Days of week on Hebrew calendar
Encyclopedia
The modern Hebrew calendar
has been designed to ensure that certain holy days and festivals do not fall on certain days of the week. As a result, there are only four possible patterns of days on which festivals can fall. (Note that Jewish days
start at sunset of the preceding day indicated in this article.)
does not fall on a Friday or Sunday, and Hoshana Rabbah does not fall on Shabbat
. These rules have been instituted because Shabbat restrictions also apply to Yom Kippur, and if Yom Kippur were to fall on Friday, it would not be possible to make necessary preparations for Shabbat, including candle lighting
, because the preceding day is Yom Kippur. Similarly, if Yom Kippur fell on a Sunday, it would not be possible to make the necessary preparations for Yom Kippur, including candle lighting, because the preceding day is Shabbat. Also, the laws of Shabbat override those of Hoshana Rabbah, so that if Hoshana Rabbah were to fall on Shabbat certain rituals that are a part of Hoshana Rabbah services (such as carrying willows, which is work) could not be performed in that year.
As a consequence, in the case of Yom Kippur, which falls on 10 Tishrei and cannot fall on a Friday or Sunday, the days in Cheshvan
and/or Kislev
are adjusted so that Rosh Hashanah, which falls on 1 Tishrei, does not fall on a Wednesday or Friday. And, in the case of Hoshana Rabbah, which falls on 21 Tishrei and cannot fall on a Saturday, Rosh Hashanah cannot not be on a Sunday. This leaves only four days on which Rosh Hashanah is allowed to fall: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which are also referred as the "four gates".
All the holy days and festivals fall in the months of Nisan
through Tishrei
, months one to seven. These months always have the same number of days, alternating 30 and 29. The next two months are Cheshvan
and Kislev
. Both or either of these months can have either 29 or 30 days, allowing for adjustments to be made and the schedule in the coming year to be manipulated. The months of Tevet
and Shevat
, months ten and eleven, have 29 and 30 days respectively. Finally, in a regular year the month of Adar
has 29 days, while in a leap year Adar I of 30 days is added before the regular Adar, which becomes Adar II of 29 days. The result is that the period from 1 Tevet to 29 Cheshvan is fixed, except that in a leap year Adar one of 30 days is added; and all adjustments are made in either on 30 Cheshvan and/or 30 Kislev.
The period from 1 Adar (or Adar II, in leap years) to 29 Heshvan contains all of the festivals specified in the Bible - Purim
(14 Adar), Pesach (15 Nisan), Shavuot
(6 Sivan), Rosh Hashanah
(1 Tishrei), Yom Kippur
(10 Tishrei), Sukkot
(15 Tishrei), and Shemini Atzeret
(22 Tishrei). This period is fixed, during which no adjustments are made.
The result is that all dates from 1 Nisan through 29 (or 30) Cheshvan can each fall on one of four days of the week. Dates during Kislev can fall on any of six days of the week; during Tevet and Shevat, five days; and dates during Adar (or Adar I and II, in leap years) can each fall on one of four days of the week.
* Postponed to not fall on Shabbat
With each gate, some unusual effects occur.
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
has been designed to ensure that certain holy days and festivals do not fall on certain days of the week. As a result, there are only four possible patterns of days on which festivals can fall. (Note that Jewish days
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
start at sunset of the preceding day indicated in this article.)
Reasons
The modern Hebrew calendar has been arranged so that Yom KippurYom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
does not fall on a Friday or Sunday, and Hoshana Rabbah does not fall on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. These rules have been instituted because Shabbat restrictions also apply to Yom Kippur, and if Yom Kippur were to fall on Friday, it would not be possible to make necessary preparations for Shabbat, including candle lighting
Shabbat candles
Shabbat candles are candles lit on Friday nights, 18 minutes before sunset, to usher in the Jewish Sabbath.Lighting Shabbat candles is a rabbinically mandated law. Candlelighting is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but in the absence of a woman, it may be done by man...
