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RSRH has a long commentary on Shemos 12:1-2.<br><br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=6><b>12</font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>1
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>And
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>God
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>said to Moshe and Aharon
in the land of Egypt as follows:<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>2
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>This renewal of the moon
shall be for you a beginning of new moons; it shall be for you the first
among the months of the year.<br><br>
</i></b>Indeed, his commentary goes on for 10 pages. In it he give
brilliant insights into the nature of Rosh Chodesh, sanctifying the
months by means of witnesses, Yom Tov Sheni, etc. All of this is
well worth the long read, IMO. I will just post a couple of things from
his commentary on these pesukim. YL<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Note this well: It is to be
by mutual choice! If the beginnings of our<br>
months and, consequently, the dates of the festivals were to be tied<br>
exactly to planetary-astronomical phases, so that the lunar cycle
would<br>
automatically determine the <i>Moed </i>and the
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Moadim</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3> then we and our God,<br>
as it were, would be bound by the blind, unchanging cycle of nature.<br>
In that case, our </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Moed</i>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>of the New Moon would lend
serious support to<br>
the idolatry of a cult of nature worship.<br><br>
But this shall </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>not
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>be. Indeed, this
dangerous illusion that so readily<br>
suggests itself must be countered with all deliberate firmness.
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>It is not<br>
the meeting of heavenly bodies, the renewed illumination of the moon
by<br>
the sun, that produces the beginning of the month; it is not this
natural<br>
phenomenon that the New Moon celebrates. Rather, each time the moon<br>
reunites with the sun and receives from it new light, God wants His
people<br>
to find their way back to Him, so that His light may again shine forth
on<br>
them, no matter where they may be or through what periods of
darkness<br>
they may have to pass in their path through history.
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>The encounter
between<br>
the moon and the sun is only a symbol and occasion for our<br>
reunion with God; the renewal of the moon is a symbol and an
occasion<br>
for our own renewal.
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Moed</i>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>literally means
“meeting.”<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Chodesh</i>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>thus proclaims redemption
from sin and from evil</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>,
and that is<br>
why this institution is placed at the commencement of our national<br>
upbuilding. The truth that it teaches forms the foundation stone of
our<br>
Jewish consciousness and sharply distinguishes this consciousness
from<br>
all paganism.</font></body>
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