What is the Essence of Rosh Chodesh?

(1) בראשית IN THE BEGINNING — Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah [which is the Law book of Yisroel] should have started with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be to you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Yisroel. What is the reason that it starts with Creation?

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

May he who performed miracles for our ancestors and redeemed them from slavery to freedom, speedily redeem us and gather our dispersed from the four corners of the earth, uniting all Israel and let us say: Amen

Blessed are you H', who sanctifies (the Shabbat) and Israel and the seasons.

[discussion about refraining from work on Rosh Chodesh -- followed by]... and I heard from my brother, HaRav Yehuda the reason for this -- the festivals were established corresponding to the Avot. Pesach corresponds to Avraham, as it's written (Bereshis 18:6) [Avraham told Sarah to hurry and to] "knead and make cakes." And Shavuot corresponds to Yitzchak that the blowing of the shofar at Matan Torah was the shofar of Yitzchak; Sukkot corresponds to Ya'akov as it's written (Bereshit 33:17) "and for his livestock he made shelters (sukkot)"; and the 12 Rosh Chodeshes correspond to the 12 tribes. And when they sinned with [the golden] calf, God removed it from them and gave it to their wives in remembrance that they were not [involved] in the sin.

[The sin offering for Pesach] (22) And there shall be one goat for a sin offering, to atone for you

[Sin offering for Shavuos] (30) And there shall be one goat to atone for you

[The sin offering for Rosh Chodesh] (15) And there shall be one goat as a sin offering to God (or for God?)...

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: “And God made the two great lights” (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains: When God first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. God therefore said to her, i.e., the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, since I said a correct observation before You, must I diminish myself? God said to her: As compensation, go and rule both during the day along with the sun and during the night. She said to Him: What is the greatness of shining alongside the sun? What use is a candle in the middle of the day? God said to her: Go; let the Jewish people count the days and years with you, and this will be your greatness. She said to Him: But the Jewish people will count with the sun as well, as it is impossible that they will not count seasons with it, as it is written: “And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14). God said to her: Go; let righteous men be named after you. Just as you are called the lesser [hakatan] light, there will be Ya’akov HaKatan, i.e., Jacob our forefather (see Amos 7:2), Shmuel HaKatan the tanna, and David HaKatan, i.e., King David (see I Samuel 17:14). God saw that the moon was not comforted. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon. The Gemara notes: And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is different about the goat offering of the New Moon, that it is stated with regard to it: “For the Lord” (Numbers 28:15)? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the size of the moon.

R Yudan in the name of R Tanchuma ben R Chiya, and R Pinchas in the name of R Simon said: after calling [the lights] great, [G-d] goes back and makes them flawed? “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.” Why is that?! Rather, it was because [one] trespassed upon the realm of her fellow [luminary]. R Pinchas said: in respect of all other sacrifices the verse says, "one male goat for a sin offering," whereas for Rosh Chodesh it says, "one male goat for a sin offering to H'." Said the Blessed Holy One, “May I attain atonement because I made the moon smaller.” I am the one Who has caused [the moon] to trespass into the realm of her counterpart. If scripture casts a flaw in one who has trespassed with permission, it would all the more in one who has trespassed without permission!

There are some who have the custom to fast on erev Rosh Chodesh, because of the diminuation of the moon. Any many concepts depend on this that are relevant to our practice. In the future the moon will renew itself, just as we will, as it says in the brochah of kiddush levana. And therefore some mystics fast until the molad [appearance of the new moon] .... and we call it "Yom Kippur Katan." And if we have a minyan, we read Vay'chal [the public fast section of the Torah, etc.]. Nevertheless, our minhag is not like this.

(1) It is a Mitzvah to increase festive meals on Rosh Chodesh.

(1) 1. A person must always arrange his table Saturday night (see Shabbos 119b) in order to escort the Shabbat (out), even though he will only partake of an olive-sized portion.

(21) Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If the Eternal is G-d, follow God; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word.

(4) We don't say Tachanun [or slichot {notes of Ashiri}] on Tisha b'Av, and they don't fall on their faces, because it's called a mo'ed.

(15) The Eternal in my midst has rejected All my heroes; He has proclaimed a set time (mo'ed) against me To crush my young men. As in a winepress, the Eternal has trodden fair maiden Yehudah.

(19) Thus said the Eternal of Hosts: The fast of the fourth [month], the fast of the fifth [month], the fast of the seventh [month], and the fast of the tenth [month] shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals (mo'adim) for the House of Yehuda; but you must love honesty and integrity.

May it be your will, Eternal, my God and God of my ancestors to fill the blemish of the moon so that there be no diminution in it, and may the light of moon be as the light of the sun, as the light of the seven days of creation as it was before it was diminished as it says “…the two great lights…” [Bereshis 1:16] Let there be fulfilled the verse that is written “…and they will seek the L-rd their G-d and David their king…” (Hoshea 3:5) Amen.