Hello Friends and welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa based in Mason City. Before we get into this week's amazing story a reminder that the Community Seder for Passover will be held on Friday Evening the 15th of April at 7:00PM at the shul. Reservations are requested so we can plan for how many folks will be with us. We are requesting that attendees be fully vaccinated and bring your card. The cost of the dinner is $30 per person, $75 for a family of four and larger groups should contact President Alan Steckman at 641-424-9362 and leave a message or you can text him at 641-420-7251. Checks may be sent directly to Post Office Box 621 Mason City, Iowa, 50402-0621. Whew!
Time Is On Our Side
There is an old Rolling Stones song by that name and time plays into this weeks added Torah portion. You see, This Shabbat is the last of the Four Special Shabbatot (Hebrew plural for Shabbat) in which we append an extra Torah reading in addition to the regular Torah portion of the week. This week we add “Parshat Hachodesh – Portion of the Month.”
Let's dig into this a bit. Rabbi Yitzchak Zweig writes, "In this week's appended Torah reading we find the first mitzvah that G-d gave the nation of Israel, and would you believe that it also has to do with time? Not only that, but G-d actually gifted the Jewish people the ability to define time."
In Judaism the calendar is based on the lunar cycle (and adjusted every few years to align with the solar year). Parshat Hachodesh discusses the mitzvah of sanctifying each and every month based on the arrival of the new moon – this process is known as Kiddush Hachodesh.
Back In The Day
In ancient Israel, the Jewish high court – the sanhedrin – would listen to the testimony of witnesses who would stream in from all over the country and testify to seeing the “new moon.” These witnesses would have to explain where in the sky and exactly at what time they saw it and the sanhedrin would patiently listen and then thoroughly test them. If the answers aligned with their knowledge, then the sanhedrin would declare the start of a new month.
The ancient sages of Israel had a thorough understanding and an expertise in astronomy and they knew exactly when and where the new moon was supposed to appear. In addition, the sanhedrin had been taught the exact length of a lunar month from Moses, who was given the exact calculation by the Almighty. They calculated the lunar month at 29.53059 solar days. This translates to 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3.333 seconds.
Enter NASA
About sixty years ago NASA established, based on calculations and data derived from satellites orbiting the earth, that the lunar month is exactly 29.530588 days long. It is remarkable to note that when the Jewish calendar was established there were obviously no satellites. In fact, if we think for a moment, they were also lacking computers, telescopes, and even watches. This makes the knowledge that our sages had all the more remarkable.
Now, If we compare the two calculations:
29.53059 = Sages’ measure
29.530588 = NASA satellite measure
The difference is 0.000002 = two one-millionths of a day. WHOA!
Our sages also foresaw that one day the Jewish people would be forced into exile. About 1,600 years ago, in the 4th century CE, Hillel II created a perpetual calendar because he saw the cessation of the sanhedrin, which would mean that there wouldn’t be a way to decree the beginning of a new month. This is the calendar we use to this very day.
As mentioned, this mitzvah of sanctifying the new month has a special significance as it was the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people as a nation. In fact, this passage of the Torah is so significant that the great Biblical commentator known as Rashi makes a remarkable statement regarding it. In his very first comment at the beginning of the Torah, Rashi points out that the Torah should have logically started with this very mitzvah instead of the story of creation.
The Lesson
So, what does all of this mean?
The mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh – that of establishing the new month – goes far beyond merely establishing a Jewish calendar. This mitzvah establishes the Almighty’s intention for the Jewish people to be His partners in running the world. G-d created the world and everything in it, but the management of this world, and G-d’s interaction with it, is in the control of the Jewish people. Giving the Jewish people the power (and responsibility) to establish the calendar and to determine when each month begins means that we have control over time.
This is incredibly significant. In essence, the Jewish people are the arbiters of how and when G-d interacts with the world because we hold power over time. We can actually imbue days with holiness based on our decisions. This is a profound statement of the trust that the Almighty has placed in the Jewish people and it defines the depth of our relationship with Him. Which way shall we go?
Thus, we are partners with G-d in the management of the world. It is a truly remarkable concept and this is why it was the first mitzvah given to the Jewish nation; it defines our role within creation and the role G-d expects us to play within His divine plan for the world.
It is for this reason that Rashi suggests that perhaps the Torah should have begun with the section that we read this Shabbat known as Parshas Hachodesh. Because it is the greatest gift G-d could give us: the power of time. We have the power to make days holy and decide when we serve G-d.
Shabbat Shalom!
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