Moon's Message
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
The very first mitzvah Hashem gave Bnei Yisroel collectively, as a nation, while they were still in Egypt was declaring the new moon. This is to be the first month for counting the months. [Names for the months were instituted much later with Babylonian names] In this way, we would be constantly reminded of our redemption from Egypt just as we are constantly reminded of Shabbat by reciting the Psalm for the day in reference to how many days it is past Shabbat. Why is this the first collective mitzvah, even preceding korban Pesach/the Pesach sacrifice, asks the Novomiminsker Rav zt”l?
With this accounting, the Torah refers to Rosh Hashanah as the holiday to be celebrated in the seventh month. In Shemen Hatov, Rabbi Weinberger zt”l? explains that Rosh Hashanah and the creation of the world is connected to natural time symbolized by the sun, while Nissan, symbolized by the moon, is connected to supra-natural time, easily understood by the miracles that led to our redemption from Egypt.
With this in mind, we can understand that there are two beginnings in the Torah, explains Rabbi Friedlander zt”l, the Sifsei Chaim. The first beginning is creation, and the second beginning is with this first mitzvah of declaring the New Moon. These signify the two ways Hashem interacts with the world. The first 2,000 years of the world's existence was an age of emptiness, a world that existed completely through Hashem's chessed, His loving kindness being showered upon earth from above. It is an unchanging, predictable world. The nations of the world are compared to the sun, under God's general, natural providence
At the second level of creation, beginning with Bnei Yisroel's redemption from Egypt, a new order began, an order where the actions in the lower world interacted with the upper world. It is as if the actions of Kllal Yisroel now sustains creation. With Hashem telling Bnei Yisroel that they will declare the New Moon, Hashem ceded power and partnered with Bnei Yisroel. It will be the Jewish courts, not Hashem, who will determine when the month begins and, by extension, when each holiday begins. Bnei Yisroel is compared to the moon subject to Hashem's special providence. Our declarations and our actions "influence" how Hashem reacts to us and to the world. And the earth, like the moon that waxes and wanes in its various phases, is subject to the power we wield over it. We have the power to affect all of creation. Therefore, we have a tremendous responsibility toward creation, and we must examine each of our actions. This is why this is the first mitzvah we were given.
Although we are all created in God's image, we cannot fathom even a minuscule part of His essence. As Rabbi Weissblum writes in Heoras Derech, each of our actions is judged on two levels, how it impacts us individually and how it impacts the world as a whole. Hashem sees even our most secret actions and administers judgment, either positive or negative. Metaphorically, we are all on a communal airplane, and each of us has captain's controls. What each of us does impacts the movement of the entire plane and everyone in it, not just ourselves.
The Saba of Kelm zt”l presents another metaphor. If a man throws a stone on his personal property, if someone is harmed it is because he chose to enter this private property. On the other hand, of someone throws a stone on a busy street, it is likely he will hit someone. Since the public street belongs to all passersby, he is responsible for anyone being harmed. Every time we sin, it is as if we are throwing a stone on the "streets" of the busy world.
The Netivot Shalom bring us the national symbolism of the moon. The moon gives us the secret of Jewish survival. Like the moon, our history goes through cyclical phases of dark and light. Our faith leads us to believe that the light will indeed shine again even as we go through the darkness.
Hashem gave this secret of the moon specifically to Bnei Yisroel to help us survive the Diaspora, teaches us Rabbi Zeichick zt”l in Ohr Chodosh. Other nations record time through the sun. When they go into exile, they lose their identity and disappear. Only we survive exile. As Rabbi Asher Weiss notes, every nation has its zenith, and then they fall. Bnei Yisroel, the smallest of nations, rules at night as well; like the moon, although it is hidden, it never ceases to exist. Our survival is the greatest miracle of all, greater than any of the miracles Hashem performed for our ancestors, notes Rabbi Yaakov Emden.
This mitzvah represents our betrothal to Hashem. Although we would not receive the other mitzvoth until we arrived at Sinai, here we accepted Hashem as our God, taking the sheep, the god of Egypt, and readying it for slaughter writes the Tallelei Chaim. The moon's mission is to reflect the light of the sun, and our mission is to reflect the light of Hashem. And, as the moon goes through cycles when the sun is hidden and it cannot reflect its light, so, too, is Hashem's face sometimes hidden from us. But the rebirth of the moon each month reassures us that the connection, although unseen, has not been severed and the relationship is continuously being renewed.
