The concept of a “Day” (יממה) in History and Halacha, part 2
The series is based on שערים ללוח העברי by רחמים שר שלום הכהן.
A video of the author giving a shiur is at
The Google Translate version of the the text on the sefer’s page
https://www.machonso.org/mishol/item.asp?id=1898
In 5727, Rabbi Rahamim Sher-Shalom published the small and important book ‘The Basics of the Hebrew Calendar’, which concisely covered the basics of the Hebrew Calendar and brought great benefit to its users; but the expansion of the circle of those interested in the subject and the increase in the level of knowledge of many of them led the author, after 17 years, to compose his great book ‘Shearim to the Hebrew Calendar’ (Netanya 5744).
This book is unique in its appearance – an album edition (x3525 cm!), 235 pages, where each page includes one topic or sub-topic in the clear and precise handwriting of the author [!], including charts and tables – all ‘handmade’! 14 detailed pages in the book (hence its name) that include many chapters on the days of migration, the basics of the calendar (including appointments and postponements), the dates and their times, The day and its parts, the homelands, the periods, comparisons between the Hebrew calendar and the other calendars, and much more.
A complete picture of all the basic knowledge necessary to understand the various topics related to the Hebrew calendar, in clear and simple language, which meets the expectations of every ‘beginner’ – and also the requirements of an ‘advanced’ who wishes to deepen and expand his knowledge on this important subject, which includes a special combination of Torah and wisdom.
The author took into account that not all students of the book want to delve deeper into the set of topics, and therefore included on the second page of each cover a summary of the material presented in the chapter, while in the body of the chapter the topics are presented in detail.
A revised and expanded new edition from 5769. The new edition that came out after 25 years is based on the good old one, with the addition of new pages and parts of pages written this time in printed letters (which highlights throughout the book the additions and changes in the new edition).
The importance of the book ‘Gates to the Hebrew Calendar’ and its usefulness to the learner, researcher and anyone interested in the Jewish calendar cannot be overstated. This is a treasure that deserves to be found in every home.
Serendipitously, I found an answer to this question in my Yom Kippur machzor yesterday, quoted in the name of R' Chaim, the brother of the Maharal MiPrag, in his sefer Iggeres HaTiyyul. The scan of the page can be found here (lower paragraph): https://www.aishdas.org/avodah/faxes/machzor-why-minchah.jpg G'mar tov to all, ADE On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 at […]
Some of you may know that one of my pet peeves was that I was taught that the reason that wine was watered down in talmudic times was because wine was much stronger back in the day In my Latin lessons at school we learned exactly the same about Roman wines, that it had to […]
. I would like to posit two areas of halacha where, logically, we ought to commemorate a certain thing in a certain way, but we actually commemorate it in a very different - perhaps even diametrically opposite - way. The first is Lechem Mishne. By rights, someone who eats bread on *Erev* Shabbos ought to […]
RJR asked about the wine in Chazal's times, which was said to be too strong and require dilution, and yet we meanwhile know that wine did not have a higher alcohol content back then. Bim'hila, but I think that a common fallacy is behind the question: That dilution was needed because alcohol content was too […]
This morning, at 9:59am EDT, I wrote: > On Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 08:38:39AM -0400, Joel Rich wrote: > > How do you think the various prayers got their names? This doesn't > > fully satisfy me. > > I think it's just a time marker. The afternoon Minchah was a daily > mandatory […]
On Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 08:38:39AM -0400, Joel Rich wrote: > How do you think the various prayers got their names? This doesn't > fully satisfy me. I think it's just a time marker. The afternoon Minchah was a daily mandatory qorban immediately before the Tamid shel Bein haArbayim. (Just as the morning Minchah […]
In Avodah V42n68, RAMiller wondered why the *chasimah* for "Shofaros" mentioned *t'ruah* but not Shofar. Back in 2016, in a private message related to a M-J V63n3 reply of mine , I noted a Roedelheim-print footnote to the "Areshes..." for "Shofaros" which might be of interest to RAMiller and/or the list -- you can see […]
On Sun, Sep 22, 2024 at 10:51am EDT, I asked: > I want to ask a subtle question about the meaning of one part of Sim Shalom. > > Are we saying that Hashem gave us (1) Toras Chayim, (2) veAhavas Chessed, > (3) uTzedaqah, (4) uVerakhah, (5) veRachamim, (6) veChayim, (7) veShalom > > […]
On Mon, Sep 30, 2024 at 05:51:09PM -0400, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > Listening to a class on charity, the point was made that the donors' reason > for wanting their name on something may be positive... Kin'as soferim tarbeh chokhmah. Kin'as baalei tzedaqah... If you want donations to become a given, you may […]