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Holy Days -
Rosh Chodesh
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Written by d fine
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The Maharsha reveals a delightful little insight about kiddush levana, which we can use to explain the recital of Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. Explaining Rav Yochanan’s statement (Sanhedrin 42a) that ‘one who blesses the month in its correct time is as if he is accepting the presence of the Shechinah,’ the Maharsha says that the moon’s monthly cycle is a symbol of our exile. When the moon waxes and wanes each month, then returns to its full glory, this is a visual representation of the fact that despite our hard and bitter exile, we will once again be restored to our former glory and HaShem will redeem us. Thus, our kiddush levana each month affirms our belief in the ultimate ge’ulah, and the time when we shall accept HaShem’s Presence. Perhaps this is also one reason why we say Hallel on Rosh Chodesh - we are anticipating the simcha of the final redemption; ana HaShem hoshiya na. May the ge’ulah come speedily bimheirah beyomeinu.
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Holy Days -
Rosh Chodesh
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Written by MK
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Just like the moon waxes and wanes but never completely disappears, so too the Jewish people go through troubles in their lives and have ups and downs, but even at the lowest point we are still here and will bounce back to our full glory - soon bezras Hashem
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Holy Days -
Rosh Chodesh
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Written by Administrator
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We would love to read your vort. Click "Submit your Vort" to send us your vort.
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Holy Days -
Rosh Chodesh
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In this weeks parsha ,Bo ,h’shem gives the Jewish people the mitzvah of keeping a lunar calendar and the appointment of Nissan as the head of the year (ie the first month of the year) .
This lunar calendar , well moon to be more specific is celebrated in Kiddush lavanah, a ceremony which I first took part in this past winter holiday. The ceremony is a sanctification of the new moon. I am told that there are two main significances of looking at the moon for the Kiddush lavanah, one is the acknowledgement of a visual physical sign of h’shem's miracles, which we rarely, if ever get the opportunity or have the ability to see. The second meaning is that the just as the moon waxes and wanes just as the Jewish people have low and high points we will too be like the full moon and a “Light unto the nations”. This brought me to thinking about the cyclical / repetitious nature of Judaism. So we follow a cyclical year as denoted by h’shem and observe mitzvot on a daily basis, we pray three times a day, celebrate/observe Shabbat once a week and observe the same festivals every year. How do we keep the mitzvot fresh and prevent these practices from becoming rituals? The true way of continuing to experience and practice mitzvot and practicing Judaism in new ways is to discuss, challenge and learn about it through torah study, by continuing to add meaning year on year we are deepening are understanding and raising the spirit / kavannah of the commandment.
The torah scrolls are a set text, every week we read one parsha and we read the same parsha every year on that week. There are the same 304,805 words in the torah, to recite these words every year is important but recitation and following commandments is nothing without a deeper understanding of the true meanings. So we continue our learning year on year, adding new meaning learning more about the torah, our mitzvoth and being a jew so every time we perform a mitzvoth it is elevated to a higher level.
May we always continue to strive to find deeper meaning and new interpretations to elevate our prayer and mitzvot.
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Holy Days -
Rosh Chodesh
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What was the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people as a whole? The answer is the mitzvah of sanctifying the new moon (kidush hachodesh); given in Egypt to us. Why is it so important? One explanation is that it shows how much spiritual power and potential we have; if we don't declare rosh chodesh, then there is no rosh chodesh and no festivals that month; and festivals are when HaShem gives us certain spiritual opportunities and powers. Thus, this mitzvah shows our power and responsibility to the world; we must get involved in facilitating the bringing down of kedusha into this world, and the entire world can be affected by our declaring of the new chodesh. We need to know who we are and our potentials.
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