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Three Torah scrolls on Shabbat

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Here’s some halachic trivia for your next cocktail party.

We read from the Torah every Shabbat, but we usually read from a single Torah scroll, and occasionally read from two scrolls.

On three possible occasions (when Rosh Chodesh coincides with a special Shabbat) we read from three sifrei Torah.

  • 1st scroll: regular weekly Torah portion (aliyot 1-6)
  • 2nd scroll: special 7th aliyah for Rosh Chodesh (Numbers 28:9-15)
  • 3rd scroll: special maftir aliyah for the special Shabbat

How often do we get one of these special Shabbatot? Pretty often! We read from 3 sifrei Torah on Shabbat about 4 out of every 7 years. Read on to learn more.

1. Shabbat Shekalim on Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh Adar coincides with Shabbat Shekalim about once every 9 years. The weekly Torah portion is always Parashat Pekudei on a leap year, or either Parashat Mishpatim or Parashat Terumah on a non-leap lear. The special maftir for Shabbat Shekalim is Exodus 30:11-16.

Here are a sample of dates, recent past and near future, all occurring on 1 Adar II on a leap year, or 1 Adar on a regular year:

2. Shabbat HaChodesh on Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh Nisan falls on Shabbat HaChodesh once every 3-4 years (approximately 28% of the time). The weekly Torah portion is always either Parashat Tazria or Parashat Vayikra. The special maftir for Shabbat HaChodesh is Exodus 12:1-20.

Here are a sample of dates, recent past and near future, all occurring on 1 Nisan:

3. Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Chanukah

When Rosh Chodesh Tevet (the 30th of Kislev) falls on Shabbat Chanukah, we read the first scroll for the weekly portion (always Parashat Miketz), the second for Rosh Chodesh, and the third for Chanukah.

This also happens approximately 28% of the time.

Can all three of these special occurrences happen in the same Hebrew year? Alas, no. Shabbat Shekalim on Rosh Chodesh (the most rare of the three) never occurs in the same year as the other two.

The other two special three-sifrei-Torah-on-Shabbat days (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Chanukah and Shabbat HaChodesh on Rosh Chodesh) co-occur in about 1 in every 10 Hebrew years. This happens in years 5776, 5779, 5782, 5803, 5806, 5809, 5833, 5836, 5850, 5860, …

When one of these special Shabbatot coincide with Rosh Chodesh, the 6th aliyah of the regular parashah is extended to include all of the verses of what would normally be the 7th aliyah. In this way, the whole weekly Torah portion is read.

In case you were wondering: if a congregation doesn’t happen to own three Torah scrolls, the congregation waits while the scroll is rolled to the proper position.

Mishna Yomi

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We’re pleased to announce support for Mishna Yomi! This 6-year program of daily learning includes two Mishnayot each day in order to finish the entire Mishnah.

Mishna Yomi is also referred to as משנה יומית, Mishnah Yomi, Mishna Yomit, or Mishna Yomis. You can subscribe to the 7-year calendar feed here:

Apple Google Outlook.com CSV

Here is an example of what the calendar looks like.

January 2022

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
      1

Berakhot 3:2-3
2

Berakhot 3:4-5		3

Berakhot 3:6-4:1		4

Berakhot 4:2-3		5

Berakhot 4:4-5		6

Berakhot 4:6-7		7

Berakhot 5:1-2		8

Berakhot 5:3-4
9

Berakhot 5:5-6:1		10

Berakhot 6:2-3		11

Berakhot 6:4-5		12

Berakhot 6:6-7		13

Berakhot 6:8-7:1		14

Berakhot 7:2-3		15

Berakhot 7:4-5
16

Berakhot 8:1-2		17

Berakhot 8:3-4		18

Berakhot 8:5-6		19

Berakhot 8:7-8		20

Berakhot 9:1-2		21

Berakhot 9:3-4		22

Berakhot 9:5-Peah 1:1
23

Peah 1:2-3		24

Peah 1:4-5		25

Peah 1:6-2:1		26

Peah 2:2-3		27

Peah 2:4-5		28

Peah 2:6-7		29

Peah 2:8-3:1
30

Peah 3:2-3		31

Peah 3:4-5		     

Enjoy your learning!

Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac Jewish holidays download

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This page includes instructions on how to subscribe to a Hebcal Jewish holiday calendar 5-year feed in Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2021 for Mac, Outlook 2019 for Mac, and Outlook 2016 for Mac.

Microsoft now recommends that you sync your account to the Microsoft Cloud. “Available for Google, Yahoo, iCloud, and IMAP accounts in Outlook for Mac, this allows you to enjoy many of the best features of Mail and Calendar and Outlook for Mac.”

The following instructions demonstrate how to subscribe to a Hebcal calendar on Outlook.com, and then synchronize those calendars to Outlook for Mac on your desktop.

1. Open a web browser on your macOS computer.

2. Fill out the form with your preferences and click the Create Calendar button

3. Click the Download… button

4. Select the Outlook Web option from the Download dialog box

5. Click the Add to Outlook.com button. This button will take you directly to Microsoft’s Outlook Web calendar import page

6. If prompted, login using your Microsoft username and password

7. When Outlook Web prompts you to Subscribe from web, confirm your options (such as color and charm) and then click the Import button

8. Return to Outlook for Mac on your macOS computer. Go to the Calendar view, then select Tools > Sync

9. Check the box next to the Hebcal calendar in the Other Calendars section on the left side of the page and your events will display

Triennial Torah Reading revision

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Hebcal triennial Torah readings have been updated to reflect the November 2020 responsa from the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly.

The CJLS modified the triennial cycle for some combined parshiyot to change the reading for year 3 to be the third section of the parashah.

The following parshiyot have been modified:

Further details are available in the responsa: Modification of the Triennial Cycle Readings for Combined Parashot in Certain Years, Rabbi Miles B. Cohen, November 16, 2020

Hebcal for Apple Watch beta

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We’re pleased to announce a public beta of Hebcal on the Apple Watch! Sign up for Hebcal Watch Beta so we can collect your feedback and improve the app.

Hebcal Hebrew Calendar provides watch face complications with today’s Hebrew date and this week’s Torah portion. The watch app displays the next 60 days of Hebrew/Gregorian dates and upcoming Jewish holidays. No frills, no gimmicks, no notifications, just an easy way to glance at the date and parsha.

The Hebrew date and weekly Torah portion can be displayed as transliterations in Sephardic (e.g. “Shabbat” or “Sukkot”) or Ashkenazi (e.g. “Shabbos” or “Sukkos”) or in Hebrew (e.g. “שַׁבָּת” or “סוּכּוֹת”).

Select Israel from the settings if you are based in Israel and want to see the Israeli Jewish holiday & Torah reading schedule. The default setting is for Diaspora (outside of Israel).

The app requires an iPhone with iOS 13.0 or later and an Apple Watch® with watchOS 7.0 or later. The app requires an iPhone to install, but there is no companion iPhone app. It runs only on the watch.

As of September 2021, there are two ways to get the watch app:

  1. Sign up for Hebcal Watch Beta so we can collect your feedback and improve the app! The public beta installs via TestFlight, which will let you get early access to any new features
  2. Install the released version of the app directly from the App Store:

iPhone and Android apps will come eventually. Please stay tuned!

If have an iPhone but no Apple Watch, you can still get Hebcal holidays on your device via our download/subscribe process.

G’mar Chatima Tova

גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה