The year 5786 ("ותשפ'ה) is a standard (non-leap) year that contains 354 days. It begins on (Monday night and) Tuesday, the month of Cheshvan has 29 days and Kislev has 30 days, making it a year that is Kesidra (in order), with the first day of Pesach falling out on a Thursday. This type of year is called גכה. ג stands for the third day of the week, the day of the week on which Rosh Hashanah falls. כ stands for כסדרה /kesidra– in order – since all of the months of the year alternate between 29 and 30 days (see above). (Any year on which Rosh Hashana occurs on Tuesday is kesidra (in order). And ה stands for the fifth day of the week on which Pesach falls. This configuration only occurs on 6.25% of the Jewish years. The next time such a year will occur will be in 2053.
Purim and Lag Ba’Omer will also fall out on Tuesdays.
We read the Torah portion of Vayelech twice this year, on both the first and last Shabbat of the year.
Shabbat Parshat Ki Tavo, 20 Elul / Sept. 12 and 13
This Shabbat is known (by Ashkenazim) as Shabbat Selichot.
