Hebrew for Christians

www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh -
The gift of the New Moon

The Concept of the New Moon

It takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth. During each lunar orbit, the
Moon's appearance changes from not visibly illuminated (a new moon) through partially
illuminated (a waxing crescent) to fully illuminated (a full moon), then back through
partially illuminated (a waning crescent) to not illuminated again (a new moon). This
cycle of moon phases is called a lunation:

The first time that the waxing crescent of the Moon is visible (from Jerusalem) marks the
beginning of a Jewish month, called Rosh Chodesh (“head of the month”). Twelve
chodashim make a shanah or year (however, since 12 x 29.5 equals 354 days, but a solar
year is 365 days, an extra month (called Adar Sheni) is added to the Hebrew calendar every
two or three years in order to keep the solar seasons aligned with the lunar calendar).
Astronomy note: The Earth’s moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun but it is also
about 400 times closer, so that they both appear to be about the same size in the sky. This
accords with the Scripture that says, “And God made two great lights; the greater light to
rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16).

Rosh Chodesh and the Jewish Calendar

Since a Hebrew month may be either 29 or 30 days long, Rosh Chodesh may occur at two
times:
1. If the current month has 29 days, Rosh Chodesh is observed on the first day of the
new month.
2. If the current month has 30 days, Rosh Chodesh is observed on the last day of the
month as well as on the first day of the new month.

by John J. Parsons 1 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

The Shabbat service before the new moon is called Shabbat Mevarchim, or the
“Sabbath that blesses the month.” After the Torah reading service, the leader holds the
Torah scroll, recites a blessing for a good month, and then announces the day of the
upcoming week when the new month will begin. Note that Shabbat Mevarekhim is not
observed during the month of Elul (to announce the beginning of Tishri), since the entire
month of Elul is a period of selichot and preparation for Rosh Hashanah and the High
Holidays.

On the actual day that Rosh Chodesh occurs (in the coming week), the daily prayer
service includes a musaf (additional) portion including part of Hallel (readings from the
Psalms), an addition to the Shemoneh Esrei (about of the extra sacrfice brought to the
temple for Rosh Chodesh) and an additional Torah reading (Numbers 28:11-15).

The History of Rosh Chodesh

According to Rabbinic tradition, the very first commandment given to the children of
Israel after being delivered from Egypt was to sanctify the new moon (Exodus 12:1-2),
thereby causing the fledgling nation to depart from the solar tradition of the Egyptians
(Ra worship) and to look to the moon for a new means of reckoning time and seasons:

This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months;
it shall be the first of the months of the year for you (Exodus 12:2)

The emergence of the moon - from darkness to light - is a picture of God’s salvation for
the Jewish people and our personal deliverance from darkness to light. Note that the
word for month is chodesh, etymologically related to chadash, meaning new.

In Talmudic times, the day marking the New Moon was fixed by actual observation by at
least two witnesses. As soon as the new moon was visible as a waxing crescent, the
Sanhedrin (the Supreme Rabbinical Court) in Israel was informed and Rosh Chodesh
was formally announced (this system was later discarded in favor of the fixed calendar
developed by Hillel II (c. 360 CE.), which has been in use to the present day). The day
after the new moon was sighted was a festival, heralded with the sounding of the shofar
and commemorated with convocations and sacrifices.

Knowing precisely when Rosh Chodesh began was critical to the order of the mo’edim,
or appointed times commanded by the LORD. In fact, the entire Jewish calendar was
dependent upon knowing when Rosh Chodesh began, and without this information the
set times for the festivals and holidays would be lost. Therefore, during times of
persecution (e.g., by the Syrian-Greeks), the Jews were often forbidden to observe Rosh
Chodesh as well as Shabbat, in order to keep them from obeying God.

by John J. Parsons 2 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Note: The correlation between the moon's monthly cycle and a woman's monthly cycle
helped establish Rosh Chodesh as a women's holiday. In the Talmud [Megillah 22b], we
read that women are exempt from work on Rosh Chodesh.

