[Avodah] The Molad of Tamuz

[Zev Sero]

On 02/07/18 16:47, David Cohen via Avodah wrote:
> Regarding the question of whether any shul announces the molad in the 
> traditional format (hours and chalakim from 18:00), rather than using 
> modern nomenclature, see the article at 
> http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%206%20Loewinger.pdf, where Eng. Yaakov 
> Loewinger advocates doing exactly that.

So rather than being a tradition, it's a fringe innovation that someone 
proposed in an article, and perhaps one or two shuls have adopted.  Is 
there any community in the world that actually has this as its tradition?

As the author points out, the whole practise of announcing the molad is 
only ~200 years old, by which time the modern clock, starting at 
midnight and with hours and minutes, was already well entrenched; it 
therefore stands to reason that this is how it was introduced and there 
has *never* been a tradition of announcing it in any other way.

As for his discussion of the propriety of this announcement, I found it 
bizarre.  The purpose of the announcement seems obvious: as he himself 
notes there are multiple sources saying that it's proper to know when 
the molad is, and the most efficient way to let people know is for it to 
be announced just before they need the information.  I'm flabbergasted 
at his problem with this obviously useful innovation; we announce all 
kinds of things in shul: when mincha will be, upcoming community events, 
mazeltovs and r"l the opposite, sponsorships of various things, eruv 
status, etc.  Why not this?  How is it different?

-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 2018 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper