The First Month in the Hebrew Calendar

Whether you’re a Jew or not, you probably know that the first month of the Hebrew calendar is called Adar. During this month, the Torah’s books of the Law and history come to life, and you can learn a lot about the Jewish faith and culture by studying this month’s holidays.

Nisan

During the ancient times, Nisan was a month of salvation. It was the first month of the Hebrew calendar, and also the first month of the civil year. It is also a month of spring. The Hebrew word nitzan is a Hebrew derivative of the nesa meaning “blossom” and av, meaning “spring.”

The rabbis have connected the month to the word nisan, which means blossom or to sprout. They claim that nitzan is a Hebrew derived from nasa, which means spring.

Nisan is associated with the constellation of the Ram, which is visible during the lunar month of Nisan. The Hebrew word nitzan has several meanings, including: a young goat, a blossom, and a springtime. Several rabbinic legends relate to the biblical month of Nisan, and the Torah names it as the hodesh ha-aviv, or the first month.

The Hebrew calendar is a rule-based lunisolar calendar, based on the moon’s revolution around the earth. The calendar was devised in the region east of the Mediterranean Sea, and was later altered to the Tishri, or seventh month, in the Exilic period.

Nisan is a month of redemption and freedom, as well as the birth of the Israeli nation. It is the month of the Passover sacrifice, and the beginning of the counting of the omer. It is also the month of the exodus from Egypt. In fact, the Torah calls it chodesh ha-aviv, or the “first month.”

Nisan was originally named Aviv, or the “spring.” It was originally called that in the Babylonian Exile. It was renamed after the fall of the empire. It extended from April 11 to May 10.

It is the first month of the Jewish calendar, and it is considered the first month of the year. It is also the first month to have festivals. The first of Nisan is a very important date in the Talmud and the Bible. It is the month in which the Israelites were given the commandment to sanctify the new moon. It is also the month in which the omer was offered in the Temple.

Tu B’Shevat

Known as the “new year of the trees” or the “festival of nature,” Tu B’Shevat is an annual Jewish land holiday celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. In modern times, it is celebrated as a tree-planting festival and is one of the most popular festivals in Israel. Traditionally, the Hebrew month of Shevat is thought to be the beginning of the spring season in the Land of Israel, and the earliest blooms of trees are a good indication of the beginning of this season.

In the past, Tu B’Shevat was an agricultural festival, based on the Israelites’ practice of tithing the fruit from their trees. The first three years of the trees’ lives were considered non-edible, and the fourth year was the first year that Israel could eat the fruit of its own trees.

The shivat haminim (literally, the seven species of plants) is a symbol of the seven plant species that are abundant in the Land of Israel. In 1908, the Jewish National Fund adopted a custom of planting trees on Tu B’Shevat.

Today, Tu B’Shevat is an occasion for environmental activism, and many Jews plant trees in honor of loved ones. A number of Jews, both Israeli and non-Israeli, celebrate the occasion with a modern version of the traditional seder. This feast is not typically a celebration of meat, but rather a meal that includes a variety of native foods. Usually, the seder is a mix of fruits, nuts, and dried fruit.

A number of scholars believe that Tu B’Shevat originated as a religious and agricultural festival. The sages of the Diaspora continued to celebrate the holiday after the destruction of the Second Temple, and even began to partake of the fruits of the Promised Land.

In the modern State of Israel, Tu B’Shevat is a national Arbor Day, and there are major tree-planting events every year. Many Jewish people take part in the activity, and many outside of the state contribute funds to plant trees in their communities. Interestingly, the custom of planting trees on Tu B’Shevat traces its roots to the Mizrachi movement, which was founded by Rabbi Ze’ev Yavetz.

Heshvan

Often considered to be the most painful of the Hebrew months, Cheshvan is a time of hardship and spiritual deterioration. It is also known as Marheshvan, “mar” meaning bitter. It is the month of the first rains in Israel. In some Jewish traditions, it is a time when the rainy season begins.

The word “HeSHvan” is derived from the Hebrew word “shin” which means “weekday” and the Hebrew letter “SH” which is short for “shin”. It is the eighth ecclesiastical month in the Hebrew calendar. It usually occurs in October or November on the civil calendar. In the ancient Hebrew calendar, the month of Cheshvan coincided with the time of Noah’s flood. It was during the month of Cheshvan that King Solomon built the First Temple.

The Hebrew calendar is based on the movement of the moon around Earth. It is a rule-based lunisolar calendar. It uses three astronomical phenomena to create its cycles: the rotation of the Earth about the axis, the revolution of the moon around the Earth, and the cycle of molad, the instant of mean lunar conjunction.

The calendar repeats every 19 years, or 235 lunations. It is a Metonic calendar, meaning it recurs in a 19-year cycle. Its epoch is one year before the traditional Jewish date of Creation. The modern Hebrew calendar epoch is 1 Tishri AM, which is Monday, October 7, 3761 BCE.

The Hebrew calendar is distinct from the Gregorian calendar, as it uses a different number of days for each month. The Hebrew calendar also has thirteen months, and a leap year adds an extra month. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is arbitrary and has no relationship to the moon cycles, the Hebrew calendar is based on astronomical events and measures years in lunar cycles. In order to keep the calendar in sync with the solar cycles, leap years are used to replace Adar with Adar II. During a leap year, a second month is added before Adar II. This ensures that the Jewish calendar months fall in the same seasons.

The Hebrew calendar is organized into four groups: common years, common years between two leap years, jubilee years, and leap years. Each common year is divided into four sub-groups. The common year between the two leap years is the year of Pesach and Elul. The Jewish new year is celebrated on the beginning of Tishrei, which is the seventh month in the ancient calendar.

Adar

Known as Adar in the Bible, this month has a very special place in Jewish history. After the destruction of the First Temple, the Jews were exiled to Babylon. They were later placed under the authority of the Persian Empire.

The name Adar was adopted during the captivity of the Babylonians. The Persian Empire included most of the known world. They placed the entire Jewish population under their control. During this time, Adar was the last month of the Biblical calendar. It was also the sixth month of the civil year.

The Hebrew calendar is based on the revolution of Earth around the sun. The months are numbered from Nisan to Shevat, and each is either full or defective. The Hebrew letter bet has a value of 2. Fish, as in Adar, have a symbolic meaning of kindness and love.

Adar is also known as the month of joy. It has two special Shabbats. The first is Shabbat Shekalim, which occurs on a Shabbat before Adar 1. The second is Shabbat Zachor, which is known as the Shabbat of Amalek. This day is followed by a commandment to remember the attack of Amalek.

Adar is a time of renewed purpose and faith. It is a time of turning away from sin and preparing for the Passover. It is also a time when people can make New Year’s resolutions.

Adar is also the month when people celebrate Purim. This holiday is connected with the Book of Esther in the Bible. It is a celebration of God’s deliverance of His people. This holiday always falls a month before Passover. During the Purim celebration, darkness is transformed into light. It is celebrated only when the Moshiach consciousness is present.

The Hebrew calendar has several “New Years” depending on various factors. The rabbis insert leap months at the end of the year seven times in every 19-year cycle. The extra month is added to ensure that lunar cycles remain synchronized with the solar cycle. These leap months are fixed in third, sixth, eighth, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of the cycle.