B"H

Monday, Shevat 1, 5782 / January 3, 2022

Today (Monday), is Rosh Chodesh - the first day of the new Hebrew month, Shevat.  Shevat is the eleventh month in the Hebrew calendar.

Q.  When did G-d give the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh?

A.The commandments were given at Mount Sinai, which took place 50 days after the Exodus. However, the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh was given to the Jewish people two weeks before the Exodus, while they were still in Egypt. It was the first mitzvah given to us.

In this week’s Parsha, Bo, the Torah tells us that on the first day (Rosh Chodesh) Nissan, G-d told Moshe and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: “This month (Nissan) shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the months of the year."

Rosh Chodeshis celebrated on the day when the moon starts its cycle of rebirth. At the end of each Hebrew month the moon is not visible. From Rosh Chodesh on it starts becoming visible and fuller each night, until about the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month when the full moon is visible.

Q.  Why was Rosh Chodesh the first mitzvah given to us while still in Egypt?

A.  It was important to give Jews this mitzvah before the Exodus. It teaches us that we are likened to the moon which has cycles of ups and downs. So too, the Jewish people go through various cycles. There were good years when we were in the Land of Israel with the Holy Temple. Then there were years of Exile, and years of persecution. However, during the worst of times, we knew that there are better days coming, just like the moon which has an up cycle and always comes back to shine bright again.   

In the Torah the months are not identified by name, only by numbers.  The month of Shevat is the eleventh month in the Hebrew calendar year.

Q.   How is it possible that the month of Shevat, which is five months from Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New year, should be the eleventh month?

A.   The answer to this question is in this week’s Parsha, Bo.  As mentioned above, two weeks before the Exodus, G-d gave the Jewish people the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh – designating the first day of each month as a special day.  In honor of the Exodus, G-d assigned the month of Nissan, the month of our redemption, which is the seventh month after Rosh Hashana, as the head and first of the months of the year.

Thus, in the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashana is celebrated in the seventh month, while seven months later is Nissan, which is considered the first month.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL CHODESH-MONTH