Rosh Chodesh: Sanctifying the New Month

Today and tomorrow mark Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, the new month of Tammuz, on the Jewish calendar. For many months now, I've wanted to write a post on Rosh Chodesh and highlight some of the unique aspects of sanctifying the beginning of the month particularly for Jewish women. Well, there's really no time like the here and now--so now, here it is! Chodesh Tov, may you have month of blessings, prosperity, success and meaningfulness in all you do.

So what's this business of a Jewish calendar? Interestingly, the very first commandment given to the Jews as a people while they were still in Egypt was that of Rosh Chodesh, sanctifying the new month. 

"And God said to Moses… in the land of Egypt… This month is for you, the head of the months. First it is for you among the months of the year." (Exodus 12:1-2)  

This passage indicates that G-d told the Jewish people that the month of Nissan in which they would leave Egypt would mark their first month and they now had a responsibility to create and follow a special Jewish calendar based on the lunar cycle. It's rather unique that this was the first commandment, even before the ten commandments given at Mount Sinai,  no? And why was it so important to G-d that the Jewish people follow a lunar calendar different from the solar calendar everyone else was following at the time? Additionally, why was it left to humans to determine the beginning of the month rather than G-d Himself?

This Is Our Time & There's No Time Like The Present

G-d gave the commandment of Rosh Chodesh while the Jews were still in Egypt to highlight the fact that while they were slaves, their time belonged to the Egyptians and to Pharaoh. When they would be freed, their time would belong to G-d and to themselves. This empowering message from G-d also signifies the importance of time management. We should use our time wisely, for the good of bringing G-dliness into this physical world. The very fact that it is a Jewish person's responsibility to indicate the arrival of the new month based upon the phase of the moon is also unique. The new month is declared only after it is determined by a Jewish court that a new moon has appeared. In fact, if the moon were not to be visible on the indicated day, G-d would even push things off for a day until it could be determined for sure that the moon was seen. That's a lot of power; we are masters of our own domain and as such have the ability to shape our own destiny.

"Whereas time is steadily moving ahead, never-stopping, marching on in a cyclical, repetitive spiral, we are given the power to stop or start time at will, allowing us to 'share' with God that special creativity of determining reality." --Dina Coopersmith, Rosh Chodesh via aish.com

What's The Moon Got To Do With It?

So if everyone else uses a solar calendar, why were the Jews commanded to go by the lunar cycle? One idea that comes to mind is that the very essence of Jewish identity in and of itself is the fact that we are commanded to be different from other nations. How we dress, how we eat, how we pray and relate, how we observe the Sabbath--all of these characteristics distinguish the Jewish people from other religions and heritages. Additionally, the very nature of the moon speaks volumes of the nature of the Jewish people. It appears from above to wax and wane, to nearly disappear and then reappear. It is also significantly smaller than the sun, which has a seemingly unchanging nature. The Jewish people, like the moon, may be humble and small. We have historically faced hardship that has rendered us few in number. However, like the moon, when times grow dark we can look upward and find that our hope springs eternal. Our very faith in G-d ensures our survival. It is our comfort through the cyclical struggle against this everlasting paradox of time. Inherent in our very soul is the ability to grow and change, to overcome and to renew. 

Rosh Chodesh and Femininity

Rosh Chodesh is considered a mini-holiday especially for women. It is our reward for not having participated in the sin of the Golden Calf. The month represents the feminine aspect of the Jewish calendar and there are countless times throughout the Torah that women have risen above their surroundings, struggles, and circumstances to sanctify G-d and bring honor to the Jewish people. For this reason, many women on Rosh Chodesh will abstain from certain types of work, enjoy a festive meal and spend extra time learning and in prayer. Rosh Chodesh is an especially auspicious time for women to pray, particularly to recite Tehillim (Psalms). In certain communities, women will gather to study or recite Tehillim together. In some families, women and their daughters will wear new clothes on Rosh Chodesh as they signify the celebration of ushering in a new and beautiful month.

For More On The Topic...

Check out these websites:

• A Great Article About Rosh Chodesh at aish.com
• The Jewish Woman
• Chassidic Perspective on The Jewish Calendar
• More Chassidic Thought on Rosh Chodesh: "The 29th Day"
• The "Lunar Files" by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
• How to Celebrate Rosh Chodesh
• My community has a Rosh Chodesh Society, which includes a series of classes given each year by my Rebbetzin. To see if there is a class series in your area, click here!

Chodesh Tov!