The Beholder’s Eye by Doug Brook
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February 2014
Southern Jewish Life
The holy hat trick The year 5774 first brought Kol Nidre the 13th, the last time that will occur in a September in the lifetimes of any of our exponentially great-grandchildren. Then it gave us Thanksnukah, the exceptionally extraordinary elision of Erev Chanukah with Erev Yom Turkey. Now, before even the midpoint of the hockey season, 5774 has gotten the hat trick. Neither the minor holiday of Yom Kippur (how big a Jewish holiday can it be, with no special meals?) nor the even more minor festival of Chanukah (how big a Jewish holiday can it be, with no special sermon?) holds a havdalah candle to the end of this trilogy. This February 1 is not only Rosh Chodesh February, but also Rosh Chodesh Adar — on the same day! Despite its obviously superior importance, both theologically and culturally, some people don’t even realize this winter blessing is happening. One can conclude This month’s calendar only that the media is too exconvergence has hausted after its overly extensive more significance coverage of Thanksnukah, and its underly extensive coverage of than Thanksnukah did Kol Nidre the 13th. But this doubled start of the new month is no ordinary Rosh Chodesh Chodesh. Of course, it’s mathematically possible for a Rosh Chodesh to occasionally fall on the first day of a secular month. But there’s many reasons why this instance is especially noteworthy. This Rosh Chodesh Chodesh is at the start of two leap months. Of course, February is the occasional recipient of a leap day, though not this year. And this is also the start of Adar I. You see, 5774 is a leap year, in which a leap month — a second Adar — is added. So, why is Adar I so special, if the second Adar is the leap month? Because the second Adar — the one that’s added — is Adar I. Adar II is the normal Adar from every year. (Don’t believe it? Ask your rabbi. And then blame your rabbi, on behalf of his or her profession.) Why is it called Rosh Chodesh Chodesh? Obviously, because it’s the start of two months — in this instance, February and Adar I. Seriously. Dare your local rabbi to show you any instance in the Talmud where a rabbi disagreed with the usage of Rosh Chodesh Chodesh for such an event. They won’t find one. However, this Rosh Chodesh is a two-day Rosh Chodesh. (Yes, some of them are.) So, with this third day of new-monthitude, why is it not Rosh Chodesh Chodesh Chodesh? Because that would just be silly. While the Talmud doesn’t decry this nomenclature either, ask your rabbi whether calling this event Rosh Chodesh Chodesh Chodesh would be silly. The answer will be “who sent you… stop wasting my time,” which is ancient Aramaic for “yes.” But they say comedy works in threes. They also say that bad things happen in threes. Therefore, bad comedy must work in two threes. Given that, Rosh Chodesh Chodesh being the third in the 5774 calendrical anomaly hat trick is actually two hat tricks in one. This sec-
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