[Avodah] [Areivim] Zayin adar

[Micha Berger]

Another source, RHSchachter's devar Torah just sent out by TorahWeb
<http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2008/moadim/rsch_adar.html>.

Also, I see the Rambam says that mazal teleh is defined by the vernal
equinox (roughly March 21). This means that mazalos are associated
with 1/12 of the solar year, not the month and not the sidereal year
(one rotation of the starry backdrop, which differs by the solar year
by a day every 71 years, which is how the vernal equinox can move into
D'li, causing "the dawning of the age of Aquarius").

Even though we talk as though it has something to do with the chodesh
and the galgal mazalos, the Rambam uses a definition that involves
neither.

The same is implied by Rashi, Eiruvin 56b. Rashi says that tequfas
Tammuz begins on the longest day of the year, appx June 21, and
therefore the sun is farthest south. Similarly, tequfas Teves is
shortest, furthest north. However, the gemara says that the
northernmost mazal is Eglah and the southernmost is Akrav, not Gedi
(mazal Teves) and Sartan (mazal Tammuz).

This is because the solar year lost 3/4 of a mazal or so from matan
Torah to Chazal, and another 1 mazal from the tannaim until today. But
according to Rashi and the Rambam, the physical mazalos have nothing
to do with the influence of the mazal. (Much like the 6th hour and
Maadim?)

In addition, the imprecision of the calendar causes a second slippage.
There are now years in which Nissan is the 2nd month of spring, not
the first. As there are 6 seasons, Nissan would still be within Aviv;
even if it's a stretch to call the non-initial month the "Chodesh
ha'Aviv". So, even by the solar definition of mazalos, not every
Nissan is mazal Teleh.

When the calendar was made, Adar II would always be the last month
before the vernal equinox, and thus always be mazal Dagim. The
siderial year is a non-issue, and the halachic calendar didn't lost a
day against its origins yet. Today, there are years (like this one) in
which Adar II is in Teleh, and Adar I would be Dagim.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
http://www.aishdas.org     - Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, Alter of Novarodok
Fax: (270) 514-1507