, because the preceding day is Yom Kippur. Similarly, if Yom Kippur fell on a Sunday, it would not be possible to make the necessary preparations for Yom Kippur, including candle lighting, because the preceding day is Shabbat. Also, the laws of Shabbat override those of Hoshana Rabbah, so that if Hoshana Rabbah were to fall on Shabbat certain rituals that are a part of Hoshana Rabbah services (such as carrying willows, which is work) could not be performed in that year.
As a consequence, in the case of Yom Kippur, which falls on 10 Tishrei and cannot fall on a Friday or Sunday, the days in Cheshvan
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
and/or Kislev
Kislev
Kislev Kislev Tiberian ; also Chislev is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar....
are adjusted so that Rosh Hashanah, which falls on 1 Tishrei, does not fall on a Wednesday or Friday. And, in the case of Hoshana Rabbah, which falls on 21 Tishrei and cannot fall on a Saturday, Rosh Hashanah cannot not be on a Sunday. This leaves only four days on which Rosh Hashanah is allowed to fall: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which are also referred as the "four gates".
The four gates
Since three arrangements cannot occur within the fixed calendar, most holidays can each occur on one of four possible days.All the holy days and festivals fall in the months of Nisan
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
through Tishrei
Tishrei
Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days...
, months one to seven. These months always have the same number of days, alternating 30 and 29. The next two months are Cheshvan
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
and Kislev
Kislev
Kislev Kislev Tiberian ; also Chislev is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar....
. Both or either of these months can have either 29 or 30 days, allowing for adjustments to be made and the schedule in the coming year to be manipulated. The months of Tevet
Tevet
Tebet is the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It follows Kislev and precedes Shevat. It is a winter month of 29 days...
and Shevat
Shevat
Shevat is the fifth month of the civil year and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 30 days...
, months ten and eleven, have 29 and 30 days respectively. Finally, in a regular year the month of Adar
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
has 29 days, while in a leap year Adar I of 30 days is added before the regular Adar, which becomes Adar II of 29 days. The result is that the period from 1 Tevet to 29 Cheshvan is fixed, except that in a leap year Adar one of 30 days is added; and all adjustments are made in either on 30 Cheshvan and/or 30 Kislev.
The period from 1 Adar (or Adar II, in leap years) to 29 Heshvan contains all of the festivals specified in the Bible - Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
(14 Adar), Pesach (15 Nisan), Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
(6 Sivan), Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
(1 Tishrei), Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
(10 Tishrei), Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
(15 Tishrei), and Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah...
(22 Tishrei). This period is fixed, during which no adjustments are made.
The result is that all dates from 1 Nisan through 29 (or 30) Cheshvan can each fall on one of four days of the week. Dates during Kislev can fall on any of six days of the week; during Tevet and Shevat, five days; and dates during Adar (or Adar I and II, in leap years) can each fall on one of four days of the week.
| Gate | Purim Purim Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th... |
Passover Passover Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt... (first day) |
Shavuot Shavuot The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan .... (first day) |
17 Tammuz/ Tisha B'Av Tisha B'Av |Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date... |
Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn... / Sukkot Sukkot Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days... / Shmini Atzeret/ (first day) |
Yom Kippur Yom Kippur Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue... |
Chanukah (first day) |
10 Tevet Tenth of Tevet Tenth of Tevet , the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, is a minor fast day in Judaism. It is a "low fast" observed from sunrise to sunset. The day has no relationship to Hanukkah, but it happens to follow that festival by a week... |
Tu Bishvat Tu Bishvat Tu Bishvat or Tu B'Shevat is a minor Jewish holiday, occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat . It is also called "The New Year of the Trees" or... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu | Sat | Sun | Sun* | Mon | Wed | Sun or Mon | Sun or Tue | Sat or Mon | |
| 2 | Fri | Sun | Mon | Sun | Tue | Thu | Mon | Tue | Mon | |
| 3 | Sun | Tue | Wed | Tue | Thu | Sat | Wed or Thu | Wed, Thu, or Fri | Tue, Wed, or Thu | |
| 4 | Tue | Thu | Fri | Thu | Sat | Mon | Fri or Sat | Fri or Sun | Thu or Sat | |
| *Postponed from Shabbat | ||||||||||
With each gate, some unusual effects occur.
