews commemorating the massacre of Jews during the
Khmelnytsky Uprising and one among Russian Jews during anti-Jewish
pogroms of the 1880s. :Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the
Chief Rabbinate of Israel has urged fasting in times of drought. •
Fast of Behav (בה"ב). The fasts of
bet-hey-bet—Monday-Thursday-Monday—were established as a vehicle for atonement from possible excesses during the extended holiday periods of Passover and Sukkot. They are proclaimed on the first Shabbat of the month of Iyar following Passover, and at some point in Marcheshvan following Sukkot. Based on the model of Mishnah ''Ta'anit'', they are then observed on the Monday, Thursday and Monday following the Shabbat on which they are announced. •
Yom Kippur Katan ("little Yom Kippur"). These fasts originated in the sixteenth-century
Kabbalistic community of
Safed. They are conceptually linked to the sin-offerings that were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on each
Rosh Chodesh. These fasts are observed on the day before Rosh Chodesh in most months, and usually observed on the previous Thursday if Rosh Chodesh is on Shabbat or Sunday. • The Three Days of Darkness. While all Jews observe the fast on the 10th of Tevet, the Halacha also records optional fast days on the 8th and 9th days of Tevet, forming a collective "three days of darkness." The fast of the 8th of Tevet bemoans
the translation of the Torah into Greek, while the reason for the fast on the 9th of Tevet was "unrevealed" (much debate exists among Rabbinic and academic scholars as to what event this fast commemorates). ==Israeli/Jewish national holidays and days of remembrance==