What do the sun and moon represent to you?
Which do you enjoy more?
(1) And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: (2) ’This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
A Legendary Struggle for Dominance
(א) ברביעי חבר שני מאורות הגדולים לא זה גדול מזה ולא זה גדול מזה ושוין בגבהם ובתארן ובאורן, שנאמר (בראשית א, טז): "וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת" וגו'. נכנס תחרות ביניהם זה אומר לזה אני גדול ממך וזה אומר לזה אני גדול ממך, ולא היה שלום ביניהם.
(ב) מה עשה הקב"ה? הגדיל את האחד, והקטין את האחד, שנאמר (בראשית א, טז): "אֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְאֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה".
(1) THE PLANETS; THE COURSE OF THE SUN
ON the fourth day He connected together the two luminaries, of which one was not greater (in size) than the other. They were equal as regards their height, || qualities, and illuminating powers, as it is said, "And God made the two great lights" (Gen. 1:16). Rivalry ensued between them, one said to the other, I am bigger than thou art. The other rejoined, I am bigger than thou art.
(2) What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do, so that there should be peace between them? He made the one larger and the other smaller, as it is said, "The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars he also made" (ibid.).
“And God made the two great lights” (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains: When God first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. God therefore said to her, i.e., the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, since I said a correct observation before You, must I diminish myself? God said to her: As compensation, go and rule both during the day along with the sun and during the night. She said to Him: What is the greatness of shining alongside the sun? What use is a candle in the middle of the day? God said to her: Go; let the Jewish people count the days and years with you, and this will be your greatness. She said to Him: But the Jewish people will count with the sun as well, as it is impossible that they will not count seasons with it, as it is written: “And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14). God said to her: Go; let righteous men be named after you. Just as you are called the lesser [hakatan] light, there will be Ya’akov HaKatan, i.e., Jacob our forefather (see Amos 7:2), Shmuel HaKatan the tanna, and David HaKatan, i.e., King David (see I Samuel 17:14). God saw that the moon was not comforted. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon. The Gemara notes: And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is different about the goat offering of the New Moon, that it is stated with regard to it: “For the Lord” (Numbers 28:15)? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the size of the moon.
How does God reward the moon after diminishing its size?
Why do you think God does this?
But the Holy One immediately begins to compensate the disappointed moon: she can shine day and night, the Jewish calendar will be reckoned by her, righteous people will be named for her. And when none of this consoles the moon, God “makes atonement,” as it were, by commanding a special offering be made for the divine sake on each New Moon!
B. Talmud Sanhedrin 42a
To bless the new moon at the proper time is akin to greeting the Divine Presence (Shechinah)...
Why are the Jewish people compared to the moon?
“The Jewish people are compared to the moon, and therefore we count according to her cycle."
“The other nations count by the sun, while Israel counts by the moon” (Sukkah 29a).
"Like the moon, there’s little stability; and like the moon, we’re resilient. Just when we think we’ve hit rock bottom, we bounce back up and begin again.
So the sanctification of the moon is the message of hope and rebirth. It dances a message of empowerment that the sun does not."
"Both appear to be weak at times, yet both reflect a light that is so essential that it can’t otherwise shine."
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1089313/jewish/The-Moons-Humility.htm
Rabbi Isaac of Homil (18th-19th Century Ukrainian Kabbalist): Shnei Meorot
The moon, when she was first created, was a glistening jewel. She did not merely reflect light, but rather transformed it and brought out its inner beauty, much as a precious stone glistens with a secret, hidden light all its own. In her own way, the moon was greater than the sun—for the sun only shines from its surface, whereas the moon shone from its inner essence. The sun holds the light that extends outward, whereas the moon holds the light of being.
And so will be, once again, and much more so, in the time to come, once we have transformed the world with the Torah and its mitzvot.
How was Rosh Hodesh determined in ancient times?
Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1
- The occurrence of Rosh Chodesh was originally confirmed on the testimony of witnesses observing the new moon.[4] After the Sanhedrin declared Rosh Chodesh for either a full month or a defective, 29-day month, news of it would then be communicated throughout Israel and the diaspora.
- A custom was developed in which an additional day could be added to the month to ensure that certain holidays (such as Yom Kippur) did not fall on the days before or after Shabbat.[5]
Made up of 71 learned sages, the Sanhedrin would wait until at least two witnesses came to them with the news of the very first sighting of the New Moon. After hearing from these witnesses, the Sanhedrin would send word throughout the land of Israel and beyond that the next month had begun.
