“This
month shall be for you the head of the months.
It shall be for you the first of the months of the year.” (Shemot 12:2)
This pasuk introduces the first mitzvah that Hashem
revealed to Moshe. We are commanded to
establish a calendar. The calendar is
to be based on the cycles of the moon.
The emergence of the new moon will determine the beginning of each
month. The courts are charged with the
responsibility of accepting testimony regarding the appearance of the new moon
and declaring the new month. Today’s
Rabbinic courts do not have the authority to accept this testimony and cannot
declare a new month. We determine the
date of the new month based upon a calendar developed our Sages.
The first day of the month has some special
observances. One of these observances
is that the Hallel prayer is recited in the morning service. The Talmud explains that the recitation of
the Hallel on Rosh Chodesh – the new month – is not a Rabbinic decree. It is custom – a minhag.[1]
In order to appreciate this observation some
background is required. The Sages
enacted the practice of reciting the full Hallel on festivals. The Sages established an obligation to
recite the complete Hallel on eighteen days of the year. These are, the eight days of Chanuka, the
seven days of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, the first day of Pesach and on
Shavuot. Outside of Israel, the
complete Hallel is recited twenty-one days.
In addition to the days it is recited in Israel, it is recited on
Simchat Torah, the second day of Pesach and the second day of Shavuot.[2]
Although the complete Hallel is recited only on the
first day of Pesach – or the first two days, outside of Israel – an abbreviated
version of Hallel is recited on the remaining days of the festival. This abbreviated Hallel is also recited on
Rosh Chodesh.
Why do we sometimes recite the complete Hallel and
on other occasions an abbreviated form?
The Talmud explains that the Sages established a Rabbinic obligation to
recite the complete Hallel on the eighteen days outlined above. However, the custom developed to recite Hallel
on additional occasions. This custom is
not part of the original decree of the Sages.
In order to identify the occasions on which the recitation of Hallel is
customary but not part of the original decree, an abridged Hallel is recited on
those occasions that are established through custom. In other words, when Hallel is recited in response to the
original decree of the Sages, the complete Hallel is read. When Hallel is recited in response to
custom, an abbreviated Hallel is read.[3]
What is the reason for the custom to recite an
abridged Hallel on these additional occasions? Tosefot explain that Hallel is
recited to recognize a miracle or to celebrate as festival.[4] Based on this criterion, we can easily
explain the custom to recite Hallel on all of the days of Pesach. Although the original decree of the Sages
only requires that the complete Hallel be recited on the first day of the
festival, the custom extends the requirement to the entire festival. The custom is consistent with the original
decree and is an extension of this decree.
However, the custom to recite an abridged Hallel on Rosh Chodesh is more
difficult to understand. Rosh Chodesh
is not a festival. What is the basis
for this custom?
Aruch HaShulchan offers an interesting explanation
of this custom. Before we can review
his explanation, an introduction is required.
The Sages established a blessing that is recited each month at the
appearance of the new moon. This
blessing – Birkat HeLevanah – is composed of two themes. The blessing begins with recognition that
the renewal of the moon reflects the system of natural laws that Hashem created
to govern the universe. We acknowledge
the wonders of this system and that the natural laws are an expression of
Hashem’s majesty. The blessing then
takes up a second them. We compare the
cyclical renewal of the moon to the inevitable redemption and renewal of the
Jewish people. We declare that the
renewal of the moon is symbolic of the eventual salvation of our people.
The blessing can be understood on a deeper
level. Most people take for granted the
regularity of the physical laws. We go
to sleep at night certain that the sun will rise in the morning. We are sure that just as the moon renewed
itself this month, so too it will renew itself next month. Yet, it is more difficult to affirm with
absolute conviction that we will be redeemed from exile. We are aware of the promises of the Torah
that the Jewish people will be redeemed.
But our exile has extended over a period of centuries. It seems far less certain than the renewal
of the moon and the rising of the sun.
The blessing responds to this confusion and insecurity. It declares that the physical laws operate
in conformity with the will of the Creator.
Their regularity and consistency is a reflection of His will. So too, our eventual redemption is promised
by the Creator. Therefore, the
certainty of our redemption is as absolute as the regularity of the physical
laws.
Aruch HaShulchan suggests that this blessing
identifies a basic theme of Rosh Chodesh.
He suggests that Rosh Chodesh is associated with the theme of the
redemption of Bnai Yisrael. As we explained
above, Hallel is recited on the occasion of a festival or in response to a
miracle. The miracle of our redemption
has not yet occurred. However, on Rosh
Chodesh we acknowledge the inevitability of the miracle of redemption. The recitation of the abbreviated Hallel on
Rosh Chodesh is an affirmation of our conviction in the certainty of this
future redemption.[5]
Our parasha suggests an alternative explanation of
the custom to recite an abridged Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. In order to develop this explanation, we
must consider our pasuk more carefully.
