Lessons of the Moon

The first commandment given to the nation as a whole is Kiddush HaChodesh (the sanctification of the New Moon) in this week’s Torah portion. This is the mitzvah to the Jewish court to establish the new month based on the moon, which is fundamental to Torah observance as it determines the calendar.

The Arugat HaBosem¹ asks an interesting question about the nature of the moon: He notes that it is surprising that God, who is the essence of that which is eternal and is the essence of Truth, should create a celestial body like the moon, which waxes and wanes. It’s here, it gets smaller, then it disappears and then it comes back again. This is sort of “out of character” for a Divine creation. The sun is always present, the forces of nature are always present, and gravity is always present. What is it about the moon that it is present, it grows, it diminishes, it disappears, and then it reappears?

The Arugat haBosem answers that the Jewish people are comparable to the moon that waxes and wanes. The Jewish people goes through periods in which they are ascendant and then they go through periods in which we are descendant. However, just like the moon becomes big and diminishes and almost disappears, it always reappears. Hence when the Torah says, “HaChodesh hazeh lachem“ – “this month is to you”. It alludes to the fact that the rejuvenation cycle of the man is reminiscent of being a Jew. This lesson is why God created the moon in this way and why it is so significant to the Jewish calendar.

During Jewish history, we have experienced times when we were very successful, such as the kingdom of King Solomon or the Golden Age of Spain. And we have also experienced periods when we have been the most downtrodden and persecuted people on the face of the earth. When people are in that type of situation, it is easy for them to give up hope. The example of the moon reminds us that we will always recover and ultimately be ascendant.

We can no longer fulfil the actual mitzvah of sanctifying the moon but we have a rabbinical commandment that reminds us of its messages: Kiddush Levanah, the prayer that is recited Saturday night after Rosh Chodesh. In that prayer, we compare the Moon to the Jewish nation in that both are destined to renew themselves in the future. Kiddush Levanah has another benefit that can give us encouragement in the toughest of times, as is demonstrated by this remarkable story.²

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz would often relate this story when he recited Kiddush Levanah. In the words of Rabbi Yissachar Frand:

“Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz once met a holocaust survivor and asked him “How did you hold out? How was it you were able to not give up?” The Jew told Rav Chaim that in the camps, they could not fulfill Mitzvot. Not Lulav, not Succah, not Chanukah, nothing. However, there was one mitzvah they performed regularly. Even on the pain of death, they left the barracks at night to fulfill this mitzvah. This was the mitzvah of Kiddush Levanah. There was always a moon. “We looked up at the moon and we took to heart the lesson of ‘they are destined to be renewed like the moon.’” This is what gave this Jew hope. That is why Kiddush Levanah and Kiddush haChodesh is so crucial. It is the story of the Jewish people and it is the story of individual human beings, waxing and waning, growing and declining.”

Even when a Jew has nothing, he still has the moon, and its symbolism that even when the Jewish people are low, they will certainly recover and become great again.

This idea of ups and downs in Jewish history equally applies to each individual Jew. Rabbeinu Tam teaches³ that every individual experiences what he calls days of love and days of estrangement. Days of love are days where everything goes well, where he can connect to God easily, and life is great. Days of estrangement are the opposite – when the person feels low and disconnected, and life is difficult. It is important to recognize that in the good times a person should not be complacent and think that everything will always be perfect. In this vein, Rabbi Dessler points out that when things are going well, one should remember to pray for strength when the difficult times.⁴

And when the difficult times do come, it is essential not to give up hope. When life seems overwhelming, when the darkness feels all-encompassing, the greatest danger is to be me’yaesh, to give up entirely. The Torah teaches that this act of despair is not just harmful to our own souls but damages the very fabric of our connection to God. In times of hardship, we must remain steadfast, knowing that like the moon, our light will return in due time.

As we stand beneath the ever-changing moon, we are reminded that life is full of cycles. In moments of light, we should fortify ourselves for the times of darkness, and in moments of darkness, we must hold on to the hope that light will always return. This is the message of the new moon, the message of faith, resilience, and patience that guides us through both the high and low tides of life.

1. Cited by Rabbi Yissachar Frand.
2. Cited by Rabbi Frand, in the name of Rabbi Mattsiyahu Solomon how heard it from Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz.
3. Sefer HaYashar, Shaar 6.
4. Michtav M’Eliyahu, Chelek 4, p.226 cited in Takanas HaShav, p.522 (written by Rav Yaakov Lugasi).

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