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0.
Down At The Circle-K
Partner, you best take a closer look
at some of those products bearing just a K.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Q: Please, please tell me why
there is such a big difference be-
tween the Jewish calendar and the
regular calendar, especially when
you have to light a yahrtzeit can-
dle.
From reader B.K. in West Bloom-
field
A: Tell Me Why will be de-
lighted to explain this timely
subject, but be warned: The
whole issue of the moon and the
sun and holidays and exactly
how many days there are in a
year has challenged scholars
time and again. It's not an easy
topic.
The difference lies in the fact
that the Jewish calendar and
the Western calendar are de-
rived from two different meth-
ods of reckoning time.
- The Jewish calendar, the old-
er of the two, is based on a so-
lar-lunar system: years are
determined by the earth's rev-
olution around the sun, while
months are guided by the phas-
es of the moon.
Since the solar year is about
11 days longer than the lunar
year, and because Jewish hol-
idays must occur in specific
agricultural seasons, the cycle
of 12 lunar months must be rec-
onciled to the solar year. The
adjustment is made by adding
an extra month (Adar II) in the
years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 19
in a cycle of 19 years. Regular
years on the Jewish calendar
thus can contain 353, 354 or
355 days, and on the leap year
will have 383, 384 or 385 days.
Much of the Western and in-
dustrialized world today uses
the Gregorian calendar. It is de-
rived from the older Julian cal-
endar, authorized by Julius
Caesar in 46 BCE, which was
based on the assumption that
the solar year is 365 1/4 days
long. It turns out that it actu-
ally takes 365 days, five hours,
48 minutes and 46 seconds for
the earth to complete one revo-
lution around the sun. All those
extra minutes and seconds
eventually add up, and addi-
tional time has to be appended
to the calendar. The Julian cal-
endar did this by arranging
three years of 365 days and a
fourth year of 366 days. That
doesn't work, though, because
such a leap year is 11 minutes,
14 seconds longer than the true
year, and we're back to the old
problem of extra time hanging
over the edge of the calendar.
The issue was brought to the Martin Melcher (1915-1968).
attention of Pope Gregory XII,
Melcher even produced a
who in 1582 decreed a new cal- number of Ms. Day's films, those
endar that would correct the classics which, along with Plan
problems of the Julian calendar. 9 From Outer Space and Glen or
The Gregorian calendar kept Glenda? make you proud to be
the old arrangement of three a member of the human race.
years of 365 days and a fourth,
or leap, year of 366 days, but
Q: Because I keep kosher, I al-
added something new: Leap ways check the labels of packaged
foods for a symbol of
kashrut supervision. I
know all about the 0-U,
the Circle-K and the Star-
K, but quite often I see
labels with just a plain
letter K. How can you
know which of these
items are legitimately
kosher?
A: Those who make
it their business to
monitor compliance
with honest labeling of
kosher products have
discovered an amazing
array of reasons why
companies will add a
K to their product la-
bel: They think it's re-
quired by law, their
Is it kosher? When it doubt, check it out.
competitor has a K, it
has something to do
years are divisible by four. with copyright, the previous
Years that end in 00 are leap owner of the company had it on
years only if they are evenly di- the label. Then there's the less-
visible by 400. Thus, 1700, 1800 than-honest company which will
and 1900 were not leap years, add a K just to make people
but 2000 will be. By this think it's kosher, even though
method, the discrepancy be- the factory has never been un-
tween the calendar year and der any kashrut supervision.
the solar year is reduced to less
Sometimes, the product real-
than one day in 3,000 years.
ly is kosher. It's just that the
Dates on the Jewish calen- manufacturer has made
dar and the Gregorian calendar arrangements with an inde-
can differ by a few days or a pendent mashgiach (kashrut su-
couple of weeks. Long ago, pervisor) instead of one of the big
clever mathematicians figured agencies. If the mashgiach does
out a way to convert dates be- not use a copyrighted symbol,
tween the calendars by means the manufacturer will simply
of charts. They still are in print, add a K to the label, or perhaps
so if you need to intercalculate print the word "kosher."
a date, check with your local
In any case, the wise con-
Jewish bookstore.
sumer will ask when in doubt.
More often than not, manufac-
Q: My best buddy and I have a de- turers are happy to answer con-
bate that only Tell Me Why can set- sumers' questions and readily
will provide you with the name
tle.
He insists Doris Day was once of the mashgiach. ❑
married to a Jew. I say no way!
Doris Day? Get outta here! But hey, Send questions to Tell Me Why,
The Jewish News, 27676
que sera, sera. Let's hear the truth. Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
A: You've already heard the 48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069.
truth, pal, right out of the All letters must be signed and in-
mouth of your friend. The clude the writer's address. Ques-
perennially perky star, and now tions answered in the column will
leading animal rights activist, feature only the writer's initials
was indeed married to a Jew, and city of residence.