Rosh Chodesh

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Rosh Chodesh (or Hodesh; Hebrew: ראש חודש, "Head/Beginning [of the] Month") is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot.^[1]

1 Origin of Rosh Chodesh
2 Determination of the Date of Rosh Chodesh
- 2.1 By Observation
- 2.2 By Calculation
3 Announcement of Rosh Chodesh
4 Observing Rosh Chodesh
- 4.1 Traditional Observances
- 4.2 Modern Observances: Rosh Chodesh and Women
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Origin of Rosh Chodesh

The Book of Exodus establishes the beginning of the Hebrew calendar: "And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 'This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.'" (12:1-2)^[2] In the Book of Numbers, God speaks of the celebration of the new moon to Moses, "And on your joyous occasions - your fixed festivals and new moon days - you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being." (10:10)

[edit] Determination of the Date of Rosh Chodesh

[edit] By Observation

The occurrence of Rosh Chodesh was originally based on the testimony of witnesses observing the appearance of the new moon, and also upon mathematical calculations to which the testimony was compared and regulated with. A group of Rabbis from the Sanhedrin, or legal assembly, would accept the testimony of at least two witnesses that they had seen the new moon. While only two witnesses were required to declare a new month, other witnesses were also allowed to testify, since the Rabbis did not want to discourage anyone from coming to testify. If after 29 days there were no witnesses, or no credible witnesses, the 30th day was declared as Rosh Chodesh, making the month a full month (as opposed to a defective, 29-day month). After the new month had been declared, the news of it would then be communicated throughout Israel and the diaspora.

At a later date, a custom was developed in which an additional day could be added to the month to ensure that certain holidays (such as Yom Kippur) did not fall on the days before or after Shabbat.

[edit] By Calculation

In the 4th century CE, Hillel II disbanded the Sanhedrin and created a fixed calendar. The creation of such a calendar linked the lunar year to the solar year and allows Jewish communities throughout the world to celebrate their holidays on the same day.

[edit] Announcement of Rosh Chodesh

Despite the existence of a fixed calendar, the date of Rosh Chodesh is still announced in synagogues on the Shabbat prior to its observance. The announcement is made at the conclusion of the Amidah with a modified version of the Yehi Ratzon ("May it be Your will"): "May it be Your will... that You inaugurate us for the month," followed by an annoucement of the date and time of the new moon. This announcement is referred to as the molad, or "birth." ^[3] If Rosh Chodesh occurs on Shabbat, the announcement is made on the preceding Shabbat. Although the molad marks the precise date and time of the new moon, Rosh Chodesh itself may not be observed until several days later to accommodate the observance of other holidays. ^[4]

[edit] Observing Rosh Chodesh

[edit] Traditional Observances

During the evening service of Rosh Chodesh, a prayer Ya'a'le Ve-Yavo is added to the Avodah, the prayer for the restoration of the Temple and a segment of the Amidah. During the morning service, Ya'a' le Ve-Yavo is again recited and either a whole or half Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is recited. The Book of Numbers 28:1-15, which deals with the offerings of Rosh Chodesh, is read. An additional prayer service, called Mussaf, is added to commemorate the original sacrifices in the Temple. The Ya'a'le Ve-Yavo prayer is also inserted in the Grace after Meals (Birkat Ha-Mazon). If Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the regular Torah reading is supplemented with a reading of Numbers 28:9-15. The Mussaf prayer is also modified when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat. The central benediction is replaced with an alternate version (Ata Yatzarta) that mentions both the Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. If Rosh Chodesh falls on a Sunday, a different Haftarah, Mahar Hodesh (I Samuel 20:18-42) is read.

[edit] Modern Observances: Rosh Chodesh and Women

According to the Talmud (tractate Megillah 22b), women are exempt from work on Rosh Chodesh, and Rashi, in commenting on this passage, delineates the activities from which they may refrain: spinning, weaving, and sewing — the skills that women contributed to the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The midrash Pirke De Rabbi Eliezer explores this exemption in chapter 45:

Aaron argued with himself, saying: If I say to Israel, Give ye to me gold and silver, they will bring it immediately; but behold I will say to them, Give ye to me the earrings of your wives and of your sons, and forthwith the matter will fail, as it is said, "And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings." The women heard (this), but they were unwilling to give their earrings to their husbands; but they said to them: Ye desire to make a graven image of a molten image without any power in it to deliver. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the women their reward in this world and the world to come. What reward did He give them in this world? That they should observe the New Moons more stringently than the men, and what reward will He give them in the world to come? They are destined to be renewed like the New Moons, as it is said, "Who satisfieth thy years with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle." ^[5]

Female-centered Rosh Chodesh observances vary from group to group, but many are centered around small gatherings of women, called Rosh Chodesh groups. There is often a particular interest in the Shekinah, considered by some to be the feminine aspect of God. These groups engage in a wide variety of activities that center around issues important to Jewish women, depending on the preference of the group's members. Many Rosh Chodesh groups explore spirituality, religious education, ritual, health issues, music, chanting, art, and/or cooking. Some groups also choose to educate young Jewish women in their community about sexuality, self-image, and other women's mental and physical health issues. ^[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Kosofsky, Scott-Martin. The Book of Customs: A Complete Handbook for the Jewish Year. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2004. p.91
^ All passages from the Torah are taken from The JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh, Second Edition. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2003.
^ Kosofsky, p. 92
^ Kosofsky, p. 92
^ Friedlander, Gerald, trans.Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer: The Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer the Great According to the Text of the Manuscript Belonging to Abraham Epstein of Vienna. New York: Hermon Press, 1965, p. 353-354.
^ Gottlieb, Lynn. She Who Dwells Within: A Feminist Vision of a Renewed Judaism San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1995, see esp. Ch. 12: "The Initiation of the New Jewish Woman."