As we move from Purim towards Pesach, the rest of this week’s Daily Kavanot will focus on 3 of the special Shabbatot that link these holidays. Some have already passed on the calendar, and some are yet to come.
In the opening of its tractate called Rosh HaShanah, the Mishnah lists the four “new years” marked on the ancient calendar; in addition to Rosh Hashanah, we have 1) the New Year for the tithes on the 1st of Elul, the New Year for the trees on the 1st (though later the 15th, Tu) of Shevat, and—most importantly for today—the New Year for the festivals—the 1st of Nisan. As confusing as it is, Nisan is the first month of the year; Tishrei, when we celebrate Rosh HaShanah, is the seventh. In fact, there used to be communities in which wishes for the new year were exchanged on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the first day of the first month, two weeks before Passover.
Next Shabbat, the fourth of the special Sabbaths, is Shabbat HaChodesh , the Sabbath of the New Moon. This Shabbat celebrates the arrival of the month of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish year and the month of Passover. Unlike the other special Shabbatot, the connection is immediately clear; there is no red heifer or surprise attack. There is the dawn of a new month, and with it the promise of rebirth and redemption.
As with the other special Shabbatot, however, there is a special maftir Torah reading, this time from the Book of Exodus. In these preparatory days, we read about the preparation for the first Leil Pesach, the actual night that the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Israelites. In the second verse of this reading, we receive the command—and the reminder—for Shabbat HaChodesh:
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
Rabbi Amanda Golby picks up on the particular wording of the verse, teaching:
The lachem—for you—has a special significance for the Jewish people. It is understood that with this verse, we are responsible for our own timekeeping.
The Midrash in Shemot Rabbah 15, says: ‘This month is lachem, for you, the first of the months. The ministering angels said to God, ‘Master of Infinity, when do you declare the festivals?’ God said to them, ‘You and I will accept whatever Israel calculates’¦. The Holy Blessed One said to Israel, ‘In the past they were in my hands. But from now on they are in your hands’.
There is a human responsibility for the calendar, and perhaps we are reminded, beginning with Rosh Chodesh Nisan, to make a greater commitment to the observance of the calendar. It can also be seen as a bold statement that we cannot always wait for God to act. God is waiting for our human initiative.
Shabbat HaChodesh serves as a reminder to recommit ourselves to living, not just for the eight days of Pesach, but for the whole year, in accordance with the calendar and its profound messages which can so impact on our personal lives and our world.
The lachem—for you—has a special significance for the Jewish people. It is understood So, shanah tovah—or at least, almost chodesh tov!
–Rabbi Sari Laufer