Diary for 14 - 29 Nov / 17 Marcheshvan - 2 Kislev

Courtesy of AZAMRA

Friday night-Saturday 14-15 November / 17 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat VAYEIRA
Torah Reading: Gen. 18.1-22.24. Haftara II Kings 4.1-37 (Sephardi ritual: II Kings 4.1-23).

Saturday night-Sunday 16 November / 18 Marcheshvan
Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir David Kahane (1932-90, HY"D).

Monday night-Tuesday 17-18 November / 20 Marcheshvan
Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avraham ben David of Provence, c.1125-1198, known as the Ra'avad, author of critical glosses on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, a major commentary on Sefer Yetzirah and other important writings, and a key link in the transmission of the Kabbalah to the later generations.

Friday night-Saturday 21-22 November / 24 Marcheshvan
Shabbat Parshat CHAYEY SARAH; Shabbat Mevorachim
Torah Reading: Gen. 23:1-25:18. Haftara I Kings 1, 1-31. Since today's parshah records Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron from the Canaanites, many in Israel have the custom of spending this Shabbat in Hebron. Today is Shabbat Mevorachim, when we bless the coming month of Kislev following the Torah reading. The molad is on Friday 28 November at 03:26 a.m. and 15 chalakim.

Thursday 27 November / 29 Marcheshvan
Eve of New Moon -- Yom Kippur Katan ("Small Day of Atonement"): some have the custom of fasting from daybreak till nightfall and offering special penitential prayers.

Thursday night-Friday 27-28 November / 1 Kislev
Rosh Chodesh KISLEV

Attributes of the month of KISLEV: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: VAV YOD KEH KEH, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of the words of the verse Vayar Yoshev Ha'aretz Hakena'ani, "and the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw ..." (Genesis 50:11). The month's corresponding letter is: SAMECH; Human attribute: SLEEP; Body Part: KIVAH-Stomach ; Tribe: BENJAMIN; Constellation: KESHET (Sagittarius, the Archer).

Friday night-Saturday 28-29 November / 2 Kislev
Shabbat Parshat TOLDOT
Torah Reading: Gen. 25:19-28:9. Haftara: Malachi 1:1-2:7.