HaChodesh

Download PDF

On four Shabbatot beginning in Adar, additional Torah readings (the “Four Parashiyot”) are read after the weekly Parashah, reflecting themes relating to Purim and Passover. Their associated Haftarot relate to these themes. (See Four Parashiyot Summary, below.)

The final of the Four Parashiyot, “Hachodesh” (Ex. 12:1-20), describes key events and commandments relating to the Exodus. Starting on Rosh Chodesh Nisan a year later, the Tabernacle was erected and inaugurated. Addressing similar Passover themes, the Haftarah is taken from Ezekiel’s final visions. Offering hope to his fellow exiles in Babylon, these chapters of his book, 40-48, describe a redeemed society and a rebuilt Temple. Chapters 45-46, in particular, describe a renewed Jerusalem, the allotment of its lands, and the duties of a future righteous Prince , including special offerings and related Temple procedures he must perform. These sacrifices and activities, including some relating to Passover and other holy days, comprise most of the Haftarah, 45:13-46:15. Their purpose and occasion are intensely debated in the Talmud and traditional commentaries, as is their relationship to similar Torah laws. (See Connection, below.)

The rest of the Haftarah, its beginning and end, relates to God’s allocation of ancestral properties to each Israelite family. Kings and others disrupted God’s plan by unjustly seizing these lands. By contrast, the Prince will head a righteous society, leading by example where predecessors had failed. In addition to directly prohibiting him from seizing others’ ancestral lands, God reduces his temptation to do so by granting him large tracts of land to use or grant to his household.

Haftarah Breakdown

Verses 45:9-12: Instead of financially oppressing God’s people and driving them off their ancestral lands, Israel’s leaders must execute justice in society. Honest weights and measures are defined.

Ezekiel 45:9

Thus said the Lord God: “Enough, princes of Israel! Remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice! Remove your expulsions from My people,” says the Lord God.

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣-י ה' רַב־לָכֶם֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חָמָ֤ס וָשֹׁד֙ הָסִ֔ירוּ וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה עֲשׂ֑וּ הָרִ֤ימוּ גְרֻשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ מֵעַ֣ל עַמִּ֔י נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥-י ה'׃

Verses 45:13-15: Just amounts for the people to donate for sacrifices.

Ezekiel 45:15

“One lamb out of the flock, [one] of two hundred [parts] of Israel’s liquids- for a meal offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering to atone for them,” says the Lord God.

וְשֶׂה־אַחַ֨ת מִן־הַצֹּ֤אן מִן־הַמָּאתַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּשְׁקֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִנְחָ֖ה וּלְעוֹלָ֣ה וְלִשְׁלָמִ֑ים לְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥-י ה'׃

Verses 45:16-17: In the future, the people shall contribute to the Prince, who shall present a variety of special Sabbath and holiday Temple offerings to atone for them.

Ezekiel 45:17

The burnt offerings, meal offering, libations on feast days, [new] moons, and Sabbaths- at all appointed times of the house of Israel- shall be the Prince’s duty. He shall make the sin offering, meal-offering, burnt offering, and peace offering to atone for the house of Israel.

וְעַֽל־הַנָּשִׂ֣יא יִהְיֶ֗ה הָעוֹל֣וֹת וְהַמִּנְחָה֮ וְהַנֵּסֶךְ֒ בַּחַגִּ֤ים וּבֶחֳדָשִׁים֙ וּבַשַּׁבָּת֔וֹת בְּכָֽל־מוֹעֲדֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֽוּא־יַעֲשֶׂ֞ה אֶת־הַחַטָּ֣את וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֗ה וְאֶת־הָֽעוֹלָה֙ וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָמִ֔ים לְכַפֵּ֖ר בְּעַ֥ד בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)

Verses 45:18-20: On the 1st and 7th days of Nisan, a unique sin offering will be offered to purify the Temple.

Ezekiel 45:18

Thus says the Lord God: “In the first [month], on the first day of the month, you shall take a young unblemished bull and purify the Temple.”

