Nisan

Nisan is the seventh month of the Jewish calendar and the first month in the biblical calendar. It is the month during which God redeemed the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and so also the month during which Passover is celebrated.

Sources

On a related topic, the Gemara cites that Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during Nisan and sees trees that are blossoming recites: Blessed…who has withheld nothing from His world, and has created in it beautiful creatures and trees for human beings to enjoy. Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: From where is it derived that one recites a blessing over scent? As it is stated: “Let every soul praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). He explains the verse: What is it from which the soul derives benefit and the body does not derive benefit from it? You must say: That is scent…

Berakhot 43b:3

A person who sees beautiful and well-formed creations or pleasant-looking trees should recite the blessing:
[Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe,] whose world is like this.
A person who goes out to the fields or gardens in the month of Nisan and sees flowering trees sprouting branches should recite the blessing:
Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who did not leave anything lacking in His world and created within it fine creations and beautiful and fine trees so that they would give pleasure to men.

Mishneh Torah, Blessings 10:13

The Sages taught in a baraita: If a king ascended to the throne on the twenty-ninth of Adar, the month preceding Nisan, once the first of Nisan arrives, although he reigned for only one day, a year is counted toward his reign; his first year of rule is completed from the first of Nisan. But if he ascended to the throne only on the first of Nisan, one counts an additional year toward his reign only when the next Nisan arrives.

Rosh Hashanah 2a:7

It is taught in a baraita that the tanna’im disagreed about this point: Rabbi Eliezer says: In Tishrei the world was created; in Tishrei the Patriarchs were born; in Tishrei the Patriarchs died; on Passover Isaac was born; on Rosh HaShana Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered by God and conceived; on Rosh HaShana Joseph came out from prison; on Rosh HaShana our forefathers’ slavery in Egypt ceased; in Nisan the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt…

Rosh Hashanah 10b:10-11a:1

“On the first day” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Abba said: What is “the first day”? Since the first day that the Holy One blessed be He created the world, He desired to dwell with His creations in the lower worlds. See what is written regarding the creation of the first day: “It was evening; it was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5). “The first day” is not written, but rather “one day.” Just as the verse says “one day,” the verse could have said “two days,” “three days”? Rather, why did the verse say “one day”? It is that, since the Holy One blessed be He was alone in the world…

Bamidbar Rabbah 13:6

ויסעו מרעמסס, They journeyed from Raamses, etc. The Torah had to mention twice that this journey occurred during the first month although it could have written "on the fifteenth," and I would have understood that the day mentioned was the first month. The Torah could also have written: "they travelled on the fifteenth of the first month after the Passover;" Perhaps the Torah alluded to what we have been told in Shemot Rabbah 15,11 that the month of Nissan is the month in which the zodiac sign of Israel is at its zenith and that the most auspicious day during that…

Or HaChaim on Numbers 33:3:1

Rabbi Yehoshua disagrees and says: In Nisan the world was created; in Nisan the Patriarchs were born; in Nisan the Patriarchs died; on Passover Isaac was born; on Rosh HaShana Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered by God and conceived sons; on Rosh HaShana Joseph came out from prison; on Rosh HaShana our forefathers’ slavery in Egypt ceased; in Nisan the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt; and in Nisan in the future the Jewish people will be redeemed in the final redemption…

Rosh Hashanah 11a:2-4

Rav Ḥavivi from Ḥozena’a said to Rav Ashi: Come and hear a different proof from the following verse: “And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the Tabernacle was erected” (Exodus 40:17). It was taught: That day took ten crowns. It was the first day of Creation, meaning Sunday, the first day of the offerings brought by the princes, the first day of the priesthood, the first day of service in the Temple…

Shabbat 87b:6-88a:2

החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים, from now on these months will be yours, to do with as you like. [you have My authority to organise your own calendar. Ed.] This is by way of contrast to the years when you were enslaved when you had no control over your time or timetable at all. [Freedom, i.e. retirement from the “rat race,” means being able to formulate one’s own timetable. Ed.] While you were enslaved, your days, hours, minutes even, were always at the beck and call of your taskmasters.

Sforno on Exodus 12:2:1

Another matter, “and his offering” – Rabbi Pinḥas ben Yair said: Why, regarding the offerings of all the princes, is it written: “His offering [korbano],” [and] “goats [atudim],” [both] without a vav, and regarding Naḥshon, “and his offering [vekorbano],” [and] “goats [atudim],” each with a vav. Vekorbano, why is there an extra vav? It is corresponding to six matters that were introduced into the world on that day. First for the Divine Presence that rested in Israel…

Bamidbar Rabbah 13:10

“The one who presented” – that is what is written: “Arise, north, and come, south…” (Song of Songs 4:16). Rabbi Yosei said: When did the inauguration begin? It was on the twenty-third of Adar. On the first of Nisan, the days of inauguration concluded. All seven days of inauguration, Moses would erect the Tabernacle, and each and every morning he would sacrifice his offerings in it, and dismantle it. On the eighth, he erected it and did not dismantle it, as it is stated: “It was in the first month during the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was erected” (Exodus 40:17)…

Bamidbar Rabbah 13:2

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