Ask a Lubavitcher Anything

[Dan]

Yes that part I know. But to understand whether it's the Jerusalem molad that counts or the local needs more insight.

Does this not mean to calculate the molad by Jerusalem, converted into your time zone?

[JlmBoi]

Does this not mean to calculate the molad by Jerusalem, converted into your time zone?

Seems so. Questions which Jerusalem time. Seems to be many opinions.

[Dan]

Seems so. Questions which Jerusalem time. Seems to be many opinions.

Only 1 zman listed in the Chabad Luach:



This opens up the next question, when is the deadline to bentch? I assume it's motzash in the US, but again how are the hours calculated? Is it JST-6 hours=EDT?

[M3B3LY]

I really dont know the significance of ז מהמולד...

The reason I have always heard was, that we want to make the Bracha from when the moon is already mostly full, and still in the period where it's growing, for that reason we would say it from 7-15 of the month.

And we go by yerushlayim specifically, because it's there where they decided if it was a new moon, to establish it to be a new month. Therefore it matters if it's getting bigger in yerushlayim specifically, and you'll adapt that to your personal timezone.

[aygart]

Yes that part I know. But to understand whether it's the Jerusalem molad that counts or the local needs more insight.

The molad happens at once for the entire world. The minhag is to be announcing the time used in Yerushalayim

[chbochur]

Link to where the Rebbe wrote this?

This is a mugah sichah.

[Dan]

This is a mugah sichah.

That seems to be for winter only, no?

[eliraps]

As it so happens, the actual molad this month was about 6 hours earlier than was announced. So we're for sure good. See https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/usa/new-york


The molad we announce is average and usually a few hours off

paging @eliraps for Halachic dissertation

[AsherO]

The molad happens at once for the entire world. The minhag is to be announcing the time used in Yerushalayim

Right, and ironically on many months it cannot even be seen from Jerusalem at that time.

[AsherO]

This is a mugah sichah.

Interesting, thanks for posting, but that isn’t a source for six days + as counting like 7 days.

[luckyluck]

That's the molad that was announced. The actual molad was ~10:25 Sat night in Jerusalem iirc. I'm not well versed in why this differs. In any case, why would every place not go according to when the molad was in that place?
See attached.

Complicated and fascinating subject

The time traditionally announced as Molad dates way back before time zones were invented. It is based on either apparent solar time or mean solar time in Jerusalem, and therefore needs several adjustments in order to be translated to today's actual clock time in Jerusalem (and then adjusted for different time zones).

Traditional Molad - Jerusalem longitude offset relative to it's time zone (about 21 minutes) - adjustment for the Equation of Time according to some opinions + 1h for daylight savings when applicable = actual Jerusalem clock time

Note that according to some opinions, the beginning and end of the period to recite ברכת הלבנה does not depend on the traditional Molad but rather on the true astronomical Molad. The traditional Molad however is essential to calculate on which day will be ראש השנה and therefore how many days should be in a year.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molad

http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%206%20Loewinger.pdf

[dirah]

Just to weigh in on the Kiddush Levana discussion:

1. Regarding whether seven days means full or not, and about winter months, see here from Dayan Raskin (will also post pictures below):
https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=30450&st=&pgnum=388
https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=30450&st=&pgnum=389

In practice, as far as I am aware, this (whether seven days means full or not) is a standing Machlokes amongst Chabad Rabbonim.
[The quote about the Tzemach Tzedek saying “when there may be clouds etc. we don't need to wait 7 full days and 6 plus days is enough” seems to be a misquote. The TT was saying that we could just rely on the Psak in Shulchan Oruch to do it after three days, as per the Shittah of Rabbenu Yonah. I don’t see how any inference could be drawn from the TT whether seven days means complete or incomplete.]

2. Molad is certainly calculated according to Jerusalem time. [As the previous poster mentioned, our modern Jerusalem time does not exactly match the Jerusalem time used to create the Molad cycles. It doesn’t even exactly match solar time there these days, but pretty close to it.] There just is no two ways about it because the lunar conjunction is an astronomical event that happens in one instant worldwide. The same concept is true of the Molad, even though it is just an average cycle of the lunar conjunction, it still represents one instant which is experienced worldwide at the same moment. The time given is Jerusalem time, and it needs to be converted into local time per time zone.

[Some Achronim (see Sefer Aleh Yonah) say that although the Molad is Jerusalem time, that very same time should be used worldwide without converting to local time, because the average person is not familiar with the astronomy behind timezones, and this phenomenon is accessible only to those who are schooled in mathematics and astronomy. To my knowledge, this is not the normative approach. It could also be argued that, these days, this assertion no longer applies, as timezones is a basic given in our day-to-day lives.]

3. Shulchan Oruch paskens that Kiddush Levana calculations, for both begin and end times, are made according to Molad even though it is an average cycle and not the true moment of lunar conjunction. An interesting (debated) exception is when there was a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse that month. A solar eclipse of course happens at the precise moment of lunar conjunction, and a lunar eclipse occurs at the exact time when the moon as its fullest. Since the “evidence is before our eyes”, many Poskim hold, based on the Maharil (Rishon), that we must dispense with the Molad cycle for that month and go with the moment of true lunar conjunction. [See Beis Yosef 426 and Nosei Keilim at length.]

[yelped]

The Kamarna who is the Kabalah guru argues that waiting for Zayin al pi Kabalah is mistaken and one should be Mekadesh the Levana as soon as it's seen (even before Gimel, if possible, which is against most poskim, but as I said, the Kamarna goes fully with Kabala, even against later poskim).

[Dan]

The Kamarna who is the Kabalah guru argues that waiting for Zayin al pi Kabalah is mistaken and one should be Mekadesh the Levana as soon as it's seen (even before Gimel, if possible, which is against most poskim, but as I said, the Kamarna goes fully with Kabala, even against later poskim).

I'm going to go with Alter Rebbe's understanding of Kabalah on this one

[yelped]

I'm going to go with Alter Rebbe's understanding of Kabalah on this one

As *you* should. Others should follow SA. Others can follow the Kamarna.

[MeirS]

I'm just seeing this now.

I only know what I posted and what I was later shown by @chbochur which seems to be the source although it may be somewhat of a misquote.
I appreciate all this conversation on this fascinating topic.
Just to add, I believe there is something called זמן מצרי or זמן קהיר which the current calculations used are based on.

[ckmk47]

I know there are no hespeidim at a levaya. But is there a chabad minhag not to talk about the niftar  at a sheloshim or any gathering after the levaya?

[AsherO]

I know there are no hespeidim at a levaya. But is there a chabad minhag not to talk about the niftar  at a sheloshim or any gathering after the levaya?

Hard to believe there’s such a Minhag, Chabad people have shloshim events all the time where they talk about the Niftar. והחי יתן אל לבו

[jj1000]

is there a chabad minhag not to talk about the niftar  at a sheloshim or any gathering after the levaya?

No.

[koplonko]

it may be somewhat of a misquote.

This is a mugah sichah.