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And on your day of gladness, and on your festivals, and on
your new moons...." (Num. 10:10)
Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the lunar month, is
called literally "the head of the month" and not the "beginning of
the month", because just as the head contains the life-force for all the limbs,
so does the first day of each month represent the spiritual "life-force" for the
rest of the month. The second part of the name, "Chodesh", is
related to the word "chadash", meaning "new". In simple terms, this
refers to the renewal of the moon, the birth of the new moon. In Kabbalistic
sources, however, it is explained that every Rosh Chodesh brings a new spiritual
light, one that never illuminated before throughout time. This light derives
from a completely new general revelation that takes place every Rosh Hashanah
and that is divided up for the twelve months of the year. When each Rosh Chodesh
arrives, its particular new light illuminates.
The renewal of the moon itself has a Kabbalistic dimension. The
moon corresponds to the sefira of malchut in that it "has no light
of its own" and shines with reflected light from the sun. Similarly, the
spiritual "light" of malchut is only what it receives from the sefirot
above it. Just as the moon becomes smaller and smaller until it is not visible
immediately before its rebirth, similarly malchut receives its light from
the sefirot above it by "nullifying itself" in its yearning to receive
this light. In the same way, the Jewish people (who are compared to the moon)
are able to become a vessel for G-d's light through exhibiting the trait of
self-nullification.  | | " Rosh Chodesh...represents drawing down the spiritual into the earthly and mundane...." | | |
The association of newness with the word "chodesh" has
important implications for a person's spiritual service. The Jewish people are
compared to the moon, and "reckon by the moon" and "are destined to be renewed
like it" (Liturgy, Kiddush Lavanah; Sanhedrin 42a). Through the "chidush",
the new spiritual element that is accomplished in the world through the service
of the Jewish people, the Jewish people achieve a new level higher than the one
they occupied before coming down into the physical world. This will be finally
revealed in the future redemption. One might say that each Rosh Chodesh there is
revealed in each individual Jew the spark of Mashiach that is within him,
the level of Yechida, which is a spark from the level of general
Yechida, the soul of Mashiach. (See Me'or Einayim,
parashat Pinchas) This revelation accomplishes a chidush in the
person's whole existence and everything that pertains to him; the level of
Yechida permeates him.
The spiritual character of Rosh Chodesh can best be
explained by contrasting it with Shabbat. Each of these two days
expresses one mode of a basic two-fold pattern in spiritual service, a pattern
that is also built into the structure of Creation: elevation and drawing down.
Rosh Chodesh, on which work is permitted, represents drawing down the
spiritual into the earthly and mundane; Shabbat, on which work is forbidden,
represents elevation, as the mundane and the earthly become more spiritual.
The two modes of this pattern also have a reciprocal relation:
An elevation brings a corresponding drawing down, and a drawing down brings a
corresponding elevation. The Shabbat elevation of the physical world and
all the levels of the spiritual realm is followed by the drawing down of
spiritual delight. The drawing down of a higher level of G-dliness on Rosh
Chodesh brings an elevation to the life-force creating the world. | | " On Rosh Chodesh, nature itself is on a higher level...." | | |
Although Rosh Chodesh is unlike Shabbat and Yom
Tov in that work is permitted, Rosh Chodesh is not considered a regular work
day and retains a separate identity. It is actually on a higher level than an
ordinary weekday, which is why an additional sacrifice was brought in the days
of the Temple, called the Musaf offering, to which the Musaf Standing
prayer that we say now corresponds. This is also the reason we say the
prayer of Hallel. In Kabbalistic terms this means causing a descent of
malchut into the midot, corresponding to the work of sifting and
purifying, and contrary to the spiritual character of Shabbat, when malchut
ascends to chochma (Torat Shmuel 5630).
On Shabbat, by contrast, it is forbidden to do work, for
spiritually Shabbat is higher than the level of "in six days G-d created,
etc." Then a divine light shines that is not clothed in nature. By violating the
prohibition of work on Shabbat, we cause G-d to contract Himself.
In contrast, on Rosh Chodesh, nature itself is on a
higher level. In other words, Shabbat represents a mode that is higher
than nature, a weekday represents a mode that accords with nature, and Rosh
Chodesh elicits that which is higher than nature and allows it to permeate
nature.
On Shabbat, the world exists directly from G-d's thoughts - the
level of thought is not hidden in the garments of nature. This is why we are not
allowed to work on Shabbat, since by working we cause a descent in the
world so that G-dliness is expressed through speech, which is a condensed light
that is clothed in nature. | | " On Rosh Chodesh the miraculous permeates the natural...." | | |
On Rosh Chodesh, nature is created by a higher form of
G-d's speech so that nature itself takes on a higher form.
This is why we say the Hallel prayer on Rosh Chodesh,
but not during the week or on Shabbat. The verses of Hallel speak of
how G-d conducts Himself through miracles. During the week G-d wants us to
conduct ourselves according to nature, making a vessel, a natural way for G-d's
blessings to be manifested. We are not allowed to rely on miracles and therefore
the Talmud compares saying Hallel on a weekday to "cursing and
blaspheming".
On Shabbat we don't say Hallel since we are not
allowed to work. Shabbat is a result of preparation (the work is already
completed), as indicated by the saying that "one who works before Shabbat
is able to eat on Shabbat". Rosh Chodesh, however, is an intermediate
between Shabbat and weekdays. We say Hallel to ask G-d to allow
our work and weekday concerns to be permeated with the spiritual, a uniting of
the physical and the spiritual, which is associated with miracles.
On Rosh Chodesh the saying of Hallel is a custom, unlike
the recitation of Hallel on Chanukah and Yom Tov, when it
is a law. The reason is that on Rosh Chodesh the miraculous permeates the
natural and weekday activities so that the weekday activities are revealed and
the miraculous is hidden. This is in contrast to Yom Tov and Chanukah, which are
associated with visible miracles, the military victory of the few over the many
on Chanukah for instance. | | " The ultimate objective is to draw down G-dliness into this world...." | | |
Chassidic philosophy explains that Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat each
have an advantage over the other. The advantage of Shabbat is that it is
spiritually loftier than any weekday, and therefore it is forbidden to work. On
the other hand, that in itself is the advantage of Rosh Chodesh over Shabbat: It
is permitted to work, and the elicitation of G-dliness reaches farther, all the
way down into the workday world. This gives it an advantage in achieving the
goal of a "dwelling here below". On Shabbat, time and space themselves are
elevated, as if Shabbat is a different world, but the ultimate objective is to
draw down G-dliness into this world.
This concept is identical to the advantage of Purim over the
rest of the holidays. Even though from one perspective there is something
lacking in a miracle clothed in nature (and therefore we do not say Hallel),
from another perspective there is an advantage to this kind of miracle: Since it
is clothed in nature, it shows the greatness of the divine light in even being
able to permeate nature itself, and therefore the joy of Purim is greater than
on any other holiday.
The differences we have been talking about between Shabbat and
Rosh Chodesh apply to these two days as they exist now. However, in the future,
when Mashiach comes, the Torah states, "Then all flesh will come to bow
down before Me every Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat." (Isaiah 66:23) This means that
the pilgrimage up to the holy Temple associated with the holidays in the days of
the Temple will take place every Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. The spiritual
revelation of Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh will have reached a new and higher level.
[From The Jewish Holy Days in Chassidic Philosophy (Jason
Aronson)]
Footnotes:
Visitor Comments: 2
Anonymous, 5/7/2006
Lots of Mazel Tov for the engaPetrus ben Judah , from Philippines, 3/14/2006
Surely the Mashiach shall come
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