Dancing at the Moon for God and the Weirdest Case of Women's Obligation

Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina says, Rav Asi says, Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Until how many days into a new month may one recite a blessing on the month, i.e., Birkat HaLevana? Until the flaw of the moon is filled. How many days is that? Rav Ya’akov bar Idi says that Rav Yehuda says: Until seven days of the month have passed. The Sages of Neharde’a say: Until sixteen days of the month have passed. They both hold by the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan (one can recite the blessing until the flaw of the moon is filled). R Rav Ya’akov bar Idi understands Rabbi Yoḥanan to be referring to the day when the moon will be like the string of a bow. (Before the moon appeared merely as a bow, and after seven days it appears like a half-circle, like a bow that has a string.) The Sages of Neharde’a understand Rabbi Yoḥanan to be referring to when the moon will be like a sieve, i.e., a full circle. § Rav Aḥa of Difti said to Ravina: And they should bless "Who is good and Who does good." Ravina said to him: Does that imply that when the moon is shrinking we bless: "the true Judge", so that we should conversely bless: "Who is good and Who does good", when the moon is growing? Rav Aḥa of Difti said to him: You are correct, and we should say them both. Ravina answered him: Since this is its nature, we do not bless the moon. Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina says that Rabbi Asi says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Anyone who blesses the new month in its proper time, it's as if he greets the Face of the Divine Presence. Alluding to this: “This month shall be for you the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:2), and, “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). The term “this” is employed in both verses. Rabbi Yishmael taught: If the Jewish people merited to greet the Face of their Father in Heaven only one time every month, it would suffice for them. Abaye said: Therefore, we say the blessing while standing, in honor of the Schina. Mareimar and Mar Zutra would lean on one another’s shoulders and recite the blessing. Rav Aḥa said to Rav Ashi: In the West, Eretz Yisrael, they recite the following blessing on the moon: Blessed is He Who renews the months. Rav Ashi said to him: Our women also recite that blessing, as Rav Yehuda says: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who by His word created the heavens, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts. He set for them a law and a time, that they should not deviate from their task. And they are joyous and glad to perform the will of their Owner; they are workers of truth whose work is truth. And to the moon He said that it should renew itself as a crown of beauty for those He carried from the womb, as they are destined to be renewed like it, and to praise their Creator for the name of His glorious kingdom. Blessed are You the Lord, Who renews the months.

He who sees the moon in its renewal says: Praise to Him Who renews months. Until when? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yose: Until it is seen like half a stick. Rebbi Aḥa and Rebbi Ḥinena in the name of Rebbi Yose: Until its missing part is filled. The rabbis of Caesarea say, until the fourteenth day. Rebbi Yose bar Abun said, that is correct; the missing part is never filled before the fourteenth day. Hence, all fourteen days one needs to recite the benediction.

When a person sees the moon after it is renewed, he should recite the blessing: Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who created the heavens with His word and all their hosts with the breath of His mouth. He granted them a fixed law and schedule so that they should not alter their tasks. They rejoice and are glad to carry out the will of their Creator. They are faithful servants whose work is righteous. And He instructed the moon to renew itself as a crown of glory to those who are borne [by Him] from the womb, who are destined to be similarly renewed and to glorify their Creator for the name of the glory of His kingdom and for all He has created. Blessed are You, God, who renews the months.

(17) This blessing should be recited while standing, for whoever recites the blessing on the new moon at its appropriate time is considered as if he greeted the Divine Presence. If a person did not recite the blessing on the first night, he may recite the blessing until the sixteenth of the month, until the moon becomes full.

The benediction over the moon must not be said except at the conclusion of the Sabbath when one is in an exhilarated mood and well dressed. [43a] He directs his eyes towards the moon, places his feet together and pronounces the benediction ‘Who didst create the heavens by Thy word ... Then one says three times, ‘A good sign, a good sign, shall it be for all Israel. Blessed be He Who formed you, blessed be your Maker, blessed be your Possessor, blessed be your Creator’. Turning in the direction of the moon, he jumps three times and exclaims three times, ‘As I jump towards thee but do not touch thee, so if others should jump against me to hurt me may they not touch me. Let terror and dread fall upon them and may this be retrospective, Amen, Amen, Selah. Praise you the Lord’. He then says ‘Peace’ three times to his fellow and goes home with a cheerful heart.

