New Moon Sighting Affects Holiday Observances

[Trish]

Something that is new to me this year is learning about how the observances of some holidays depend on the sighting of the new moon. I am curious to learn more about this because there seem to be staunch supporters from both ends of the spectrum. Also, then, does the observance of Shabbat also depend upon the sighting of the new moon, counting every 7th day from the sighting (meaning it would sometimes fall upon a Tuesday according to the standard calender, or other day of the week)? This whole subject makes my mind swim! I've read up on both opposing POVs to some degree but that is only frustrating me more. Can anyone give me SCRIPTURAL backup for your reasons as to why you celebrate according to the rabbi's dates or according to the actual sighting of the new moon? Thanks!!!!

[Jody]

Shalom, From Yisra'el
"New Moon Report
November 2008
Ninth Biblical Month

On Saturday November 29, 2008 the new moon was sighted from Israel.
The new moon was first sighted:

*from Jerusalem at 16:42 by David Cachicas and at 16:49 by Nehemia Gordon;
*from elsewhere in Jeruaslem at about 16:49 by Dina Marcus and
Veronica Knowles;
*from Masliah at 16:42 by Neria Haroeh;
*from the region of Tekoa at about 16:52 by Bruce Brill;

Chodesh Mevurach!
Blessed New Moon!"

[Trish]

Jody, do you get this report from a website? If so, what is it...I'd love to sign up for updates!

We tried to spot the new moon but it was too cloudy here...

Blessings!

[Celia]

For 2008: So, if one is celebrating Hannukkah according to the New Moon sighting in Israel, would it start the evening of December 23..lighting the first candle at sundown? I get so confused by the counting...would day one be the evening of the Nov. 29th or would day one be the next night on Nov. 30?

Celia

[Dawn]

Celia, Turns out you aren't confused at all--Dec 23 is right.

If it helps, we have a calendar posted on our website that outlines the past couple of years. It's juxtaposed on the Gregorian calendar so those of us who are visual learners can get a sense of how it works visually--and how the two time keeping systems work together. The Gregorian calendar obvious goes from midnight to midnight; whereas the Biblical calendar runs from sundown to sundown as a "day" (or Yom in Hebrew) is defined in Genesis 1.

Here is the direct link for further research on the topic: http://community.tsiyon.org/smf/index.php?action=calendar

[Sombra]

Another question..Is it Nov 29 in Israel when it's Nov 28 here?.. I'm looking at a Jewish calendar and it says Rosh Chodesh ws the 28th.. now I know this is the Rabbinical Calendar - so I know it's based on the mathmatical formula, not on the sighting.. just wondering about dates.. what time was it here in North America when those in Israel sited the new moon?

So Jody, did you sight the New Moon on the same Nov 29th here in North America?

[YAHaloma]

I get these notices from jointohashem.org every Rosh Codesh to let me know when the moon has been sighted. It seems that more often than not, the first moon is sighted the same day, but Israel is many hours ahead of us time wise. I don't think it is a full day, only about a half (I am on the West Coast).

This is what this month's notice says, and I recieved it yesterday, the 29th:

NEW MOON SIGHTING!
The New Moon has been seen in Israel tonight as well as scattered places of the U.S. last night.
Look toward the western sky at sundown tonight and celebrate the goodness of HaShem in our lives.

Celebration Tips

Lighting of the Menorah
Reading Psalms
Blowing of the shofar
Celebration dinner
Special time of thanks and blessing

May HaShem open His floodgates of blessing upon you in this new month.
Chodesh Tov. (Good month)

Shalom
Mike Clayton

[Jody]

Shalom, Thank you for you comments and insight Brenda. I see you follow closely to Michael Rood's teachings.
Sombra, I believe Michael has a place on his web site where you can receive updates and notifications of the new moon sightings. The information I copied was from the Karaite web site. There are actually several sites which will notify you. My dh and I follow the Creation calendar strictly. As Brenda noted, we do have to use the gregorian/pagan sun worship calendar for purposes of business in this society. I also use the Rabbinic calendar (which is merely mixing YHVH's instructions and superimposing them onto the pagan sun worship calendar) "What fellowship has light with darkness?" Anyway, we base our lives on the cycles of the Creation calendar, so we know when to look and whether it can be sighted or not. Yes, we usually sight for ourselves, but I do check with the web sites when possible to see how we compare. We too knew the moon would be sighted when it was. Sometimes weather does change it a bit. I also go to the Naval Observatory web site and print out a copy of the moon cycles to use as a basis for my calendar. (In boxes with dates to correspond) this assists in the keeping track of multiple calendars. It really will be wonderful when we ALL will be keeping YHVH's Creation calendar and we will no longer need to try and keep track of three different calendars!! But that too is one of the sacrifices we make to keep in His time. YHVH bless you all in your search for truth.