כֹּה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹ-נָ֣י ה' בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ תִּקַּ֥ח פַּר־בֶּן־בָּקָ֖ר תָּמִ֑ים וְחִטֵּאתָ֖ אֶת־הַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃

Verses 45:21-24: On the 14th of Nisan, the Prince will make a special sin offering for the people. On the seven days of Passover, he will offer a special set of holiday sacrifices.

Ezekiel 45:23

For seven days of the [Passover] feast, he shall make a burnt offering to the Lord- seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily for the seven days, and a kid from the goats daily for a sin offering.

וְשִׁבְעַ֨ת יְמֵי־הֶחָ֜ג יַעֲשֶׂ֧ה עוֹלָ֣ה לַה' שִׁבְעַ֣ת פָּ֠רִ֠ים וְשִׁבְעַ֨ת אֵילִ֤ים תְּמִימִם֙ לַיּ֔וֹם שִׁבְעַ֖ת הַיָּמִ֑ים וְחַטָּ֕את שְׂעִ֥יר עִזִּ֖ים לַיּֽוֹם׃

Verse 45:25: The prince will also offer the same special set of holiday sacrifices on the seven days of Sukkot.

Ezekiel 45:25

In the seventh [month], on the fifteenth day of the month, on the [Sukkot] feast, he shall make [offerings] like those [of Passover] for seven days- like [Passover’s] sin offering, burnt offering, meal offering, and oil.

בַּשְּׁבִיעִ֡י בַּֽחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֤וֹם לַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ בֶּחָ֔ג יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כָאֵ֖לֶּה שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים כַּֽחַטָּאת֙ כָּעֹלָ֔ה וְכַמִּנְחָ֖ה וְכַשָּֽׁמֶן׃ {ס}       

Verses 46:1-3: The Temple’s Eastern gate, normally closed, will be opened all day on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. Priests will offer the Prince’s special sacrifices. He and the people will prostrate in different locations near the gate.

Ezekiel 46:1

Thus says the Lord God: “The inner court’s gate facing east shall be shut for the six working days. On the Sabbath day, it shall be opened, and on the day of the [new] moon, it shall be opened.”

כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹ-נָ֣י ה' שַׁ֜עַר הֶחָצֵ֤ר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפֹּנֶ֣ה קָדִ֔ים יִהְיֶ֣ה סָג֔וּר שֵׁ֖שֶׁת יְמֵ֣י הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה וּבְי֤וֹם הַשַּׁבָּת֙ יִפָּתֵ֔חַ וּבְי֥וֹם הַחֹ֖דֶשׁ יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

Verses 46:4-7: The Prince’s special offerings on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh.

Ezekiel 46:6

On the day of the [new] moon, a young unblemished bull [shall be offered with] six lambs and a ram. They shall be unblemished.

וּבְי֣וֹם הַחֹ֔דֶשׁ פַּ֥ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֖ר תְּמִימִ֑ם וְשֵׁ֧שֶׁת כְּבָשִׂ֛ם וָאַ֖יִל תְּמִימִ֥ם יִהְיֽוּ׃

Verses 46:8-10: The Prince must enter and exit the Temple alone, at the Eastern Gate. On holidays, however, he and the people shall, together, enter from the North gate and exit the South gate, or vice-versa.

Ezekiel 46:8

When the prince enters, he shall enter through the [eastern] gate’s porch, and he shall depart through it.

וּבְב֖וֹא הַנָּשִׂ֑יא דֶּ֣רֶךְ אוּלָ֤ם הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ יָב֔וֹא וּבְדַרְכּ֖וֹ יֵצֵֽא׃

Verse 46:11-15: The Prince will offer holiday, voluntary, and other sacrifices at the Eastern gate, which will open only when he is present.

Ezekiel 46:13

Each day, you shall make a burnt offering to the Lord of an unblemished lamb in its first year. You shall make it every morning.

