Parshat Bo 5778
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh, of sanctifying the new moon. The pasuk says (Chapter 12, Pasuk 2), HaChodesh Hazeh Lachem Rosh Chadashim. This mitzvah is the first mitzvah in the Torah, as Rashi teaches on the first pasuk in the Torah in parshat Bereishis that the Torah might have begun with this mitzvah, but Hashem chose to show that He created the world and He gave Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael. What is significant about this mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh that it was brought as the first mitzvah in the Torah?
The significance of this mitzvah is that it teaches the notion of "Hischadshus", of renewal. It is fundamental for every Jew to understand that his life must be led with a sense of freshness and excitement and not staleness and routine. This is expressed in our two fundamental covenants with Hashem; through the Bris HaLashon and through Bris Milah.
The Bris HaLashon is the covenant we have with Hashem through the Torah and it began at Yetzias Mitzrayim. By learning and studying Torah we have the power through the words of our speech to connect with Hashem. This ability to create holiness through our words is an expression of our ability to constantly have Hischadshus, newness and freshness, in our life. When Bnei Yisrael were in Mitzrayim, the Zohar teaches that Dibbur, the ability to speak, was in galus as well. Bnei Yisrael lost this power of Hischadshus and it was usurped by the Egyptians. The pasuk says (Chapter 1, Pasuk 8) Vayakam Melech Chadash al Mitzrayim and one p'shat brought in Rashi is Nischadshu Gezeirosav, not that there was a new king but that his decrees were new. But now that Bnei Yisrael were on the verge of redemption their speech was also coming out of galus.
The mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh is the ability of Bnei Yisrael to create Hischadshus through speech. By uttering the words Mekudash, Mekudash, the Beis Din takes a regular day and converts it into Rosh Chodesh. And by declaring the day as the first of the month, Beis Din takes a regular, mundane day and invests it with the sanctity of a Yom Tov or Yom Kippur. This is an expression of the Bris HaLashon; the creative power of speech Bnei Yisrael have as a result of their special relationship with Hashem and His Torah.
This flowering of speech occurring at the time of redemption is also illustrated through the many mitzvos of Pesach connected to the mouth. We have the mitzvah of eating matzah and eating the Karban Pesach and the mitzvah of telling over the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Even the name of the Chag itself, Pesach, means Peh Sach, the mouth speaks, indicating the special covenant of the mouth which began at Yetzias Mitzryaim.
The other bris we have with Hashem is Bris Milah. And Bnei Yisrael performed the mitzvah of Bris Milah at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim in order to give them merit with which they could be redeemed. And Bris Milah is another expression of the great power of Hischadshus Bnei Yisrael has. By fulfilling the mitzvah of having children and bringing holy Neshamos into the world, Bnei Yisrael are utilizing their creative power of Hischadshus.
We see from all this that our covenant and connection to Hashem gives us unique powers of being creative and bringing new realities of Kedushah into the world. And this is why the first mitzvah of the Torah is Kiddush HaChodesh. The renewal of the month and the ability to sanctify the mundane gives great expression to the power of Hischadshus of Bnei Yisrael. And this power was achieved precisely at the moment of Yetzias Mitzrayim when our relationship with Hashem as a nation was first established.
Good Shabbos
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