[Avodah] Molad Alert: Friday night

[Zev Sero]

On 3/03/2011 7:07 PM, Prof. Levine wrote:

> A fellow gave me a card with the times of the Molad on it according to
> different opinions.

Huh?  There are no different opinions.

> IIRC, the real Molad is a good deal different from the one we announce.

Of course it is.  The real length of a month is different every time.
What we use is the average length, rounded to the nearest chelek.

> There is also the Molad according to the RAMBAM and at least one
> other person.

This is definitely not true.  The Rambam has the same molad as everyone
else.  If there's someone who has a different one, I'd like to know
who it is, and what possible basis they might have.

  
> Most people do not know that when the Molad is announced it is Jerusalem
> Solar time.

As opposed to what?  Standard time (AKA railroad time)?


> I have come to the conclusion that the announcement of the time of
> the  Molad really does not mean much to most people.

It's simply something the siddur says one ought to know.  So it's
announced, and we know it.  It's not meant to be of any practical
use.


-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher