INTRODUCTION The original Ezras Torah Wall and Pocket Calendars have become an extremely popular and almost indispensable tool for thousands of Rabbonim and Gabbaim, for whom the work was intended. Each entry to this now classic work was produced with painstaking care and devotion. The original Luach was intended as an on- the-spot aid, not as a replacement for a thorough familiarity with the Halachic sources. In truth, this is a translation of a work that was never intended for the general public. However, because we are living in a time of an incredible thirst and desire for Torah knowledge on the part of thousands of people who are unable to read the original sources, the decision was made to translate the pocket calendar with the inclusion of some explanatory remarks. Any errors in the Luach should be considered as errors in translation. The Translators ET5769d.indd 1 5/26/08 1:17:05 PM THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE YEAR 5769 from the creation of the world. Rosh HaShanah falls out :גכ"ה Symbol is on Tuesday (the third day of the week;) Cheshvan is 9 days and Kislev 30 days Pesach falls out on Thursday - (כסדרן) (the fifth day of the week). The year is a regular year consisting of 354 days and containing 50 Shabosos. It is the th year of the 304th minor (9 year) Lunar cycle and the st year of the 07th major (8 year) Solar cycle. It is the First year of the Shemitah cycle (seven years) according to the computation of the Gaonim and as is accepted as the custom in the Land of Israel. The beginning of each of the four periods that mark the different seasonal skies that are result of the earth's revolution around the sun are as follows: Tekufas Tishrei: 8 Tishrei (Tuesday, Oct. 7) at 3:00 AM. Tekufas Teves: 0 Teves (Tueday, Jan. 6) at 0:30 AM. Tekufas Nisan: 4 Nisan (Tuesday night April 7) at 6:00 PM. Tekufas Tamuz: 6 Tamuz (Wednesday, July 8) at :30 AM. ET5769d.indd 2 5/26/08 1:17:05 PM THE TIMES OF מולדות THE NEW MOON The Molads are announced by the Gabbai at the time of the Blessing of the New Month, which takes place on the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh (with the exception of the month of Tishrei whose Molad is not announced) . The time for the Molad of each month is traditionally expressed in the minutes, and Chalokim after the hour. (A Cheilek, the smallest traditional measurement of the time, is /080 of an hour, or /8 of a minute, which amounts to a little more than three seconds.) Thus, the traditional way of announcing the Molad for MarCheshvan would be to announce: "The Molad for MarCheshvan will be Wednesday afternoon 4 minutes and 4 chalakim after ." TISHREI: – Tuesday, Sep. 30, :58 AM and 3 Chalokim. MARCHESHVAN: – Wednesday, Oct. 9, :4 PM and 4 Chalokim. KISLEV: – Friday, Nov. 8, 3:6 AM and 5 Chalokim. TEVES:– Saturday, Dec. 7, 4:0 PM and 6 Chalokim. SHEVAT: – Monday, Jan. 6, 4:54 AM and 7 Chalokim ADAR: – Tuesday, Feb. 4, 5:39 PM NISAN: – Thursday, Mar. 6, 6:3 AM and Chalek 3 ET5769d.indd 3 5/26/08 1:17:05 PM IYAR: – Friday, Apr. 4, 7:07 PM and Chalokim. SIVAN: – Sunday, May 4, 7:5 AM. and 3 Chalokim. TAMUZ: – Monday, June , 8:35 PM and 4 Chalokim. AV: – Wednesday, July , 9:9 AM and 5 Chalokim. ELUL: – Thursday, Aug. 0, 0:03 PM and 6 Chalokim. IMPORTANT NOTE: All times listed above are according to Jerusalem Solar Time (see note on page 64). Candle lighting listings for Shabbos and Yom Tov are 0 minutes before sunset and all time listings at the end of the Luach are Standard Time. 4 ET5769d.indd 4 5/26/08 1:17:05 PM ET5769d.indd 5 ET5769d.indd 5/26/08 1:17:06 PM 1:17:06 5/26/08 5 ntks /awh: shbxred iwh 85 nhbtr nhr 31 jkqhu bel 1 9 2 . d e W nhrttel fe e' sw"j jaty k 8 2 . e u T fr shbxred f gw"j 7 2 . n o M fj nebred hr 6 2 . n u S fz ztbred hj virwv fv enw 5 2 . t a S ft hz ac/ i' cweah/ ncv"j 4 2 . i r F fv iwhhred rz 3 2 . u h T fs rt sebgwa. exwt jd 2 2 . d e W fd hs nhrttel anj/ /twv 1 2 . e u T fc hd shbxred anhbh gmw/, hzftw, dau 0 2 . n o M fe hc nebred vtagbe wcv 9 1 . n