[YAHaloma]

I, too follow a Biblical calander. However, I do NOT believe that Shabbat is determined by the moon phases. It is said that the moon shall be for the Modeim, these are the Feasts. Shabbat is not considered a Modeim.

A very good article on the subject of the biblical calander and why lunar shabbos is incorrect can be read here. It will do a much, much better job of explaining the facts than I can under my current mental state.

Shalom om brachot.......

[Jody]

Shalom Yahloma, I don't know of any who actually practice the Biblical calendar in discussion, who represent what is presented in that article. I have read many articles which present that the Biblically lunar based Sabbaths are incorrect, but their reasoning and basis for the same is not properly presented. They all make assumptions of what and why by misrepresenting. So unless one has actually studied and practiced, I tire of them "saying" what others know or believe.This subject, as are many others, wrapped up in ones emotions and can shake the very base of what we thought we understood and believed. I simply say, to search the Scriptures yourself with an open mind and throw out all the preconceived ideas.

[Trish]

Hi Jody,

I've also read many articles on the topic and a lot of them say that the Sabbath should be kept according to the 7 day weekly cycle. I see what you're saying though...their arguements are not very well presented. The "Holy Times" book has made the best arguement of all those I've read, so far, even though I would have an extremely difficult time in a practical sense keeping Shabbat according to the Lunar cycle. I am leaning towards keeping the Feast days according to the Lunar cycle, but I'm still totally up in the air about Shabbat. I think you're right...all arguements aside...Scripture is always the best teacher and if I can't find good Scriptural support for keeping Shabbat according to another calendar then it's best left unchanged for now.

I just wonder, back in the times of the Patriarchs, did they consider a day to be from the rising of the moon to the following rising of the moon...or from sundown to sundown? In other words, did the rising of the moon start the new day or the going down of the sun? If it was according to the moon, then there would be some days longer than others. However, it seems that the day going from sundown to sundown would be a more logical way of counting the days to me...and thus the Sabbath would be literally every seven days as we would count the days today. This reasoning, to me, makes more sense and this is the question I haven't been able to discern an definitive answer for in the Scriptures.

[Yochanan Chayil]

shalom,
remember, in 1 samuel 20 (specificly verse 5) ill let you look it up, but the short version is this: king saul wants david dead and david is hiding in Ramah. david says to jonathan in verse 5 "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon,..... so, it is my belief that there was a set calander then too. also, if you think of the hebrew slaves, a big question that comes to mind is 'could they keep the commandments while in the land of egypt?' i am not sure, but they were in the diaspora. which i also believe is the state that we are in. for example: if i lived in alaska it is either night for months of sunny for months...or days... point being, i would not be able to consistantly go by the sighting of the new moon. anyway, my logic is as such: Adonai is El, and He is not El of chaos but that of order and unity. so ya, thats my drash on the subject. i go by the set calander for the sake of unity and relationship....

sorry one more thing.... only the Father can determine if your heart is in the right place: so, just keep seeking after Him and never settle or be comfortable in your relationship with Him. imagine if my wife and i felt comfortable in our relationship now and never grew for 60 yrs... continue to water and feed your relationship and it will grow bigger and you will only thirst for more... SHALOM OUT!!!

[YAHaloma]

The reason David was able to 'predict' the new moon is that there are no more than 30 days between moons. If it was not sighted on the 29th day, then it would automatically be known that the moon would show on the 30th day. The only 'set' calander they had in regards to the moon was that they counted 29 days from the last new moon day, so they knew when to look for the next one.

The sun's appearance is affected in places like Alaska, but not the moon. Because of the 'sundown to sundown', Hebraic way of determining a day, that could get confusing, but the days are set, the moon will still appear according to the monthly calander for that area, every 29 or 30 days.