Birkat HaChodesh (Sanctification of the Month)

The Birkat HaChodesh is typically said during Shabbat Mevarchim (i.e., the last Sabbath
of the month before Rosh Chodesh) to petition the LORD for a good month. It is recited
at the synagogue at the end of the Shabbat Torah reading service:

May it be Thy will, LORD, our God and God of our fathers, that You begin for us this
month for good and for blessing. May You give to us long life, a life of peace, a life of
goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life in which
there is fear of heaven and fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame or humiliation; a
life of wealth and honor, a life in which we love Torah and fear God; a life in which the
LORD fulfills the requests of our hearts for good. Amen. Selah.

by John J. Parsons 3 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Transliteration:

by John J. Parsons 4 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Yehi ratzon milefanekha, Adonai Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, shetechadesh

aleinu et ha-chodesh hazeh le-tovah ve-livrakhah. Vetiten lanu chayim arukhim
chayim shel shalom, chayim shel tovah, chayim shel berakhah, chayim shel
parnasah, chayim shel chillutz atzamot, chayim sheyeish bahem yirat shamayim
veyirat cheit, chayim she'ein bahem boshah ukhlimah, chayim she oseh vekhavod,
chayim shetehei vanu ahavat Torah veyirat shamayim, chayim sheyemalei Adonai
mishalot libeinu letovah. Amen. Selah.

The Molad (time announcement)

After the invocation for the month’s blessing from the LORD, it is customary for the time
at which the new moon will appear in Jerusalem to be announced. First the congregation
recites mi she’asah nissim, “the One who performed miracles”:

The One who performed miracles for our forefathers and

redeemed them from slavery to freedom, may He redeem us
soon and gather in our exiles from the four corners of the
earth; then all Israel shall be friends. Let us say: Amen.

The chazzan (cantor) then announces the precise time of Rosh Chodesh in Jerusalem:

Rosh Chodesh (Hebrew month) will be on the day (Hebrew

day of the week) that comes to us and to all Israel for good.

by John J. Parsons 5 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Kiddush Levanah (Sanctification of the Moon)

The moon is sometimes called levanah in Hebrew (from lavan,

white). Kiddush Levanah (sanctification of the moon) is a
ceremony that takes place outdoors on a clear night soon after
Rosh Chodesh (often on the first Shabbat night that follows Rosh
Chodesh). The blessing is normally written in oversized letters in
the prayerbook (called otiot shel kiddush levanah) since it is
intended to be read outdoors by moonlight.

A Rosh Chodesh Blessing

Often Psalms are recited or sung, and then, while looking at the new moon, the following
blessing may be recited:

Wnyhñel{a/ hwhy ^ynñEp'L.mi !Acr" yhiy>

bAj vd<xo Wnylñe[' vDEx;T.v, WnyteñAba] yhel{awE
!mea' Ãx;yvñiM'h; [;WñvyE WnynEñda]B;
ye·hi ra·tzon mil·fa·ney·kha Adonai E·lo·hey·nu
ve·lo·hey a·vo·tey·nu she·te·cha·desh a·ley·nu cho·desh tov,
ba’A·do·ney·nu Ye·shu·ah ha·ma·shi·ach, A·men

“May it be Your will, LORD our God

and God of our fathers, that you renew for us a good month
in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Amen.”

Chodesh Tov!

by John J. Parsons 6 Hebrew4christians.com

 Hebrew for Christians
www.hebrew4christians.com Rosh Chodesh

Note: Rosh Chodesh and Torah Readings

In Jewish tradition, the last Sabbath of the month before the appearance of the new moon
(i.e., Rosh Chodesh) is called Shabbat Mevarkhim (~ykir>b'm. tB;v;, “Sabbath of Blessing”),
and an additional prayer is recited asking God to bless the coming month (see above).

If the Sabbath occurs precisely one day before the new moon, however, it is called
Shabbat Machar Chodesh (vd<xo rx'm' tB;v;, "Shabbat of tomorrow's moon") and a different
Haftarah (1 Sam. 20:18-42) is read. Note that if a Sabbath actually falls on the new
moon, it is called Shabbat Rosh Chodesh (vd<x varo tB;v) and an additional Torah portion
(Num. 28:9-15) and haftarah (Isa. 66:1-24) are recited during services.

One final note: The time of the “new moon” is set in the Jewish calendar from the
perspective of Jerusalem. For example, if the calendar says that the new moon begins
Thursday June 2 (after sundown), you must remember that this is Jerusalem time. In the
United States, for example, this means an 8-10 hour time difference.

If in doubt, always check a kosher Jewish calendar!

by John J. Parsons 7 Hebrew4christians.com