Gate 1
- Rosh ChodeshRosh ChodeshRosh Chodesh or Rosh ḥodesh is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. The new moon is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed...
Nisan coincides with Shabbat. Three Torah scrolls are used for the Shabbat morning Torah reading: one for the weekly parshah, another for the Rosh Chodesh reading, and a third for Parshat Hachodesh. - The eruv tavshilinEruv tavshilinAn eruv tavshilin for cooking refers to "mixing of [cooked] dishes", whereby one prepares a cooked food prior to a Jewish holiday that will be followed by the Shabbat....
is prepared prior to the final day(s) of PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
. - In the diaspora, the final day of Passover is Shabbat. In Israel, this day is not considered a part of Passover. Nevertheless, ChametzChametzChametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated from , are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover...
cannot be consumed because it cannot be purchased on Shabbat or Yom Tov for this consumption. - The 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'AvTisha B'Av|Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date...
fall on Saturday. Since fasts other than Yom Kippur are not observed on Shabbat, these are both observed on the following Sunday. - If this is a leap year, in Israel there are no doubled-up parshiot during the year (Tishrei-ElulElulElul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
). - If both Cheshvan and Kislev have 30 days, then the 30th of Kislev (which is also the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tevet) will fall on Shabbat. Since this is also during Chanukah, three Torah scrolls are used for the Shabbat morning Torah reading: one for the weekly parshah, another for the Rosh Chodesh reading, and a third for the Chanukah reading.
Gate 2
- Rosh Chodesh Adar (or Adar II) falls on Shabbat. Three Torah scrolls are used for the Shabbat morning Torah reading: one for the weekly parshah, another for the Rosh Chodesh reading, and a third for Parshat Shekalim.
- PurimPurimPurim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
falls on Friday, and the Purim seudah is held earlier in the day. In Jerusalem, where Purim always occurs a day later, the observances are spread out over Friday, Shabbat, and Sunday (a "three-day Purim"). - The Fast of the FirstbornFast of the firstbornFast of the Firstborn ; is a unique fast day in Judaism which usually falls on the day before Passover...
is held on the Thursday before Shabbat (the 12th of Nisan). - Bedikas ChametzBedikas ChametzBedikas Chametz, or Bdikat Chametz, is the search before the Jewish Holiday of Pesach for Chametz. The search takes place after nightfall on the evening before Pesach...
occurs on the night of the 13th of NisanNisanNisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
(Thursday night). ChametzChametzChametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated from , are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover...
is burned on the following Friday morning, but may be consumed throughout this day and up until Saturday morning, at which time any remaining chametz is flushed. - During the Shabbat morning on Erev Pesach, there is a custom two meals are consumed early in the morning in order to fulfill the mitzvahMitzvahThe primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
of Seudah ShlishitSeudah ShlishitSeudah Shlishit is the "third meal" customarily eaten by Sabbath-observing Jews on Shabbat .-Practices:According to Halakha, the meal is to be eaten in the afternoon...
before the time in which Chametz can no longer be consumed. - Tisha B'Av is observed on the actual ninth day of Av on a Sunday, and there is no "week in which Tisha B'Av occurs" as a level of mourning prior to the start of Tisha B'Av.
- No eruv tavshilin is prepared at any time during this year (Nisan-Tishrei).
- If this is a leap year, in both the diaspora and in Israel there are no doubled-up parshiot during the year (Tishrei-Elul).
- The first day of Rosh Chodesh Tevet falls on Shabbat. Three Torah scrolls are used for the Shabbat morning Torah reading: one for the weekly parshah, another for the Rosh Chodesh reading, and a third for the Chanukah reading.
