This post continues this series on the Nishmablog that features responses on JVO by one of our two Nishma Scholars who are on this panel. This week's presentation is to one of the questions to which Rabbi Hecht responded.
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Question: Why is there a Jewish leap year this year? (2014?)
To
answer this question, it is first important for one to understand that
the general concept of a month originated with the lunar cycle -- the
amount of time it takes for the moon to circle the earth -- and the
general concept of a year originated with the solar cycle -- the amount
of time it takes for the earth to circle the sun. In that it takes the
moon approximately 29.5 days to complete its cycle and it takes the
earth approximately 364.25 days to complete its cycle, a standard of 12
months in a year developed – but this is not exact. This is the issue
with the Jewish calendar that leads to the need for a leap year.
Some
calendars were established with the solar cycle as the base, with
months determined by simply dividing the year by 12. This is the case
with our conventional Western calendar of 12 months with, generally,
more days in a month than are in the lunar month. The result is that our
months are not connected in any way with the movement of the moon. A
new moon may fall on any day of a month.
Other
calendars use the lunar cycle as the base with the years simply
consisting of 12 lunar months. This is the case with the Moslem calendar
with a year consisting, as such, of fewer days than the solar year. The
result is that this yearly cycle is not connected with the movement of
the sun, resulting in no month specifically being tied to a certain
season. While January of a conventional calendar will always be in the
winter, a Moslem month may, at times, be in the summer and, at other
times, be in the winter.
The
challenge with the Jewish calendar is that while it defines its months
clearly by the lunar cycle, the Torah’s further insistence that the
holidays be in certain seasons – such as Passover in the spring – demand
of us to also consider the solar year. Simply, the Hebrew month of
Nissan must always be in the spring. The result is that 7 times in 19
years, an additional month – the leap month of Adar 1 – has to be added
to the Jewish calendar to bring the holidays in line with the seasons.
These leap years consist of 13 months and we are presently in one of
these leap years.
The
further question you asked, though, was: why was this year specifically
a leap year? The fact is that originally, the determination of a leap
year was made by the Sanhedrin (or a committee thereof) judicially as
per the need. See Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:1; Rambam, Sefer HaMitzvot, Aseh 153 (with Ramban); and Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 4.
As those who made such decisions had a strong knowledge of astronomy,
the idea that leap years had to occur 7 times in 19 years must have been
known and would be considered a factor in making such decisions. It is
generally understood, though, that in times when the Sanhedrin
functioned the decision on a leap year was made judicially in response
to need and in the year in which the extra month would be added.
We have a tradition, though, that towards the end of the 4th century, Rabbi Hillel HaSheni,
the Nasi [President] of the Sanhedrin at that time, in response to a
concern for persecution of the Jews, computed a calendar that would
establish the future dates for observance of the holidays. This
calculation included the formula of leap years 7 times in 19 years. Our
present Jewish calendar is the product of this calculation and so it was
effectively mandated, in this manner, that this year would have an
extra month, i.e. be a leap year.
To
be honest, however, this does not really fully answer the question. The
further question may be: why did God create the lunar and solar cycle
in this way thus necessitating such calculations? Often, when we ask
questions, we assume the facts about reality to be a given and then ask
for an explanation of the response. That is the simple way of addressing
a question such as this one: Given the astronomical reality and the
needs within the Jewish calendar to both incorporate the lunar month and
the solar seasons, what was done to accommodate these requirements? The
challenge is that we also believe that God is the One Who created these
lunar and solar cycles – so we may then wonder: why did He not create
them to be more aligned? Why did God create the world in such a manner
that the calendar would demand such mathematical and judicial
dexterities? This is a question that I now leave you with.
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