As we have explained, the courts are charged with the responsibility of
accepting testimony regarding the new moon and declaring the new month. This obligation is a positive mitzvah. The declaration of the new moon is
fundamental to establishing the dates of the festivals and – the annual Torah
calendar. However, the annual calendar
cannot be put in place simply by declaring each new month. The courts must consider another issue. Another passage in our parasha identifies
this issue.
“Today
you go forth in the month of the springtime.”
(Shemot 13:4)
Hashem identifies the month of the redemption from
Egypt as the month of the springtime.
From this passage, the Sages understood that Pesach must be celebrated
in the springtime. However, this
requirement creates a dilemma. The
seasons are determined by the solar year.
In other words, each season occurs at a specific point in the solar
year. The lunar year – composed of
twelve lunar months – is shorter than the solar year. Pesach occurs on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. If every year of the Torah calendar were
composed of twelve lunar months, it would be impossible for date of Pesach to
consistently occur in the springtime.
Because a lunar year of twelve lunar months is shorter than a solar
year, each year Pesach would occur at an earlier date on the solar calendar. The first Pesach – that was observed in
Egypt and the wilderness – occurred in the springtime. However, without some adjustment, in a few
years, Pesach would have occurred in the winter! Therefore, the Torah authorized the Sages to occasionally add a
thirteenth month to the lunar year.
This thirteenth month was used to reconcile the lunar and solar
calendars. This reconciliation assures
that Pesach always occurs in the springtime.[6] In short, in order to set the annual
calendar, the courts must take two steps.
First, they must declare the new months. Second, they must occasionally add a thirteenth month to the
lunar year – creating a leap year. This
additional month reconciles the lunar and solar calendars.
The responsibility of declaring the new month is a
positive command. According to
Maimonides, the responsibility of the courts to declare an occasional leap year
is also included in this commandment.
Nachmanides and other disagree.
They argue that these two functions are authorized by two separate mitzvot. One mitzvah authorizes the courts to declare
the new month and the other authorizes the courts to reconcile the lunar and
solar calendars through creating an occasional leap year.[7]
Superficially, Nachmanides position seems to be
compelling. The declaring of the new
month and the considerations involved in declaring a leap year are two separate
functions. How does Maimonides include
these two separate functions in one commandment?
It seems that according to Maimonides both of these
functions – declaring the new month and creating an occasional leap year – are
aspects of one single function. This
function is the establishment of the annual calendar. According to Maimonides, there is a single mitzvah. This mitzvah is for the courts to establish
the calendar. This single mitzvah
includes two elements – declaring new months and creating an occasional leap
year.
This explanation of Maimonides’ position has an
important implication. According to his
position, the courts are charged with the responsibility of establishing the
annual calendar. The Torah calendar is
lunar. So, the courts must declare each
month. But part of the courts
obligation in establishing the calendar is to declare an occasional leap
year. This implies that the placement
of the festivals in their proper season – for example, Pesach in the springtime
– is an integral element of the task of establishing the annual calendar. Therefore, the mitzvah of creating the
annual calendar requires that the courts consider the seasonal timing of the
festivals and evaluate the need for a leap year. Let us express this in simpler
terms. The single mitzvah that
Maimonides describes can best be defined as an obligation upon the courts to
establish the times of observance of the festivals.
Let us now return to the custom of reciting an
abridged Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. As
Tosefot explain, the Sages enacted a requirement to recite a complete Hallel on
festivals. The recitation of this Hallel
is part of the observance of the festival.
This is directly relevant to the custom of reciting an abridged Hallel
on Rosh Chodesh. According to
Maimonides, the declaration of Rosh Chodesh is part of a more general mitzvah
of establishing the times for observance of the festivals. It is reasonable to assume that in our
observance of Rosh Chodesh, we are fulfilling the same mitzvah. By observing each Rosh Chodesh, we
acknowledge the new month and participate in the establishment of the annual
calendar and the times for the observance of the festivals. This fundamental element of our observance
of Rosh Chodesh is expressed through the recitation of an abridged Hallel on
these days. The recitation of the
abridged Hallel expresses the relationship between our observance of Rosh
Chodesh and the observance of the festivals.
Through reciting the abridged Hallel we are acknowledging that this
observance is directly related to our observance of the festivals.
[1] Mesechet Ta’anit 28b.
[2] Mesechet Ta’anit 28b.
[3] Mesechet Ta’anit 28b.
[4] Tosefot, Mesechet Ta’anit 28b.
[5] Rav Aharon HaLeyve Epstein, Aruch HaShulchan, Orech Chayim 422:6
[6] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Kiddush HaChodesh 4:1.
[7] Rav Aharon HaLeyve, Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 4.