A Mystery. The first mitzvah given to the Jewish people even before they left Egypt was the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh. The Pasuk, Parshas Bo 12:2 says, ‘Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodoshim rishon hu lachem lechadshei hashana’.
This mitzvah is given not only before the exodus commences, but even before the last plague of the death of the firstborn. In fact the first Rashi in Sefer Beraishis questions why it is that the Torah does not begin with hachodesh hazeh lachem, since after all it is the first mitzvah given to the Jewish nation. Considering that Rosh Chodesh is the very first mitzvah in the Torah given to the Jewish people as a nation, there is very little detail about it in the Chumash. Although there is much background given to the other Yomim Tovim, with Rosh Chodesh all we are told in the Chumash is, ‘Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodashim rishon hu lachem lechadshei Hashana’. The Pasuk does not describe the process of being mekadaish the chodesh nor kiddush levana. The Pasuk does not even tell us what exactly the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh entails or how to fulfill it, it is explained by Chazal.
Additionally, the mitzvah of being mekadaish the chodesh is not even something which every individual Jew can do, it is incumbent upon bais din to do it.
Kiddush Levana which is performed by individuals is not the same mitzvah as Kiddush Hachodesh. Kiddush Levana is a rabbinical enactment in order to help us realize the greatness of Hashem and to be mekabel the Shechina.
The next time in Tanach that we find anything more descriptive about Rosh Chodesh is in the Navi Shmuel, 1:20:5 when Dovid Hamelech says to Yonasan, “Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh when I usually eat with the king.” This seems to allude to the concept that Rosh Chodesh is a Yom Tov.
In Melachim we find another similar hint when the Shunamite woman is asked, “Why are you going to see him today, it is not Rosh Chodesh nor Shabbos” (Melachim II 4:23) This Pasuk seems to equate Rosh Chodesh with Shabbos.
Although the Torah does not tell us outright that Rosh Chodesh is a Yom Tov it alludes to it. And so it seems that the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is somewhat clouded in mystery. It seems to be more nistar than nigleh.
It is mysterious that the very first mitzvah in the Torah is given so little description, background, detail, or even a clear indication of how to fulfill the mitzvah.
The vast majority of the mitzvos are given much more background, instruction, and detail than Kiddush Hachodesh is. If anything we would would assume the contrary that Kiddush Hachodesh warrants much more explanation.
Women do not perform Kiddush Levana
The Tur (O.C. 417:1) brings the custom for women to refrain from doing melacha on Rosh Chodesh. He explains that originally the Yomin Tovim were enacted as follows: Pesach to symbolize Avraham, Shavuos to symbolize Yitzchok, Succos to symbolize Yaakov, and the 12 Roshei Chodesh to symbolize the 12 shevatim. Then when the men sinned with the golden calf, the Yom Tov of Rosh Chodesh was taken away from the men and given instead to the women as a reward; a token for their refusal to participate in the sin of the golden calf.
Now lest the critics contend that women simply did not want to part with their jewelry, be it for giving to the Egel or for anything else, that is not the case. For the Pirkai DiRabi Eliezer points out that when it came time to donate to the Mishkan, the women enthusiastically initiated donating their jewelry to the Mishkan. This demonstrated that their refusal to give their jewelry for the Egel was indeed with the purest of intentions, as they had no issue with donating it to the worthy cause of the Mishkan.
Yet interestingly, it is mentioned in the Shelah, Shaar Haosiyos, Kedusha: Chapter 28 that women do not perform Kiddush Levana since they caused the ‘pegimas halevana’. This would seem to refer to the shrinking of the moon. He writes that Chavah caused the moon to shrink by sinning with the Tree of Knowledge. Therefore, since women are embarrassed that they shrunk the moon they do not recite Kiddush Levana. This statement of the Shelah is cited by both Mogain Avrohom and Mishna Berura in Hilchos Rosh Chodesh Siman 426 in explaining why women do not perform Kiddush Levana.
So this seems to be somewhat of a paradox: On the one hand the women are the decorated awardees of the Yom Tov of Rosh Chodesh who were rewarded with Rosh Chodesh for refusing to contribute or participate in the Egel.
