Rabbi Katz: On “Friday the 13th”

by Rabbi Katz, Exec Director

1/13/2023, 11:23:07 AM

In the secular world, “Friday the 13th” is considered an unlucky day, per Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of any Gregorian month falls on a Friday, happening at least once per year, but can occur up to three times in the same year.

However, Jewish law & the Torah both eschews this belief proscribes wantonly deciding lucky and unlucky days of a week. In fact, the number thirteen in the Jewish calendar is a rather auspicious number because the age of thirteen is that in which Jewish boys have their Bar Mitzvah!

The number thirteen has great value, per the well-known “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” that have brought salvation and forgiveness to the Jewish people through the generations. In the Talmud, Rabbi Yehudah states that “a covenant was established regarding the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that they will never be returned empty-handed.”