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This year, 5768, is a Jewish leap year. This affects life cycle events such as Bar/Bas Mitzvah, Yahrzeit and so forth.

Bar Mitzvah/Bas Mitzvah

1. Boys born in 5755 will celebrate their bar mitzvah this year, 5768. Because 5755 was also a leap year, the youngesters born in Adar-1 or Adar-2 will become bar mitzvah on their birth date in 5768. Girls who were born in 5756 will reach their 12th birthday this year. Since 5756 was a regular year, girls born in Adar will come of age on their birth date in Adar-2 5768.

2. Boys or girls born this year in Adar-1 or Adar-2 will celebrate their bar or bas mitzvah on their birth date in Adar of 5781 or 5780, which are regular years. One interesting implication of this law is that a boy or girl born this year, say, on Adar-2 2, will celebrate his/her regular-ear bar/bas mitzah before an older friend who was born, say, on Adar-1 28.

Yahrzeit

3. If one's father or mother died in a leap year in Adar-1, all customs of Yahrzeit -- kaddish, study of Mishnayos, visiting the grave -- are done this year in Adar-1. If the day of death was Adar-2, Yahrzeit is observed in Adar-2.

4. If the death occurred in a regular year, most people obseve the Yahrzeit in Adar-2. [Because some authorities say that one should observe the Yahrzeit in Adar-1, some have the practice of saying kaddish, etc. in both Adars].

5.. If the death occurred on Adar-1 30, which is Rosh Chodesh Adar-2, the Yahrzeit in a regular year falls on Rosh Chodesh Adar, Adar 1.

6. Regarding the 12 months of mourning, one stops saying kaddish after 11 months have passed, with the two Adars counted as two months of this period.

Renting Apartments

7. If an apartment was rented through the month of Adar and the renter says the owner meant Adar-2 and owner says he meant Adar-1, one must consult a rabbinical authority.

8. If one rented an apartment for a fixed yearly sum, he is entitled in a leap year to get thirteen months of residence for his money. If, however, he rented the house for 12 months (or rented on a monthly basis), the rent for both Adars must be paid.

Vows

Although we have been exhorted not to make vows, there are some interesting laws in leap years pertaining to vows. We include a few of these for theoretical interest.

9. A person who vowed not to eat a particular food until the beginnin gof Adar and did not specify which Adar he meant, the food is only forbidden until the start of Adar-1. [Some say until the start of Adar-2.]

10. A person who vowed not to eat a particular food until the end of Adar, without specifiying which one, the food is forbidden until the end of Adar-2.

11. If a person was miraculously saved from harm in Adar of a regular year and vowed to celebrate that day every year, he celebrates the event this year in Adar-2. [Some say in Adar-1].

Prayers

12. Add "ul'chaporas pesha" to the mussaf Amidah of Rosh Chodesh from Marcheshvan through Adar-2.

Taken from Yad L'Achim Wall Calendar, Shevat Adar I 5768

To subscribe, 1800 709-2005 Yad L'Achim, 579 Fifth Avenue, Room 1420 New York, NY 10017

(0161) 740-9993 UK and Europe, Yad L'Achim, 114 Leicester Road, Salford M7 4GF, Manchester, England.

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