On the other hand, women do not say Kiddush Levana since they caused the shrinkage of the moon. If anything, Kiddush Levana is a mitzvah which women should be performing. After all Rosh Chodesh is their Yom Tov which is why there is a minhag for women to refrain from doing melacha on Rosh Chodesh.
For an example, the reason why women are obligated in drinking the 4 cups at the Seder and in all of the Mitzvos of the Seder is because they were also included in the miracle of Pesach. So, it can be argued that women should likewise do kiddush levana since Rosh Chodesh is their Yom Tov. Kiddush Levana should be something that women recite since Rosh Chodesh is the Yom Tov given specifically to the women.
Why do women not say Kiddush Levana if Rosh Chodesh is their Yom Tov?
Didn’t the moon’s complaining cause it to shrink?
To make this even more complicated, the moon is faulted for shrinking itself since it complained. As Chazal tell us that originally both the sun and the moon were created equal. Then when the moon complained that 2 kings cannot wear the same crown, Hashem kept the sun strong and shrunk the moon. And so it seems that it is the moon’s fault for causing itself to be shrunk, by complaining. More so, when the moon complained and got shrunk this was on the 4th day of creation, and women were not even created until the 6th day.
On the other hand the Gemara, Chullin 60B says, “Hashem says that we should bring a Korban as a kapara for Him shrinking the moon.” This is why a Korban Chatas is brought on Rosh Chodesh.
So whose fault is it that the moon was shrunk? Is it G-d’s fault? Is it the moon’s fault for complaining? Or the women’s fault? Now if it was the women who caused the moon to shrink what did they do wrong? The incident with the moon being shrunk happened on the 4th day of creation whereas woman was not even created until the 6th day. How could it be Chava’s fault?
Interestingly, neither the Shelah, nor the Mogain Avrohom, nor the Mishna Berura explain how this will be reconciled with the famous Chazal that the moon was shrunk because it complained that 2 kings cannot wear the same crown.
Or how it will be reconciled with the fact that Hashem asked the Jewish people to bring a Korban for Him on Rosh Chodesh since He shrunk the moon. If we bring a Korban Chatas to atone for G-d who shrunk the moon it would seem that it is not the women’s fault since otherwise we would bring a Korban to atone for the women, and not for G-d.
This certainly begs explanation, besides for the fact that we seem to have a 3-way contradiction as to who is at fault for the shrinking of the moon: Hashem, The Women, or The Moon.
I found that the Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe in Divrai Yatziv O.C. Teshuva 97 takes issue with this statement of the Shelah that women caused the moon to shrink, and argues on it.
He argues that when the moon was shrunk Chava was not even created yet! The moon was created and diminished on Day 4, yet humans were not created until Day 6. He says rather that this matter is a very deep and hidden matter beyond comprehension, ואין לי עסק בנסתרות.
Like greeting the Shechina
The Gemara, Sanhedrin 42a likens the mitzvah of Kiddush Levana to greeting the Shechina; it is so great that if this mitzvah of greeting the Shechina was the only one that the Jewish people performed, it would be sufficient. This is why it must be said standing up. Rav Acha said to Rav Ashi that in Ererz Yisroel the text of the bracha is Baruch Mechadaish Chadashim. Rav Ashi said back to Rav Acha, A bracha like that even women can make. Rather, the text of the bracha is the longer version of ‘Asher bemaamaro bara shechakim’ etc. which we have in our Siddurim.
It is debated among the commentators what the intention of Rav Ashi was when he exclaimed that even women can make a bracha which is so short like Baruch Mechadaish Chadashim.
Meiri contends that ‘women’ in this context is synonymous with ignorant people. As this was in the olden days when women were mostly less educated than they are today, and therefore one cannot infer from this exclamation of Rav Ashi that women make the short bracha of Kiddush Levana. This is also the approach of the Machtzis Hashekel.
Others contend that we see from here that women do in fact make the bracha of Kiddush Levana. Aruch Hashulchan says that although today the custom is that women do not make Kiddush Levana, the aforementioned Gemara indicates that women did make the short version of the Bracha Baruch Mechadaish Chadashim in previous generations. We see from here that women do in fact make Kiddush Levana, just the shorter version of the bracha.
