Chanuka and Rosh Chodesh Tebet

30th day of Kislev, 5771

Today is the 1st day of Rosh Chodesh Tebet, and the 6th Day of Chanuka, at night we light 7 candles

Besides Chanuka, today we also celebrate Rosh Chodesh Tebet.

In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) the name of this month is Chodesh ha-Asiri, the tenth month, counting from Nisan. The name Tebet was coined in Babylonia, same as all the other Hebrew months' names.

Some years Rosh Chodesh Tebet is observed for one day and some years -for example, this year- for two days. Why? Because Kislev, the preceding month, is sometimes "full" (consisting of 30 days) and sometimes not (consisting of only 29 days).

In other words: The 30th day of the preceding month is always the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the next month, and the second day of Rosh Chodesh is the 1st day of the new month. The month of Tebet itself, is always 29 days long and because of this lack of variation in the length of Tebet, Rosh Chodesh Shebat, the month which follows Tebet, will always be celebrated for just one day (the 1st of Shebat).

Today and tomorrow we say Yaale veYabo and al haNisism in the Amida and in Birkat haMazon. In the morning we read the full Halel, then we take out two Sifre Torah. On the first one we read the Rosh Chodesh portion, but instead of dividing it into 4 parts (or Aliot) as we do every Rosh Chodesh, we divide the reading into 3 Aliot. In the second Sefer Torah we read the part corresponding to the day of Chanuka.


The story of Chanuka in 1967 http://www.aish.com/v/ho/78754242.html

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024