Page 60 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

58 · Hilchot Avoda Zara Ii Tzurba M’Rabanan

p Responsa Yabia Omer 3, ,ג קלח | רמוא עיבי ת"וש 8 .
Yoreh Deah 9 ט ד״וי

But one should choose the lesser of two evils, and call the months םוארקיש וטועימב ערה רוחבל שי אלא
by their secular names, as the Ramban (Parshat Bo) writes: “The 'רפ( ן"במרה ש"מכו .םישרופמה םתומשב
purpose of [the mitzva of]: This month shall be for you the head שאר םכל הזה שדחה םעטו ,ל"זו )אב
of the months, is that the Jewish people should call Nisan the first ןכו .ןושארה שדוח לארשי והונמיש ,םישדח
month. Similarly, all the months that follow should be called the ישילשו ינש וירחאש םישדחה לכ ונמי ונממ
second and third, until the completion of the twelve months, etc.”
.ש"ע .'וכו שדח ב"יב הנשה םולשת דע

p Responsa Tzitz Eliezer 8:8 ח:ח | רזעילא ץיצ ת"וש 9 .
Indeed the Yabia Omer suggests that when writing according to יפל םיבתוכשכ עיצמ םש רמוא עיביה הנהו
the secular calendar, one should use the full names of the month םישדחה תומש שרופמב ריכזהל םינינמ
and not write the numerical representation, [i.e.,] the 1 month or שדחה לש הריפסב בותכל אלו םהלש
st
2 , etc. However, I wrote to him that in my opinion, mentioning יפלד ול יתבתכ ינאו ,'וכו ינשה וא ןושארה
nd
the names of their months is worse, as I have heard and clarified םישדחה תומש שרופמב ריכזהל יתעד
that the names of their months refer to idols. Therefore, by יתעמשש יפכ יכ עורג רתוי אוה םהלש
mentioning the name of the month, it is as if one is mentioning
the name of the idol. Therefore, it is preferable to write the םינווכמ םהלש םישדחה תומש רוריבב
month by its numerical representation, and one should אקוודש אופיא אצויו ,םילילא תומשל
make sure not to mention that it is according to the Christian םהלש םישדחה תומש שרופמב ריכזמשכ
calendar by stating “according to the Christian calendar,” or אפידע ןכלו .ם"וכע םש ריכזמכ ל"וה זא
a better option [would be] to conclude with the expression, הנשה םירפסמב םתסב בותכיש רתוי
“according to the accepted calendar,” meaning it is the אוהש ריכזהל אלש רהזיו ,םהלש שדחהו
accepted custom. [By stating this], one achieves two things: ,נ"הפסל ןושלב םייסל ןוגכ םירצונה תריפסל
1) One clarifies that one is not intending [to follow] the Christian ל"רו ,נ"המל ןושלב םייסיש בוט רתוי וא
calendar (rather the secular calendar). יחרזא ןינמה והזש ונייהד ,גוהנה גהנמל
2) It is as if one is apologizing [for not using the Jewish calendar], אבש תישאר ,םירבד ינש הזב זמרמו ,גוהנה
so that he should not be incriminated for abandoning the Jewish תינשו ,נ"הפסל ללכ ןווכמ וניאש יקופאל
calendar, as it is out of necessity that one is using this calendar as הזב בזועכ וספותל אלש לצנתמכ אבש
it is the accepted secular calendar, and it is necessary for him in שמתשמש אוה חרכהב יכ ידוהיה ןינמה
the business world.
יחרזאה ןינמה אוהש תויהב הז ןינמב
.המודכו ,רחסמ יכרצל הז ול קוקזו לבוקמה

According to Rav Ovadia Yosef, it is preferable to refer to the secular months by name and not by number,
because the Torah refers specifically to the Jewish months by number. According to Rav Waldenberg, it is
preferable to refer to them by numbers since the names of the secular months are based on the names of
pagan gods.
It is noteworthy that all banks in Israel accept the Hebrew date, as well as the secular date, on checks and official
documents. In addition, a law was passed in the Knesset that every official letter must have the Jewish date.

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