{"id":35409,"date":"2020-09-11T03:21:34","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T10:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=35409"},"modified":"2020-09-10T11:47:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T18:47:56","slug":"evolution-of-the-jewish-calendar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2020\/09\/11\/evolution-of-the-jewish-calendar\/","title":{"rendered":"Evolution of the Jewish calendar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rosh Hashanah greeting cards (above and below) from the author\u2019s family\u2019s collection. The cards are almost 100 years old. The translation of the one in which people are walking is \u201cInto the synagogue.\u201d It is signed by Chaim Goldberg, a well-known artist who also illustrated many children\u2019s books. The party postcard, also done by Goldberg, is a printed rhyme, which translates as, \u201cBoy, girl! Dear, refined! Who is like you? Happy letters, dear writings, I have for you!\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Jewish calendar is an amazing conceptualization of time that has evolved (what else?) over time.<\/p>\n

In his blog on the Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot website, Ushi Derman relates that, originally, the Jewish calendar was a solar calendar. But it was not just a solar calendar, it was a holy solar calendar, delivered by angels to Enoch. (See the Book of Enoch, the section dealing with astronomy, called \u201cThe Book of Heavenly Luminaries.\u201d) Temple priests had to follow a rigorous schedule \u2013 time itself was judged to be sacred. Thus, the Temple in Jerusalem was regarded as both the house of G-d and the dwelling of time.<\/p>\n

With the destruction of Jerusalem\u2019s Second Temple, the priests lost their power. They were no longer the mediators between G-d and the people. Authority switched to the scholars (our sages) of the Mishnah<\/em> (edited record of the Oral Torah), Talmud and Tosefta<\/em> (similar to the Mishnah, but providing more details about the reasons for or application of the laws).<\/p>\n

In a bold move, the scholars declared that G-d had handed religious authority to humans. \u201cEach month, envoys were sent to watch the new moon and to determine the beginning of the month. Thus, the ownership of time was expropriated from G-d and delivered to man \u2013 and that is why the Hebrew calendar has survived for so many centuries,\u201d writes Derman in the 2018 blog \u201cRosh Hashanah: The Politics and Theology Behind Jewish Time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is a lovely story from The Book of Legends<\/em>, edited by Hayim Nahman Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky, illustrating the above change. A king had a clock. \u201cWhen his son reached puberty, he said to him: My son, until now, the clock has been in my keeping. From now on, I turn it over to you. So, too, the Holy One used to hallow new moons and intercalate years. But, when Israel rose, He said to them, until now, the reckoning of new moons and of New Year\u2019s Day has been in My keeping. From now on, they are turned over to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps oddly, the Mishnah mentions more than one new year. In fact, it points out four such dates on the Jewish calendar:<\/p>\n