The Toras Chayim understands that when the Gemara says that ‘even women make this bracha’, it was a mark of distinction. Meaning that since Rosh Chodesh is a Yom Tov given to the women and it is they who have the minhag to abstain from working on Rosh Chodesh, therefore women do not have to make the long version of the bracha that men make. All they have to do is make the bracha on the day of Rosh Chodesh which is their Yom Tov, and that it is sufficient. It is the men who must recite the longer version of the bracha since it is not their Yom Tov.
Harav Yosef Chayim Zonnefeld (Shalmas Chayim 1:98) – says that the reason why women do not make Kiddush Levana is because of the concept of ‘Kol kevuda bas melech penima’. Meaning, it is not tzniyus for women to recite Kiddush Levana since it is done outdoors. Similar to the idea which the Chasam Sofer says is the reason why women do not light Chanuka candles. In the olden days, Chanuka candles were lit outdoors and because of kol kevuda bas melech penima the custom evolved that women to not light Chanuka candles.
Our question is also addressed by HaRav Yitzchok Weiss in Minchas Yitzchak (8:15). He addresses both questions: 1. Why is it the women’s fault that the moon was shrunk? 2. How is this to be reconciled with the fact that we bring a Korban Chatas on Rosh Chodesh for Hashem who shrunk the moon?
He answers based on the Lev Aryeh to CHullin 60b. A Medrash relates that the moon complained about its equivalence with the sun. To rectify this, the moon was lessened. The moon then responded, Just because I said something which is correct why I should I have to be shrunk? The commentators grapple with this retort of the moon. Since regardless either the sun or the moon had to be shrunk, in that case what was the nature of the moon’s argument that the sun should be the one that gets shrunk? Why should the sun be shrunk more than the moon?
The Lev Aryeh explains that the moon was arguing that that the sun’s light should actually be increased, and then the moon could stay the same size. However The Almighty could not grant this request since He had already hidden away the greater part of the sunlight from the original creation. The reason why it was stowed away was that due to the sins of mankind G-D saw that the world was not worthy of the full sunlight and therefore stashed away the Ohr Haganuz. Hence, since the only alternative solution was to increase the sun’s output which was not an option, the moon had to be shrunk. (cf. Hagigah 12a). Now, notes R. Weiss, why was the sun’s output diminished–due to the future sins of mankind, which led them to lose the merit of that light.
Since those sins all resulted from the original sin, which was the impetus of Chava, it is her (indirect) fault that the moon had to be shrunk, since the luminaries couldn’t be made equal by increasing the sun. This is why Hashem instructed the Jewish people to being a Korban for having to shrink the moon. Since if not for our sins the moon would be able to maintain its original light, and the light of the sun would be much stronger, as it would not have had to be stored away.
In the future, when the world becomes deserving once again and has atoned for the sins of Adam and Chava , the moon will return to its original output of light as we daven,’ veyehi ohr halevana keohr hachama kemo shehaysa kodem miutah’. ‘The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, as it was before it was shrunk.
And the much stronger intensity of the original sunlight, the Ohr Haganuz will also be revealed once again in all of its glory, bemehaira yavo!
Conclusion
The Gemara tells us that Benissan nigalu ubenissan asidin ligalu, the Benai Yisroel were redeemed from Egypt in the month of Nissan, and in the future will be redeemed from exile in the month of Nissan as well.
May we all be zoche to experience the geula and see the time when the light of the moon will return to be just as strong as the light of the sun.
May we all be zoche to experience the light of the Ohr Haganuz of the original sunlight, which is hidden away until the times of Moshiach.
May we all be zoche to experience and be part of the Geula Shelaima this Chodesh Nissan and be zoche to bring the Korban Pesach in the Bais Hamikdash in Yerusholayim together with Moshiach Tzidkainu Bimhaira Veyamainu Ameni!
A Gitten Gebentched Geula-Dige Chodesh Nissan!
Rabbi Binyomin Radner
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