Gate 3
- Since PurimPurimPurim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
falls on Sunday, the 13th of Adar, known as the Fast of EstherFast of EstherThe Fast of Esther is a Jewish fast from dawn until dusk on Purim eve, commemorating the three-day fast observed by the Jewish people in the story of Purim...
, falls on Saturday. Usually, fasts other than Yom Kippur are postponed to the following Sunday. But as this Sunday is Purim, the fast is pushed back to the prior Thursday (the 11th of Adar). - No Yom Tov during the year (starting with Nisan) falls on Sunday, therefore havdalahHavdalahHavdalah is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and holidays, and ushers in the new week. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky...
during the Yom Tov kiddushKiddushKiddush , literally, "sanctification," is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.-Significance:...
is not recited at all during the course of the year. - The Fast of Gedaliah falls on Saturday. Since fasts other than Yom Kippur are not observed on Shabbat, this is observed on the following Sunday. This leaves an interval of just five days between fasts, the shortest ever on the Jewish calendar.
- During Tishrei, three holidays start on Thursday. In the DiasporaDiasporaA diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
, the eruv tavshilinEruv tavshilinAn eruv tavshilin for cooking refers to "mixing of [cooked] dishes", whereby one prepares a cooked food prior to a Jewish holiday that will be followed by the Shabbat....
is prepared three times. (In Israel, it is only made on Erev Rosh HashanahRosh HashanahRosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
.) - In Israel, this is the only occasion when there is a "three-day holiday" (the two days of Rosh Hashanah followed by Shabbat).
- Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat. This is the only occurrence in which a fastFastingFasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
is ever observed on Shabbat. Avinu MalkeinuAvinu MalkeinuAvinu Malkeinu or Abhiynu Malkenu is a Jewish prayer recited during Jewish services on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, on the Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur...
is not recited by Ashkenazim except during Ne'ilaNe'ilaNe'ila, the concluding service, is a special Jewish prayer service that is held only on Yom Kippur. It is the time when final prayers of repentance are recited at the closing of Yom Kippur....
. - The 10th of Tevet has the potential to fall on Friday, the only public fast that can possibly be observed on a Friday. The fast is not broken until about an hour after Shabbat begins.
Gate 4
- The eruv tavshilin is prepared on Erev Pesach (diaspora only) and on Erev ShavuotShavuotThe festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
. - In the diaspora, the second day of Shavuot falls on Shabbat, the only time Shavuot ever falls on Shabbat. (In Israel, Shavuot never falls on Shabbat.)
- Rosh Hashanah, SukkotSukkotSukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, and Shemini AtzeretShemini AtzeretShemini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah...
all start on Shabbat. On Rosh Hashanah, since blowing the ShofarShofarA shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :...
is not permitted on Shabbat, the shofar is blown only on the second day. Tashlich is also postponed to the second day. On Sukkot, the Four SpeciesFour SpeciesThe four species are four plants mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to Sukkot. Karaite Jews build their Sukkot out of branches from the four specified plants , while Talmudic Jews take three types of branches and one type of fruit which are held together and waved in a special ceremony...
, which are not taken on Shabbat, are not used on the first day. - Chanukah will begin on either Friday or Shabbat. If on Friday, then the Shabbat of MiketzMiketzMiketz or Mikeitz is the tenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis Jews in the Diaspora read it the tenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah. Generally, it is read on the Sabbath of Chanukah...
will not be during Chanukah; this is the only case in which this will occur (and where Miketz's proper haftarahHaftarahThe haftarah or haftoroh is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im of the Hebrew Bible that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice...
will thus be read). If Chanukah begins on Shabbat, there will be two Shabbatot of Chanukah, since the holiday is eight days long. - The 10th of Tevet has the potential to fall on Friday, the only public fast that can possibly be observed on a Friday. The fast is not broken until about an hour after Shabbat begins.