Using a long torch on top of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, a representative of the Sanhedrin would light a fire on top of the hill. People watching on nearby hills would see the flames and light their own fires. In this way, notice that the New Moon had been sighted spread far and wide. (This practice also explains why most Jewish holidays are celebrated for an extra day outside of the land of Israel; since it could take days for the news of the New Moon to spread, far-flung Jewish communities adopted the custom of celebrating for two days.) In later days, the Samaritans would sometimes try and confuse Jews by lighting their own fires, so the Sanhedrin began to send out news that a new month had dawned using messengers instead.
B. Talmud Rosh HaShanah 24a
MISHNAH. R. Gamliel used to have a diagram of phases of the moon on a tablet on the shelf of his upper chamber, and he used to show them to the unlearned and say, "did it look like this or like this?"
What is the connection between women and Rosh Hodesh?
Talmud Yerushalmi Ta'anit 1:6
Women who refrain from work on Rosh Chodesh [= the first day of a lunar month] are following an established custom.
Rabbi Jill Hammer
When the Israelites in the wilderness gave their most beautiful materials for the making of the mishkan (the dwelling place of God's presence, coming from the same word as Shekhinah), women donated more than men. The Torah says that “the men gathered upon the women”, implying that the women were more quick to come to give the Shekhinah their treasures. Therefore, women refrain from weaving, spinning, and sewing on Rosh Chodesh in honor of their generosity and zealousness (Rashi on Megillah 22b). In this story, women are the most enthusiastic givers to the mishkan, which represents the indwelling Divine Presence. This parallels women's association with the Shekhinah.
What is Kaabalah's understanding of the importance of Rosh Hodesh?
Gershom Scholem, On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism, 151-153
This 'lessening of the moon' was interpreted by the Kabbalists as a symbol of the Shekhinah's exile. The Shekhinah itself is the 'holy moon,' which has fallen from its high rank, been robbed of its light and sent into cosmic exile. Since then, exactly like the moon itself, it has shone only with reflected light. With the Talmudic explanation, which relates only to the designation of the moon as the 'lesser light' in the first chapter of Genesis, the Kabbalists connected their knowledge of the changing phases of the moon, which seemed to indicate that until the Messianic redemption the moon (and the Shekhinah as well) would time and time again sink back into utter lightlessness and want. Only in redemption would the moon be restored to its original state, and in support of this belief a verse from Isaiah (3o : 26) was cited. Meanwhile, no cosmic event seemed to the Kabbalists to be more closely connected with the exile of all things, with the imperfection and the taint inherent in all being, than this periodic lessening of the moon.
Kabbalah looks at the moon-Jew connection in a whole new light. The mystics see the sun as the generator of two types of light: an external and obvious light that functions to illuminate the earth and generate photosynthesis, and a second, “internal” light. The internal light is not necessarily about performing; it’s just about being. It’s too sublime to be exposed directly from the sun; it presents itself only through the medium of the moon’s reflection. Although the light of the moon seems weaker than the direct sunrays, its light actually displays the sun’s essential light.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1089313/jewish/The-Moons-Humility.htm
What is Kiddush Levanah?
Kiddush Levanah, the Sanctification of the Moon, is performed once a month, during the first part of the lunar cycle. Said outdoors at night, Kiddush Levanah is a meaningful ritual highlighted by a Hebrew blessing, selections of Psalms and other prayers. It is often followed by joyous dancing.
- The Sanctification of the Moon is done at night, when the moon is waxing and is bright enough that we can benefit from its light. .
- We go outside to sanctify the moon, as though running eagerly to greet a king. Nothing should come between us and the heavens, even if the moon can be clearly seen from the shelter of a porch or the like.
- It is customary to say Kiddush Levanah at the conclusion of Shabbat.
- While it is customary to say the prayer with the large crowd after the Saturday evening services, or at least with a minyan, it can be also said without a minyan and in the middle of the week.
- In places where cloudy or rainy weather is very common, many people will recite the blessing as soon as they see the moon for the first time.
Why do we say it?
- Geela-Rayzel Raphael provides three explanations for this prayer.
- First it serves as a reminder that Jewish life is connected to the moon and a lunar calendar.
- Second, it provides a direct link to natural phenomena and inspires a blessing for God.
- Finally, it provides a framework for meditating on the moon as a symbol of the Jewish people.
