Parshat Bo 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the first mitzvah received by Bnei Yisrael as a nation from Moshe Rabbeinu, the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh, sanctifying the new moon. The pasuk says (Chapter 12, Pasuk 2), החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים ראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה. This month is the first of the months of the year for you. Why precisely at the juncture of Yetzias Mitzrayim was the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh commanded to Moshe and Aharon for Bnei Yisrael?
The Ramban answers that this mitzvah is meant to immortalize for Bnei Yisrael the significance of Yetzias Mitzrayim. When Bnei Yisrael received the mitzvah of Shabbos at Har Sinai in parshat Yisro, the pasuk says (Chapter 20, Pasuk 7), זכור את יום השבת לקדשו; remember the day of Shabbos and sanctify it. The Ramban learns that the mitzvah of remembering Shabbos lasts all week long. When one mentions the days of the week, he is counting towards Shabbos and also remembering Shabbos. And this is why the days of the week don’t have their own names; they are called ראשון לשבת, שני לשבת וכו'. Their “names” are based on their relation to Shabbos.
The Ramban adds that this same notion applies to the months. The first month of the year is Tishrei, and not Nissan. But ראשון הוא לכם; for you, Nissan is the first month of the year. And this is because you must count the months of the year according to Yetzias Mitzrayim. And just as we count the days of the week in reference to Shabbos and in order to remember Shabbos, we count the months of the year in reference to and in order to remember Yetzias Mitzrayim. As a result, the months of the year don’t have specific names in the Torah, just like the days of the week. And this is in order to always the remember the Geulah from Mitzrayim. At this critical juncture of Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were given a mitzvah which included an obligation to always keep the Geulah at the forefront of their consciousness.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the timing of the mitzvah of החודש הזה לכם at this point, is to stress the significance of the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh. The Zohar Hakadosh teaches that when Bnei Yisrael were slaves in Egypt, the power of speech was in galus; היה הדיבור בגלות. But Bnei Yisrael were now leaving Mitzrayim with the purpose of receiving the Torah, the ברית הלשון, the covenant of the mouth. The galus of דיבור was ending. Therefore, the first mitzvah Bnei Yisrael received was Kiddush HaChodesh, the sanctification of the new moon, which was dependent on a proclamation of Beis Din announcing מקודש, מקודש. And the other mitzvos of Pesach which, according to the Zohar Hakadosh, stands forפה סח, the mouth speaks, also relate to the mouth. Immediately following Kiddush HaChodesh, we read about the mitzvah of eating the Karban Pesach and the mitzvah of eating Matzah and Maror. And the parsha begins with the mitzvah of למען תספר; the obligation to tell over the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim.
All of these mitzvos express the notion of the Geulah of the mouth from a state of galus to Geulah. But the mitzvah of Kiddush HaChodesh is unique in more than Beis Din declaring with their mouth the New Moon. This mitzvah indicates the ability of Bnei Yisrael to rejuvenate and refresh themselves, just as the moon does. And the paradigm of this is Hashem, about Whom we say in davening every day,ובטובו מחדש בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית. Hashem is constantly providing for us anew within the creation on a daily basis. This ability of התחדשות was now given over to Bnei Yisrael; החודש הזה לכם. This power of rejuvenation and creativity is being given over specifically to you.
This gives a deeper meaning to this mitzvah being an expression of the Bris HaLashon. The most creative ability of the mouth is to be creative in Torah. When we use our פה to be מחדש בתורה שבעל פה, to offer new, creative insights in learning, we partner with Hashem in bringing התחדשות and rejuvenation to the physical world. We are actualizing the mitzvah of החדש הזה לכם.
The ברית הלשון is, of course, not the only Bris we have with Hashem. We also have ברית מילה. And in Bris Milah we also have the ability of התחדשות and creativity by bringing new generations into the world. And the essential existence of a Jew is these two בריתות; the Bris of the mouth and Bris Milah. And the Sfas Emes explains that this is why the only positive commands for which one is obligated in כרת are Milah and Karban Pesach. And most of the negative commands which obligate כרת are either forbidden foods or prohibited relations, since with these aveiros, one is cutting himself off from his most essential covenants with Hashem.
These two come together with the prohibition by the Pesach of (Chapter 12, Pasuk 48), כל ערל לא יאכל בו. One who doesn’t have a Bris Milah may not eat from the Karban Pesach. With Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bris Milah and the Bris of the mouth are were given new meaning and new affirmation. And we mention this constantly in the second bracha of Bircas Hamazon; ועל שהוצאתנו ד' אלקינו מארץ מצרים וכו' ועל בריתך שחתמת בבשרנו ועל תורך שלמדתנו. When Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim, they regained the ability to create and rejuvenate, and thereby strengthen their connection with Hashem. And this is the true expression of the mitzvah of החודש הזה לכם.
Good Shabbos
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