Rabbi Yehoshua Alt
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In Birchas Hachodesh we say, Hashem who redeemed our forefathers from slavery to freedom (לחרות מעבדות), may He redeem us soon. What connection does this have with the moon?
The moon symbolizes renewal.[1] IndAeed, the wordsחדש ; month and חידוש; renewal share the same root.[2] The Midrash tells us יהודה had 30 kings and princes come from him as is indicated by his name which yields a numerical value of 30. The 15th one was Shlomo Hamelech-[3] the pinnacle. In his time there were no wars. Actually, the name שלמה is rooted in שלמות; completion and שלום; peace. Moreover, he is called איש מנוחה; man of rest.[4] מלכות בית דוד is compared to the moon[5] as it states כירח יכון עולם;[6] like the moon it shall be established forever, since there are 30 days in a month just as there were kings and princes. The moon is complete on the 15th of the month and Shlomo was the 15th.[7] Just as from the 15th of the month the moon wanes, likewise from Shlomo on, it waned. We are similar to the moon which disappears at the end of each month but returns and grows to its fullness.[8] We suffer exile but always renew ourselves. Indeed, we say in יעלה ויבא on Rosh Chodesh- …וזכרון משיח בן דוד עבדך…
R’ Chaim Shmulevitz once asked a Holocaust survivor how he survived five years in the camps. He responded that when he looked at the moon he thought of renewal and said to himself the Jewish people will have a renewal and these circumstances will eventually change.[9] With this, we can explain why Birchas Hachodesh talks of redemption since the moon represents renewal and as we say in Kiddush Levana …להתחדש כמותה; to renew themselves like the moon.[10] Therefore, החדש הזה לכם[11] was specifically said in Mitzrayim- since we were revitalized there as we went מעבדות לחרות.
The first Mizva given to us was החדש הזה לכם. It is the ראשית; beginning, so it is given to us when we were a ראשית in becoming a nation. Moreover, this occurred on ראש חדשים, Nissan, the beginning of the months.
This Mitzva symbolizing renewal was given to us in Nissan- the month of renewal. The following are some connections between Nissan and renewal.
1) After a harsh winter which ends in Adar, plant life begins (after the seed rots) which is in Nissan-חדש האביב ;[12] the month of springtime. Nature blossoms and renews itself.[13] Indeed, we say in Nissan ברכת אילנות; Bracha on seeing fruit trees in bloom during the spring.
2) The Gemara[14] tells us in Nissan we were and will be redeemed. In a similar vein, it says that in Nissan the Beis Hamikdash will be built.[15]
3) The Haftora on Shabbos Chol Hamoed Pesach deals with the revival of the עצמות היבשות; dry bones.[16]
4) The Tur[17] teaches us that תחיית המתים; the resurrection of the dead will take place on Pesach.
5) If one didn’t see a friend for twelve months he says ברוך…מחי-ה המתים (and Nissan is the first of the twelve months).
6) The Beis Yisrael[18] tells us from the Chidushai Harim that in Nissan there is Hischadshus in one’s Torah.
7) The twelve Shevatim correspond to the twelve months. Yehuda corresponds to Nissan. Mashiach- who brings renewal- comes from Yehuda.
This Rosh Chodesh should herald in a renewal and an end to all our troubles.
[1] The Chidushai Harim tells us that Rosh Chodesh gives the power to each Jew to awaken himself for Avodas Hashem (Likutai Harim, Parshas Hachodesh, s.v. ענין חודש).
[2] חדש; month is related to חידוש; renewal because the moon constantly changes (The word יֶרַח; month is connected to יָרֵחַ; moon. In fact, in English the word month is related to moon.) On the other hand שנה; year also means to repeat because it is the same sunset, sunrise and so on.
[3] שלמה in Gematria is 375. 3+7+5 is 15.
[4] Divrei Hayamim 1, 22:9
[5] Rosh Chodesh is the Yom Tov of Dovid Hamelech (See Rosh Hashana 25a regarding sanctifying the month that Rebbi told R’ Chiya to send as a signal דוד מלך ישראל חי וקים). דוד מלך ישראל חי וקים has the same Gematria as ראש חדש (819).
[6] Tehillim 89:38. R’ Moshe Wolfson points out that החדש הזה לכם is the same equivalent as משיח בן דוד (424).
[7] Midrash Lekach Tov, Vayechi, 49:8. Also see Shemos Rabba 15:26 and Yeshaya 66:22
[8] This is consistent with כי כאשר השמים החדשים…ושמכם; just as the new heavens and the new earth that I will make will endure before me so will your offspring and your name endure (Yeshaya 66:22).
[9] It says (Tehillim 20:9) המה כרעו ונפלו ואנחנו קמנו ונתעודד; they dropped to their knees and fell but we arose and were invigorated. ונתעודד is rooted in עוד as the Nazis, Romans and the like are gone (המה כרעו ונפלו) but we have renewal.
[10] We are compared to the moon (Shir Hashirim 6:10. מדרש שוחר טוב 22:12, Shemos Rabba 15:27.) as we say in Kiddush Levana להתחדש כמותה… We reflect Hashem’s light just as the moon reflects the sunlight. Indeed, Hashem is referred to as the sun as in שמש ומגן ה’; a sun and a shield is Hashem (Tehillim 84:12). Moreover, we follow the lunar calendar (see Succa 29a, Rambam in Hilchos KIddush Hachodesh, 1). The moon is always there although it is not always visible. Likewise, with us throughout history. This explains why in Kiddush Levana ברוך יוצרך… עושך…קונך…בוראך contain the initials יעקב since he had many troubles- Esav, Lavan, Yosef, Dina and so forth.
[11] Shemos 12:2. If the moon wasn’t visible and there was only a day or two left to recite Kiddush Levana, R’ Alexander Ziskind (author of יסוד ושרש העבודה) would have great pain. This wasn’t because he may not be able to say it but because of the lack of Nachas to Hashem as so many of His holy nation would be unable to recite it. He, therefore, davened that the moon should be visible so that all can say Kiddush Levana and give Nachas to Hashem (יסוד ושרש העבודה, volume 2, pgs 797-8).
[12] Shemos 13:4. Nissan it is called חדש האביב; the month of springtime, because אביב is a contraction of אב יב; the head of the twelve months (R’ Bachaye, Bo 13:4. Binas Moshe, Nissan.). Another allusion is found in החדש הזה לכם, as זה has a numerical value of twelve because it is the beginning of the twelve months (Ohr Hachaim, Shemos 12:2).
[13] The twelve months correspond to the twelve combinations of Hashem’s name. According to the name is how much Din or Rachamim is in that month. The weather of a given month is also the result of this (Siduro Shel Shabbos 6,3,1). The great weather of Nissan (See Shemos 3:4, Rashi) is an outcome of the combination of Hashem’s name for this month- י-ה-ו-ה, Chessed. This also explains בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין ליגאל; in Nissan we were redeemed and in Nissan we will be redeemed (Rosh Hashana 11b).
[14] Rosh Hashana 11a
[15] Sofrim, 21:2
[16] Yechezkal 37
[17] Hilchos Pesach. R’ Moshe Wolfson points out the idea of renewal even in our routine Pesach- as we use new dishes on Pesach, we get new clothes for Pesach and so on.
[18] Parshas Hachodesh
