5768 - Interesting Year

HaRav HaGaon Mordechai Ganut Shlita, author of the sefer "לוח דבר בעתו Calendar in its time", explains that this year, 5768, is the most complex year ever in Jewish history. He counts many rare things that will occur this year, among them are:

* Year of Shmita;
* Leap year of 13 months (2 Adars);
* End of Rosh HaShana starts at beginning of Shabbat;
* Yom Kippur on Shabbat;
* Purim Katan
* Purim Hamshulash (Purim on Friday and Shushan Purim on Shabbat);
* Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat, Pesach begins on Motzei Shabbat;
* No Chol HaMoed Pesach on Shabbat;
* A fast day on Pesach Sheni;
* Lag Ba'Omer Erev Shabbat;
* Fast of 9 Av on Motzei Shabbat Chazon;
* All weekly Parsha's will be read separately;
* Rare reading of the Haftara of Parshat Pinchas;
* February will have 29 days;
and more...

Additionally he writes that it says in Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע יו"ד רצא,א) that Mezuzot should be checked twice during the Shmita cycle (i.e. on the average, every 3.5 years). It is preferable that Mezuzot be checked in the second Adar, because it is a segula (talisman) for protection from calamity.