Guide to the Jewish Year

halachot lemo-adei hashanah

הלכות למועדי השנה

Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

שושן פורים

Shushan Purim (Adar, the 15th)

195 Taḥanun and לַמְנַצֵּחַ alike are omitted [שו"ע או"ח, תרצז:א].

שבת פרשת פרה

Parashat Para Shabbat (Shabbat before Shabbat Parashat HaḤodesh)

196 On the penultimate Sabbath in the month of Adar (Adar II in a leap year), a second Torah scroll is taken from the Ark; Parashat Para (Num. 19:1–22), third of the four special Maftir-Haftara units, is read from it. Haftara: Ezek. 36:16–38 [שו"ע או"ח, תרפה:ג]. אָב הָרַחֲמִים is omitted.

שבת פרשת החודש

Parashat HaḤodesh Shabbat (Mevarkhim Ḥodesh Nisan)

197 On the Sabbath before Rosh Ḥodesh Nisan, a second Torah scroll is taken from the Ark; Parashat HaḤodesh (Ex. 12:1–20), fourth of the four special Maftir-Haftara units, is read from it. Haftara: Ezek. 45:16–46:18 [שו"ע או"ח, תרפה:ד]. אָב הָרַחֲמִים is omitted.

198 Should Rosh Ḥodesh Nisan occur on Shabbat, three Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark. To the first scroll six men are called up and the week's portion is read. To the second scroll a seventh man is called for the reading of Num. 28:9–15. Half Kaddish is said. From the third scroll Maftir (Ex. 12:1–20) is read. Haftara is Ezek. 45:16–46:18. אָב הָרַחֲמִים is omitted.

ניסן

NISAN

199 Throughout the month of Nisan, Taḥanun is omitted on weekdays, while אָב הָרַחֲמִים (page 595) and צִדְקָתְךָ (page 689) are omitted on Shabbat [שו"ע ורמ"א או"ח, תכט:ב].

200 Many follow the custom not to eat matza from Rosh Ḥodesh Nisan [משנ"ב, שם:יב]. Some refrain from eating matza from Purim.

201 Matza may not be eaten on Erev Pesaḥ [רמ"א או"ח, תעא:ב]. On Erev Pesaḥ one may consume particular forms of matza not regarded as proper matza, for instance matza prepared with juice rather than water, or that was cooked or fried after baking [שו"ע או"ח תעא,ב].

שבת הגדול

Shabbat HaGadol (Sabbath preceding Pesaḥ)

202 The Sabbath before Pesaḥ is known as Shabbat HaGadol [שו"ע או"ח, תל:א]. A special Haftara is said: Mal. 3:4–24. It is the custom that the rabbi deliver a sermon relating to Pesaḥ.

ערב פסח

Erev Pesaḥ (Nisan, the 14th)

הלכות בדיקת חמץ

LAWS GOVERNING BEDIKAT ḤAMETZ

203 At the earliest opportunity after dark, one is required to perform Bedikat Ḥametz in one's home (page 805) [שו"ע או"ח, תלא:א]. Customarily a member of the household hides ten pieces of ḥametz to be found during the search [רמ"א או"ח, תלב:ב]. Prior to starting the search one recites the blessing עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ [שו"ע או"ח, תלב:א]. By custom the search is conducted at night by the light of a candle, though use of a flashlight is also permitted. Should Pesaḥ fall on Motza'ei Shabbat, the search takes place on Thursday night. Those intending to be away on Pesaḥ should perform the search the night before they leave, yet without reciting a blessing. Once the search is complete, one recites כָּל חֲמִירָא (page 805), an Aramaic formula disclaiming one's ownership of any ḥametz whose location remains unknown.

204 Shaḥarit: weekday liturgy. מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה and לַמְנַצֵּחַ are omitted [רמ"א או"ח, נא:ט].

205 Males born first are required to fast (תענית בכורות), unless they attend a siyum (a festive meal marking completion of a unit of Torah study), which is traditionally held right after Shaḥarit [שו"ע או"ח, תע:א].

206 Eating ḥametz is forbidden from the end of the first third of the day, [שו"ע או"ח, תמג:א]. Halakhic authorities dispute whether one measures the day from daybreak to nightfall (Magen Avraham), or from sunrise to sunset (Vilna Gaon). Local communal practice should be followed in this regard.

207 Owning ḥametz is forbidden from the end of the first 5/12 of the day, by which hour one should burn or otherwise destroy any ḥametz still in one's possession [שם]. כָּל חֲמִירָא (page 805) should be said a second time before the end of the first 5/12 of the day [שו"ע או"ח, תלד:ב].

208 Should the first day of Pesaḥ fall on Thursday, each household must prepare an Eiruv Tavshilin (page 805); this permits one to prepare food on Friday for the Shabbat meals [שו"ע או"ח, תקכז].

209 After Minḥa, some follow the custom of reciting the biblical verses describing the sacrifice of the Pesaḥ lamb (Ex. 12:1–13) [משנ"ב או"ח, תעא:כב].

210 Should Pesaḥ eve fall on Motza'ei Shabbat, the Fast of the Firstborn takes place on the Thursday before [שו"ע ורמ"א או"ח, תע:ב]. Bedikat Ḥametz is performed Thursday night, and on Friday morning the ḥametz is burned (see law 207) without saying כָּל חֲמִירָא, while leaving enough ḥametz for Shabbat. On Shabbat morning, once the last of one's ḥametz has been eaten, any leftovers must be given to a non-Jew