5785 (and now 5786...): The Rarest Year of Them All Part XVII
As detailed in previous installments in our series, the previous year that just ended, 5785, was not only a rare one, but calendarically speaking, actually the hands-downrarest of them all. 5785 was classified as a HaSh”A year in our calendars. This abbreviation refers to Rosh Hashana falling out on Thursday (hei), both months of Cheshvan and Kislev being shalem (shin - 30 day months instead of possibly 29; these are the only months that can switch off in our set calendar), and Pesach falling out on Sunday (aleph).
A HaSh”A year is the rarest of years, and out of the 14 possibilities in Tur’s 247-year calendar cycle, this year type occurs on average only once in about 30.19 years (approximately 3.3 percent of the time). Indeed, at times there are 71 years (!) in between HaSh”A years. The last time this year type occurred was 31 years ago in 5754/1994. The next time will be 20 years hence in 5805/2044. The next several times after that are slated to be 27 years further, in 5832/2071 and then a 51 year gap in 5883/2122.
In comparison, our current year, 5786, is classified as a GaCh”aH year. This abbreviation is referring to Rosh Hashana falling out on Tuesday (gimmel), the months of Cheshvan and Kislev being K’sidran (kaf – meaning ‘in order’; that Cheshvan has 29 days and Kislev thirty days), and Pesach falling out on Thursday (hei). Not such an uncommon year, a GaCh”aH year occurs 6.2484% of the time.
The reasons and rules governing the whys and whens this transpires are too complicated for this discussion; suffice to say that when the Mishnah Berurah discusses these issues he writes “ain kan makom l’ha’arich,” that this is not the place to expound in detail, which is certainly good enough for this author.
Obviously, such a rare calendar year contains many rare occurrences. This series has been detailing many of them over the course of the previous year. Let’s continue on our journey closing off the unique year and starting on our current one.
Full Selichos
An interesting aspect that closed out our unique year is that for Ashkenazim, all of pre-Rosh Hashana days of Selichos (which technically were still recited in 5785) were recited. This is due to 5786’s (our current year’s) Rosh Hashana falling out on a Tuesday. As the Ashkenazic minhag is to always commence Selichos on a Motza’ei Shabbos/Sunday that is at least four days before Rosh Hashana, it is only when the following year’s Rosh Hashana falls out on a Tuesday, when it is possible for the “full count” of all of the 100 Selichos to be recited. Actually not so common, the next time this will occur will be 20 years hence, in 5805 (just prior to 5806). Just another noteworthy feature that brought our calendar year to a close.
White-Garbed
There actually is one last interesting side point, but it is related to the secular (U.S.) calendar – that Yom Kippur 5786 fell out in the beginning of October this year, a full month after Labor Day. However, this detail was not be too relevant to us. Since the only “observance” (that this author is familiar with) is not to wear white past Labor Day, Ashkenazim disregarded this unspoken maxim, and rather followed the great Rema’s directive to specifically wear white on the Yomim Noraim (and certainly on Yom Kippur) to be akin to angels on the holiest day(s) of the year.
Eleven Days of Leining
As we already broached our current year – 5786 – I will point out a noteworthy feature that “kicked off” the New Year. In Chutz La’aretz, from Monday, Erev Sukkos, through Thursday, Isru Chag Sukkos/Simchas Torah, there was leining for 11 consecutive days, which is the maximum amount possible in our calendar. The next time that this will occur will be in 20 years in 5806. [In Eretz Yisrael the most consecutive days of leining is 10; this occurs when the first day of Chanukah is Friday or Sunday.] This serves as a prime example of the dictum of “Anu Ratzim V’hemi Ratzim” [meaning, “They,” i.e. the secular world, ‘run,’ as do we] – but for very different sets of priorities. “They” “kick off” their New Year with parties and drunken revelries, while we do it by discussing the maximum amount of consecutive days calendarically possible to have Kriyas HaTorah. Mi Ke’amcha Yisrael!
The Longest Bentching
One final noteworthy feature of our New Year that I will discuss, is that Rosh Chodesh Teves will be on Shabbos. This creates ‘The Longest Possible Bentching,’ with the additions of not only ‘Retzei’ (due to it being Shabbos) and ‘Yaaleh V’Yavo’ (due to it being Rosh Chodesh), but also ‘Al Hanissim’ with ‘B’ymei Matisyahu,’ in Birkas Hamazon, due to it being Chanuka as well. According to calendar expert R’ Yosef Yehuda Weber, author of ‘Understanding the Jewish Calendar,’this concurrence is actually not so uncommon, but occurs 28.03% of the time, which is an average of once every 3.57 years, although sometimes there is a 14-year gap in between one Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Teves and the next. Either way, B’ezras Hashem, we will merit this ‘Longest Bentching’ this year.
I will conclude our year-long journey of highlighting many of the fascinating facets of 5785, the ‘Rarest Year of Them All,’ with the famous blessing for the New Year that many customarily recite on Rosh Hashana eve (in the ‘Achos Ketana’ Piyut; composed by the noted Mekubal Rav Avraham Chazan of Gerona, Spain): “Tachel Shana U’Birchoseha” - May the New Year and its blessings be ushered in.” Quite an apropos brachah, as shortly before Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah we received the wonderful news and welcomed the remaining living hostages home! Baruch Mattir Issurim!! May Hashem’s blessings increase and be fulfilled exponentially this year!!
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch famously wrote that “the Jew’s catechism is his calendar.” It is this author’s wish that by showcasing the uniqueness of our calendar year and its rare minhagim, this article will help raise appreciation of them and our fascinating calendarical customs.
This author wishes to thank R’ Yosef Yehuda Weber, author of ‘Understanding the Jewish Calendar,’ for being a fount of calendarical knowledge and for his assistance with this series.
Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive guide, rather a brief summary to raise awareness of the issues. In any real case one should ask a competent Halachic authority.
L'iluy Nishmas the Rosh HaYeshiva - Rav Chonoh Menachem Mendel ben R' Yechezkel Shraga, Rav Yaakov Yeshaya ben R' Boruch Yehuda.