What and How?
The formulation of the prayer is as follows:
We stand under the open sky, facing east and looking into our prayerbooks.
- We begin by reciting the first six verses of Psalm 148, giving praise to G‑d for the moon, sun, stars and heavens, “for He commanded and they were created.”
- Next, we place our feet together, look at the moon and recite the blessing, “. . . He gave them a set law and time, so that they should not alter their task . . . Blessed are You, L‑rd, who renews the months.”
- After lifting our heels three times, we then address the moon, so to speak: “Blessed is your Maker; blessed is He who formed you . . . Just as I leap toward you but cannot touch you, so may all my enemies be unable to touch me harmfully . . .” We emphasize these ideas by repeating this paragraph (and some of the subsequent stanzas) three times. Each time we begin, we lift ourselves to stand on our toes three times.
- Next we address the deeper significance of the lunar cycle: “David, King of Israel, is living and enduring.” The kingdom of David is compared to the moon. Though it may have lost much of its former radiance, it will be restored to its glory in messianic times.
- Since we just finished speaking of our enemies, we make a point of wishing peace to those who are peaceful. We turn to three of our fellow congregants and wish them peace, “shalom aleichem,” and they wish us peace in return, “aleichem shalom.”
- Inspired by the joy of greeting the Divine Presence, we exclaim three times, “May this be a good sign and good fortune for us and the entire Jewish nation.” This is also why we greet those around us, since joy is always greater when shared with others.
- We then recite two verses from the Song of Songs (2:8–9) that describe G‑d “looking through the windows, peering through the crevices,” just as the light of the moon does on a clear night.
- G‑d’s omnipresent protection is described again in the next Psalm we say (121): “The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night… The L‑rd will guard your going and coming from now and for all time.”
- We then repeat King David’s words (Psalm 150): “Praise G‑d in His holiness, praise him in the firmament of His strength . . . Let every being that has a soul praise the L‑rd.”
- This is followed by a passage from the Talmud that describes the Sanctification of the Moon: “It was taught in the academy of Rabbi Yishmael: Even if Israel merited no other privilege than to greet their Father in Heaven once a month, it would be sufficient for them . . .”
- Next is a psalm (67) that was recited in the Holy Temple, describing how G‑d’s miracles will cause the nations to recognize and praise Him: “The nations will extol You . . . The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on the earth forever.”
- We conclude with the “Aleinu” prayer, in which we say that the nations of the world “bow to vanity and nothingness. But we bend our knee, bow down, and offer praise before the supreme King of Kings . . .” This prayer emphasizes that our blessing on the moon is in no way a form of idol worship.
- If there is a quorum of ten, the mourner’s kaddish is recited.
- Once we are done, we dance as at a wedding celebration.
Kiddush Levanah - Siddur
B. Talmud Sanhedrin 42a
TANNA: It was taught in the academy of Rabbi Yishmael: Even if Israel merited no other privilege than to greet their Father in heaven once a month, it would be sufficient for them. Abbaye said, "Therefore we must recite it standing."
ADDED TEXT: Who is this coming up from the wilderness, cleaving to her Beloved? [Shir HaShirim 8:5] May it be Your will, Lord my God and God of my fathers, to fill the defect of the moon, so that there be no diminution in it, and may the light of the moon be as the light of the sun, as the light of the Seven Days of Creation, as it was before it was diminished, as it is said: And God made the two great luminaries. [Bereshit 1:16] May there be fulfilled in us the Scriptural verse which states: They will seek the Lord their God and David their king. [Hosea 3:5] Amen.
Kiddush Levana (Sanctification of the Moon) Blessing
Blessed are you, God, ruler of the universe,whose word created the heavens and whose breath created the heavenly hosts, who gave them ordinances that they not change their orbits. Joyful and happy are they to do the will of their creator, a worker of truth whose work is truth! To the moon God said; renew yourself, crown of glory for those borne in the womb, for they like you, are destined to renew themselves,and to give glory to their creator for the sake of God's holy honored sovereignty (malkhut/Shekhinah). Blessed are you, God, renewer of months.
How can we connect to the role of the moon in the Jewish calendar?
"Waxing and waning, the moon reminds us that strength is rarely static: there are times when nations and people are strong and times when they are weaker. These changes remind us that even when we seem down and hopeless, change is around the corner. Celebrating the New Moon reminded us that our work on behalf of those who are weaker than us is never done."