Shalom my friends this is Simcha Hochbaum of Hebron standing outside the Maarat HaMachpela. Thursday morning is Rosh Hodesh, the new moon. The new month of Shvat is coming in.
You know, this Shabbat before we leave Egypt, God gives us a prerequisite. Before you can become a free people, before you can change from a slave mentality to becoming a people of freedom and walk through Mount Sinai, you need this mitzvah of Rosh Hodesh.
There are many, many teachings of why the Jewish nation is compared specifically to the moon. But we know the moon only appears after there is complete darkness, complete state of abstractness, complete state where everything seems to be dim, the end of the month when we can’t see any light.
From the creation the world there was always this pattern of evening and then day. It was always Tohu Va’vohu complete desolation. And then God said, “let there be light.”
And so too during these very, very unique days, you have to remember when things seem to be lost, and we’re so, so distraught and there’s so many emotions running throughout the Jewish nation, sometimes the light davka appears after the great, great darkness.
One thing we learn from the moon is that no matter what state we’re in, whether we’re waning, whether we’re waxing, the moon is always filled with Simcha, it’s always filled with joy.
And every time no matter what state I’m in, I find a way to serve God with great, great joy.
We should be able to celebrate that first ray of light. The first hostages is getting freed. We should be able to see the new moon, that new light that’s coming down. And not to only celebrate when everything is complete, the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th of the month, but every time you see another ray of light to have hope.
We make a bracha, we say Hallel. We dance by the moon. And God willing, Hashem should bring back that glory of the Jewish people when the moon is in its full state, the Jewish nation is strong once again proud in our land, not letting terrorists dictate their terms but us being able to be a proud, strong nation of outside influences, of being able to be the sun and the moon dancing together its full glory.
Shabbat Shalom.
