The Calendar and Creation

Question

Why do we not count our days according to the Torah from the month of Nissan and when the Jews left Egypt instead of using the human calendar going back to Adam and Eve?

Answer

That is an interesting question. I believe that the reason is because the world was created for the purpose of all mankind. More specifically, G-d created the world in order that man should recognize G-d and earn their eternal reward. “Adam” was the father of all mankind. Even though the Jews have since been singled out to lead the way towards worldwide recognition of our Creator, every single individual, Jewish or not, can fulfill the purpose of creation by recognizing G-d and using their free-will to live a life that is a sanctification of G-d.

R’ Daniel Fleksher

Follow-up question

Question

You did not answer the question; setting a calendar is the first commandment. Why don’t the Jewish people count our years from the leaving of Egypt instead from the creation of heaven or earth. I don’t want a lesson, I want a legal opinion.

Answer

The counting of Jewish years from creation is a custom, therefore the “lesson”. In fact all Jewish legal documents give the year followed by “according to the way we count the years here” or something to that extent. “Minyan shtaros”, the dating of documents, started during the Tannaic era and for a long time the count was according to the years of the rule of Alexander the Great. The first chapter of Tractate Rosh Hashanah in the Talmud deals with the proper way to date legal documents. The rules are made from a practical perspective and are not dogmatic. I have been trying to research when the practice of dating from creation became prevalent. It may have been a response to the custom of connecting the calendar years to the life of Jesus. I have no proof either way.

In summation, while we count the days of the week as part of the commandment of “remembering the sabbath day to sanctify it” and the months are also delineated legally from commandment to establish the months that you mentioned, there is no absolute method given in counting years. Therefore, in order to answer your question one must find when the practice became common and ascertain as best as possible why such method was chosen. I am still researching because it is a good question, but as I am uncertain as to how successful and timely I will be, I felt it best to respond at this time. If I find anything worth sharing I will let you know.