A LEAP YEAR - Shenat Haibur - שנת העיבור - A Pregnant Year.
Parashat Pekudai concludes the Book of Shemot. Usually, this parasha is read as double portion together with last week’s parasha- Veyakhel. However, this year, 5784, is a leap year and the 2 portions are read separately. The last leap year was 5779, five years ago. So, let me explain how a leap year comes about.
Usually, there is only one month called Adar, but, this year, an additional month of Adar is added because we are in a leap year. So, we have Adar 1 and Adar 2.
The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle. Since a lunar month is approximately 29 days and twelve hours, we alternate months — one month is twenty-nine days and the next month is thirty. When the Sanhedrin (Rabbinical Supreme Court) was convened, the months were determined by witnesses who testified that they saw the crescent new-moon. The Sanhedrin would assemble on the thirtieth of each month to await the testimony of the two witnesses and then, that day would be designated Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of the upcoming month (rendering the previous month a 29 day month).
Since the thirtieth day of the month was always potentially Rosh Chodesh, whenever a month has thirty days, the thirtieth day is observed as Rosh Chodesh together with the next day, the first of the following month. In other words, Rosh Chodesh was observed for 2 days. However, if a month has only twenty-nine days, then the Rosh Chodesh of the following month will be only one day—the first day of the new month.
What this means is that 5784 as a leap year, has 13 months and occurs 7 times in a 19-year cycle. This is so that the lunar-based Jewish year should remain aligned with the solar and so, in a leap year, they make up the difference by adding an additional month – Adar 2.
If you are somewhat confused by this, then welcome to Jewish space where things are not always as they appear to be.
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