u S f he ztbred s' sjtv"n, esty vntahg 8 1 . t a S hr h ac/ ac/ jtv"n, etu bmtwv, qvk/ 7 1 . i r F hj iwhhred r c' sjtv"n, e-k kntagt/ 6 1 . u h T hz sebgwa. j e' sjtv"n, egwtl atgh 5 1 . d e W rz z nhrttel c' sxtft/, ecy a/h' 4 1 . e u T rt t shbxred e' sxtft/, kngy en/l 3 1 . n o M hs v nebred gwc xtft/ 2 1 . n u S hd s ztbred virwv thscw sts y 1 1 . t a S hc d h c/ i' vezhbt a a t 0 1 . i r F he c whhred i s h q 9 . u h T h m sebgwa. htu fitw, hzftw 8 . d e W r nhrttel ir ght"f, fk bswh 7 . e u T j shbxred ij h"d nst/, /qti/ /awh j' ct .M.A 00:3 6 . n o M z nebred iz 5 . n u S t ztbred it virwv atcv hawek 4 . t a S v iv ac/ i' thkl, ac/ atcv 3 . i r F s iwhhred is 2 . u h T d sebgwa. id mtu dskh' 1 . d e W R E B O T C O c nhrttel ic c' swea vabv \ y 0 3 h . e u T e shbxred ie e' swea vabv, akhl / r h d gwc wea vabv vhtnh /awh /ax"r – nezbhu 80' .TCO–.TPES sp May the year and its blessings begins blessings its and year the May וברכותיה שנה תחל שנה וברכותיה TISHREI 5769 TISHREI תשרי ערב ראש השנה EREV ROSH HASHANAH MONDAY, SEPT. 9, 9 ELUL (Some are accustomed to fast until noon.) We begin saying the many Selichos זכור" of Erev Rosh HaShanah that include before the pre-dawn sky begins to ,"ברית brighten; Tachanun during Selichos but not during morning or afternoon prayers. עמוד One who arose before .למנצח We say and at that time washed his hands השחר in the prescribed manner, three times alternately on each hand, must wash them again three times after dawn (see Mishne Brurah on Orach Chaim 4:4). We three Aliyahs in Parshas ;א-ל ארך אפים say We do not sound .למנצח Vayeilech; we say the Shofar at all during the day to make a distinction between the Shofar of Elul and the obligatory Shofar of Rosh HaShanah; .התרת נדרים :noted זצ"ל Harav Yosef Eliahu Henkin] The Chazzan and the Baal T'kiah (the one who sounds the shofar) must be Torah observant, pious individuals who understand the meaning of what they are saying and doing. The melodies used should not distort or interfere with the words of the prayers. Willful and blatant transgressors may not be permitted to represent the congregation. During the rest of the year, too, and especially, during the Ten Days of Repentance, such people should not lead public prayer even 6 ET5769d.indd 6 5/26/08 1:17:06 PM if they are mourners or have a Yahrzeit — for their prayers are of no benefit to the deceased.] We take haircuts and bathe in honor of the approaching holiday. Immersion in a Mikveh, preferably after midday, is appropriate so that we may enter the Day of Judgement in a state of holiness and purity. CANDLE-LIGHTING / הדלקת נרות The Brachos over candle-lighting It is .שהחיינו and להדליק נר של יום טוב are a good habit to give Tzedakah before candle-lighting for Shabbos and Yom Tov (an Ezras Torah pushka may be obtained for this purpose). It is proper that at this time a woman pray for sons who will be Torah luminaries (Mishne Brurah 63:). א' דראש השנה FIRST DAY ROSH HASHANAH MONDAY EVENING, SEPT. 9, TISHREI One comes to Shul on Monday afternoon, the eve of Rosh HaShanah with reverence and trepidation for the approaching Divine Judgement. During the Ten Days of Repentance it is proper for everyone to pray at the proper time with a Minyan, even if one is not usually so conscientious. Also, in other areas of 7 ET5769d.indd 7 5/26/08 1:17:06 PM religious observance one should adopt pieties not ordinarily observed the rest of the year, during these ten days, beginning with Rosh HaShanah and ending with Yom Kippur, for this is a special time for repentance and Divine mercy. One should be particularly careful throughout the (Amen) אמן entire year to respond with in the correct manner. For example, one in a hasty fashion אמן should not answer before the Chazzan completes the entirety of the Bracha. (See Orach Chaim 4 for additional laws regarding the response A warning to the Chazzan (during .(אמן of the repetition of the Shemonah Esrei) not to start the next bracha until most of the congregation answered amen.