Why does the Jewish day start at sundown?
by Rabbi Mendy HechtA. Think about it--what makes more sense: for a new day to begin when the old day ends, or in the middle of the night? That’s basically why the Jewish day begins at sundown--it follows the laws of nature. But a fuller understanding of why the Jewish day starts at sundown requires a quick examination of time.
B. When G-d created the universe, He created time, space and matter simultaneously. At the very beginning of Creation, the clock began ticking at 00:00 at the precise moment space and matter burst into being. Twenty-four hours later, Day One was complete. What does the Torah say? "It was evening and it was morning, one day." That first 24-hour day began with night and ended with day--and it’s been that way ever since.
C. Later, on Day Four, G-d assigned the sun and the moon as day and night markers, setting up the solar system the way it is today, but the Jewish day begins with night, because that's how time began.
Nissan 5770 (March / April 2010) |
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Shabbat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 Nissan March 16 Rosh Chodesh |
2 Nissan March 17 |
3 Nissan March 18 |
4 Nissan March 19 |
5 Nissan March 20 Parashat Vayiqra |
| 6 Nissan March 21 |
7 Nissan March 22 |
8 Nissan March 23 |
9 Nissan March 24 |
10 Nissan March 25 |
11 Nissan March 26 |
12 Nissan March 27 Shabbat Ha-Gadol Parashat Tzav |
| 13 Nissan March 28 |
14 Nissan March 29 Fast of the Firstborn |
15 Nissan March 30 Pesach |
16 Nissan March 31 Pesach Begin Counting the Omer |
17 Nissan April 1 Chol ha-Moed Pesach |
18 Nissan April 2 Chol ha-Moed Pesach |
19 Nissan April 3 Chol ha-Moed Pesach |
| 20 Nissan April 4 Chol ha-Moed Pesach |
21 Nissan April 5 Pesach |
22 Nissan April 6 Pesach Yizkor |
23 Nissan April 7 |
24 Nissan April 8 |
25 Nissan April 9 |
26 Nissan April 10 Shabbat Mevarekhim Parashat Shemini |
| 27 Nissan April 11 Yom ha-Shoah |
28 Nissan April 12 |
29 Nissan April 13 |
30 Nissan April 14 Rosh Chodesh Iyar |
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The Jewish Calendar has the following months ...
| Hebrew | English | Number | Length | Civil Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Nissan | 1 | 30 days | March-April |
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Iyar | 2 | 29 days | April-May |
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Sivan | 3 | 30 days | May-June |
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Tammuz | 4 | 29 days | June-July |
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Av | 5 | 30 days | July-August |
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Elul | 6 | 29 days | August-September |
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Tishri | 7 | 30 days | September-October |
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Cheshvan | 8 | 29 or 30 days | October-November |
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Kislev | 9 | 30 or 29 days | November-December |
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Tevet | 10 | 29 days | December-January |
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Shevat | 11 | 30 days | January-February |
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Adar I (leap years only) | 12 | 30 days | February-March |
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Adar (called Adar Beit in leap years) |
12 (13 in leap years) |
29 days | February-March |