<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">According to many opinions, the earliest time for kiddush levanah is 3 days after the molad. It is an error to think that a person can take the time which is given for the molad, add 72 hours to it, and consider this to be the earliest time for him to recite kiddush levanah. One needs to know in which part of the world the time given for the molad refers to. In fact there are numerous opinions on the location. These include: &ldquo;sof hamizrach&rdquo; &ndash; 130 degrees east of Jerusalem; &ldquo;ketzai hamizrach&rdquo; &ndash; 90 or 114 degrees east of Jerusalem; &ldquo;tabor haaretz&rdquo; &ndash; 24 degrees east of Jerusalem; near to Netzivin in Babylon; Eretz Yisrael &ndash; probably Jerusalem, but Yavneh and Jericho have also been suggested. It would seem that there is no authoritative ruling on which opinion is correct. In practice however, since the vast majority of the Jews in the world live to the west (or virtually to the west) of all these locations, there would be no problem for them to recite kiddush levanah 72 hours after the time given for the molad. The problem will only arise regarding the latest time for this mitzvah.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Mishpacha (English edition, 30 November 2011, page 50) wrote about a man who was incarcerated in a prison cell and could not see the moon. He asked a Rav about saying kiddush levanah and the Rav replied that &ldquo;if he knows for a fact that the sky is clear and the moon can be clearly seen outside, then as long as the time for kiddush levanah has not elapsed, he can make the berachah even if he&rsquo;s inside.&rdquo; However, it is not clear what the reasoning for this is, since although the Mishnah Berurah (sha&rsquo;ar hatziun 426:25) rules that one can even recite kiddush levanah looking through a closed window, he clearly adds that <span style="text-decoration: underline;">one must be able to see the moon </span>through this window.</span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">It happened that one year during the winter it was cloudy every night and it was not possible to say kiddush levanah. The Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum z&rsquo;tl, therefore hired an airplane and flew above the clouds in order to be able to recite kiddush levanah. (see: Meoros Hadaf Hayomi, volume 2, page 219)</span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Kiddush levanah may be recited each month until precisely half way between the times of two average molads. An eclipse of the moon occurs precisely when there is a full moon. Such an eclipse can occur before half way between the times of two average molads. Both the Maharil (c.1365 &ndash; 1427) (Shut Maharil, responsum 19) and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the Levush<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>(c.1530-1612) (Levush Hachor, Orach Chaim, 426:4) hold that in such a case, the time of such an eclipse will be the latest time for kiddush levanah.</span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">It is stated in maseches Sofrim (chapter 20, halachah 1) and is brought by the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 426:2) that one should say kiddush levanah only on motzaei <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Shabbos</span>? Is this to the exclusion of motzaei Yomtov? One could thus ask that if Shavuos occurs on a Wednesday (and Thursday in Chutz La&rsquo;aretz), should one say kiddush levanah on motzaei Shavuos, or should one wait till the following motzaei Shabbos? The Mishnah Berurah (426:5) states that the intention of maseches Sofrim is to include motzaei Yomtov, and thus one can say kiddush levanah after Shavuos and need not wait for the next motzaei Shabbos.</span></span></span></p>