This mitzvah was purposely given in Egypt as defiance against the Egyptians who believed there was no God, that the sorcerers could control everything, writes Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter. Although Hashem may have created the world, He is no longer involved. Even more audaciously, Pharaoh declared himself creator of the Nile [Yechezkel 29:3]. In contrast, while we impact the world, it is Hashem Who is always in control.
We exists because Hashem creates the world every moment. As we say in our prayers, "He Who makes great lights [in the present], for His kindness is forever." In Ani Maamin, Rabbi Elias gives us a present day metaphor to explain this idea. Imagine a video. As we watch it, we observe the scene as a continuous flow. In actuality, however, the film is comprised of many stills that move so quickly we see it as continuous. Yet the projectionist can stop the film at any moment and restart it at will. He can change the sequence and create a different ending. Similarly, our lives can change at any moment. Knowing this, we should pray to Hashem for change when times are challenging and pray that they continue this way when things are good.
Along these same line, Rabbi Zucker, in Illuminating Our Day, interprets the verse in Nechemyah (9:6), ואתה מחיה את כולם... /And You give them [in the present] all life..." With the letters א to ת, comprising the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the ה that represents the ending letters, Hashem wrote the Torah with which He animates the world. With this reasoning, we see that the world is never more than a millisecond old, as it is constantly being recreated. This is the secret of our belief in redemption, for we know that the world can change at any moment, writes Rabbi Hofstedter. And if the world can change, I can change as well.
It is this ability to change and improve that delineates a rasha/evil person from a tzadik. Chazal say that a rasha is considered dead even in life. Yes, Hashem infuses him with a life force, but he never improves himself; he remains a rasha. In contrast, a tzadik is always trying to change himself and improve. In Golden Apples, Rabbi Lopiansky uses this idea to explain why King David is described as chai vekayom/lives forever, while Yaakov Avinu is described as "never died." ["Yaakov expired and was gathered unto his people." (Parshat Vayechi 39:33) Rashi: Yaakov never meis/died, as the Torah writes of others.] David Hamelech encountered many spiritual challenges, yet he rose up and renewed himself each time. In contrast, although Yaakov Avinu was a tzadik, he avoided spiritual pitfalls. He did not need to renew himself. Therefore, Yaakov Avinu is compared to the sun while Dovid Hamelech is compared to the moon. Yaakov never died; Dovid continues to live in constant renewal.
The melaveh malkah meal, eaten on motzoai Shabbat/Saturday night is associated with David Hamelech. As he renewed himself and grew spiritually, we hope to bring the spirituality of Shabbat into the new week. This is also why we customarily recite the Blessing of the New Moon on a Saturday night. We want to infuse the new week and the new month with the light of Shabbat. Our spiritual life is not about maintaining constant perfection, but about how we rise and renew ourselves when we fall. Hashem tells us that "this moon is lachem/for you." Take the lesson of the moon and internalize it, adds Rabbi Hirsch zt”l. It is a lesson for you.
Rabbi Pincus zt”l turns us back to the question of why proclaiming the new moon is our first mitzvah. He explains that this is the root of all the mitzvoth, for, while we were still in Egypt we were in embryonic form, not yet a nation. We emerged as a nation, we were His firstborn, when we left Mitzrayim.
What defines Man and separates him from the animals, continues Rabbi Pincus? It is his freedom of choice to cling to His Maker on a continuous basis. We decide what I am and what I want to become in my life. In this scenario, the sun represents Hashem Who infuses us with energy and light. Our choice is whether we want to turn toward Him so that we can reflect His light, or whether we turn away from that light. Sanctifying the New Moon solidifies within ourselves that I want to turn to Hashem, that I want to be like the moon, reflecting God's light. This is the moment of birth, and I want Hashem to be the essence of my life. The greatest pleasure of my life should not be physical, but my connection with Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Having killed all the firstborn of Egypt, our Parshah concludes with the mitzvah of pidyon haben, redeeming every firstborn son of Bnei Yisroel. As part of the ceremony, the kohein asks the father, "What do you want more, to give me your firstborn son, or to redeem him for five silver shekels?" At the ceremony, it is obvious that the father will choose his son. But, Rabbi Frand points out, we face that question constantly during our lives. Will we be constantly pursuing material wealth or spiritual wealth? Will we focus on our physical lives, or on the spiritual life? If I am blessed with wealth, will I use it to further my personal pleasure, or will I ask what Hashem wants me to use it for?
The cyclical moon reflecting the light of the sun is a constant reminder that we should try to live our lives reflecting the light of Hashem and channeling that light to illuminate a dark world.