אייר
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
♉ Taurus (Shor / שור) · Spring · Tribe of Issachar · April–May
Two-Day Rosh Chodesh · 5786
Begins at sunset
Thursday evening, April 16, 2026
Sunset in New York: 7:36 PM
ends sunset on Shabbat, Saturday, April 18, 2026
Molad
Friday, 5 hours, 18 minutes and 14 chalakim
1 chelek = 3⅓ seconds · 18 chalakim = 1 minute · 1,080 chalakim = 1 hour
Iyyar (אייר) · 30 days · ♉ Taurus (Shor / שור)
Holidays
Pesach Sheni (14 Iyyar)
Lag BaOmer (18 Iyyar)
Yom HaZikaron
Yom HaAtzmaut
Torah Reading
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar: Numbers 28:1–15. During the Omer period, the daily count is recited after evening prayers.
Hebrew Year
5786
About
The Month of Iyyar
Iyyar is the month of healing. The Hebrew letters of Iyyar (אייר) are an acronym for "Ani Hashem Rofecha" — "I am God, your Healer" (Exodus 15:26). The entire month falls within the Omer counting period, a time of spiritual self-refinement as each of the 49 days corresponds to a unique combination of the seven divine attributes (sefirot).
Significance
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar marks the transition from the intense redemption of Nisan to the steady, day-by-day spiritual work of the Omer. The Talmud teaches that the manna first fell on 15 Iyyar, sustaining the Israelites in the desert — a sign that Iyyar’s healing comes through daily, consistent effort rather than dramatic miracles.
Spiritual Themes
Themes of Iyyar
Iyyar teaches that true healing — physical, emotional, and spiritual — comes through patient, incremental work. Each day of the Omer is an opportunity to refine one specific character trait, building toward the wholeness celebrated at Shavuot.
♉
Mazal
Taurus (Shor / שור)
Tribe
Issachar
Season
Spring
Observances
Customs of Iyyar
- •Daily Counting of the Omer with its blessing
- •Mourning customs observed (no weddings, haircuts) in memory of Rabbi Akiva’s students
- •Lag BaOmer celebrations: bonfires, pilgrimages to Meron
- •Pesach Sheni — a second chance for those who missed the Passover offering
History
Historical Events in Iyyar
- •The manna first fell (15 Iyyar)
- •Death of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students during the Omer
- •Founding of the State of Israel (5 Iyyar 5708 / May 14, 1948)
- •Lag BaOmer: Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
Upcoming