The blessing on the moon: Rav Yehudah says: one who sees the moon in its newness says 'Blessed are You Hashem who didst create the heavens by Thy word and all their hosts with the breath of His mouth...'" This means that Hashem acts in truth and His actions are true in the judgment to reduce the moon and some people say doers of truth and their doings are true and it's talking about the heavenly army that their actions are true and you don't change their order. Rabbi Yochanan says: Until when do we bless the month? Until its deficiency is filled, but from then on it's old and it's not fit to bless on its newness and many explained when its deficiency is filled. Rav Yehudah says: Until 7 days when its deficiency is filled and its a half circle and Nehardeai say: Until 16 days and not the 16th day when its totally whole and the Halacha is like Nehardeai and the 16 days are counted from the Molad and not from the day the month is declared. Rabbi Yishmael says: If Yisrael only merited to greet the face of their Father in Heaven once a month, it would be enough. Abaye says: Therefore we bless standing. Meimar and Rav Ashi would lean on each others shoulders and bless in order to give more importance to greeting the Schina honorably. It says in Mesechet Sofrim: Don't bless the on the moon except on Motzei Shabbat when you are Mevusam (spiced, intoxicated vibes, see Purim "Chayav Inish L'Bvsumei") and your clothes are nice and you turn your eyes facing the moon and straighten your legs and bless and say 3 times "It should be a good sign for all of Israel" "Blessed is your Creator, blessed is your Maker, Blessed it your Sanctifier" and dance 3 times towards the moon and say every time "Just like I am dancing and I can't reach you (the moon) so too if others advance against me to harm me they shouldn't be able to reach me" and say "Dread and fear should fall upon them, with the largeness of your arm they will become silent as stone" and to change the order "Like a stone, your arm will be large and your fear will fall upon them" and say this 3 times "Amen and amen Praise Hashem" and say to their friend 3 times "Peace be upon you" and go home with a good heart and some say it's in this order "Blessed is your Maker, Blessed is your Designer, Blessed is your Acquirer, Blessed is your Creator, and a sign for Yaakov and its a hint to him"

The Blessing on the Moon and its time and there are 4 sections:

(1)One who sees the moon in its newness blesses "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who by His word created the heavens, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts. He set for them a law and a time, that they should not deviate from their task..." Rema: And you shouldn't sanctify the month except at night at a time when the moon is shining and you benefit from its light.

(2) Don't bless on the moon except for Motzei Shabbat when you are Mevusam and your clothes are nice. Rema: And specifically if the night of Motzei Shabbat is before the 10th then you wait until Motzei Shabbat, but if it's after, you don't wait until Motzei Shabbat lest there are 2-4 nights of clouds and you don't see the moon and the time passes and when you sanctify it during the week, you should wear nice clothes. We don't sanctify the moon before Tisha B'Av or Yom HaDin and on Motzei Yom Kippur we sanctify it because then we are filled with happiness but not Motzei Tisha B'Av or the rest of the fasts and you don't sanctify it on Motzei Shabbat that falls on Yom Tov. And you set your eyes upon it and straighten your legs and bless and say 3 times "it should be a good sign for all of Israel, Blessed be your Creator" Rema: And dance 3 times towards it and say "Just like I am dancing and I can't reach you (the moon) so too if others advance against me to harm me they shouldn't be able to reach me" and say "Dread and fear should fall upon them, with the largeness of your arm they will become silent as stone" and to change the order "Like a stone, your arm will be large and your fear will fall upon them" and say this 3 times "Amen and amen Praise Hashem" and say to their friend 3 times "Peace be upon you" and we say "David the King of Israel is alive and well" since his kingdom is a parable for the moon and it will be renewed like the moon and Bnei Yisrael will return to cling to their Master that is Hashem. The parable is the Moon that renews with the sun it says "the Sun and Hashem the Protector" and therefore we make happiness and dance during Kiddush HaChodesh similarly to the happiness of marriage.

(3) Until when do we bless on it? Until the 16th from the Molad and not including the 16th and you don't sanctify until the half 29th, 12th hour, Tashtzag from the Molad.

(4) You don't bless on it until after 7 days have passed over it Rema: and you don't sanctify the moon under a roof

Women are patur: because it is a time-bound positive commandment. And even though they MAY fulfil all time-bound positive commandments, like sukkah, nevertheless, they should not fulfill this mitzvah because they caused the diminishment of the moon (acc to the Shelah) see what he wrote at the end of siman 296. And in Sanhedrin perek 5 it says regarding blessing the moon “our women also make this blessing” it implies a bit that they actually make the blessing, but it is possible that this is not actually referring to women [saying the blessing] but rather it is a manner of speech. A blind person is obligated in Kiddush Levana.

And women don’t normally say the Blessing on the moon because it’s a positive time-bound commandment, and they’re exempt. Even though with many positive time-bound commandments, women normally uphold like Shofar, Lulav, and Sukkah, in any case they don’t normally do it. And in the Gemara it means to say that in their days women would also bless a short Bracha “Blessed is the Renewer of the months”.