וְכֶ֨בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָת֜וֹ תָּמִ֗ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה עוֹלָ֛ה לַיּ֖וֹם לַהֹ' בַּבֹּ֥קֶר בַּבֹּ֖קֶר תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃

Verses 46:16-18: The Prince will have large land holdings. Contrary to past corrupt leaders’ practices , he may not seize other’s ancestral lands. He may grant his lands to servants until the Jubilee year, or permanently to his sons.

Ezekiel 46:18

The prince shall not take from the people’s inheritance to deprive them of their possession. [Only] from his possession may he bequeath to his sons, so that each man of My people shall not be scattered from his possession.

וְלֹא־יִקַּ֨ח הַנָּשִׂ֜יא מִנַּחֲלַ֣ת הָעָ֗ם לְהֽוֹנֹתָם֙ מֵאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם מֵאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ יַנְחִ֣ל אֶת־בָּנָ֑יו לְמַ֙עַן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָפֻ֣צוּ עַמִּ֔י אִ֖ישׁ מֵאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

Connection

The Haftarah’s sacrificial laws differ from related Torah laws, and the occasions of their offering are not clear. They and other passages prompted debate about whether Ezekiel should be included in the Bible, and if so, how they should be interpreted. Although others disagree, Maimonides interprets the Haftarah’s sacrifices and related laws to be inaugural offerings of the Third Temple:

Mishneh Torah, Sacrificial Procedure 2:14

All the measures of libations stated in Ezekiel and the lists of sacrifices and orders of service written there are all inauguration sacrifices. They are not to be practiced [in all] generations. Rather, the prophet commanded and explained how to bring the inauguration [sacrifices] as part of the Altar’s inauguration in the Third Temple in the days of the Messianic king.

כָּל שִׁעוּרֵי הַנְּסָכִים הָאֵמוּרִין בְּסֵפֶר יְחֶזְקֵאל וּמִנְיַן אוֹתָן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וְסִדְרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה הַכְּתוּבִים שָׁם כֻּלָּם מִלּוּאִים הֵן וְאֵין נוֹהֲגִין לְדוֹרוֹת אֶלָּא הַנָּבִיא צִוָּה וּפֵרֵשׁ כֵּיצַד יִהְיוּ מַקְרִיבִין הַמִּלּוּאִין עִם חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בִּימֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ כְּשֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בַּיִת שְׁלִישִׁי:

The Redemptive Progression of the Four Parashiyot

The themes of the Haftarot of the Four Parashiyot have a redemptive trajectory, connecting Purim’s imperfect redemption to Passover’s perfect redemption. They follow the messianic sequence of the Torah and Talmud, as codified by Maimonides in his Laws of Kings. Namely, after (1) conquering the land, (2) the people must appoint a righteous king. (3) After all other enemies are defeated, the king must wipe out Amalek and then (4) build the Temple to serve God and restore righteous Torah law, including the Jubilee and related laws.

Accordingly, the first Haftarah, for “Shekalim”, recounts (1) the physical and spiritual reconquest of desecrated Judah and the First Temple, and (2) the miraculous restoration of the Davidic monarchy. Israel’s first king, Saul, had earlier (3) defeated all of Israel’s enemies. The second Haftarah, for “Zachor”, recounts his failed attempt to obliterate Amalek- a task later completed by his replacement, David, the Messiah’s progenitor. This second Haftarah also includes strong critique of improper sacrifices. By contrast, the third Haftarah, for “Parah”, uses sacrifices as powerful, positive imagery as it approaches (4) by offering a comprehensive vision of a purified, redeemed Israel returning to dwell forever in God’s Edenic, rebuilt Land. This week’s fourth and final Hafarah, for “Hachodesh”, arrives at (4). With reminders of the paradigmatic redemption, the Exodus, Jerusalem and its Temple are rebuilt, and a messianic, king-like figure leads a righteous society in sacrificial worship and by restorating the Jubilee and its land and servant laws.