Torah for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh:
(normal
Shabbat reading
plus)
Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:9-15 "'On the
Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old
without defect, together with its drink offering and a
grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with oil. This is the burnt offering for every
Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and
its drink offering. "'On the first of every month,
present to HaShem a burnt offering of two young bulls,
one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without
defect. With each bull there is to be a grain offering
of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with
oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an
ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; And with each lamb,
a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing
aroma, an offering made to HaShem by fire. With each
bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of
wine; with the ram, a third of a hin; and with each
lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt
offering to be made at each new moon during the year.
Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink
offering, one male goat is to be presented to HaShem as
a sin offering.
Haftarah for
Shabbat Rosh
Chodesh:
Yeshayah
(Isaiah) 66:1-24 This is what HaShem says: "Heaven is my
throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the
house you will build for me? Where will my resting place
be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they
came into being?" declares HaShem. "This is the one I
esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and
trembles at my word. But whoever sacrifices a bull is
like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb,
like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain
offering is like one who presents pig's blood, and
whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an
idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls
delight in their abominations; So I also will choose
harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what
they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I
spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and
chose what displeases me." Hear the word of HaShem, you
who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said, 'Let
HaShem be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they
will be put to shame. Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of
HaShem repaying his enemies all they deserve. "Before
she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains
come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of
such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a
country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in
a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives
birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth
and not give delivery?" says HaShem. "Do I close up the
womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. "Rejoice
with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love
her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over
her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her
comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in
her overflowing abundance." For this is what HaShem
says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the
wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse
and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a
mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and
you will be comforted over Jerusalem." When you see
this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like
grass; the hand of HaShem will be made known to his
servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. See,
HaShem is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a
whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and
his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with
his sword HaShem will execute judgment upon all men, and
many will be those slain by HaShem. "Those who
consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,
following the one in the midst of those who eat the
flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things--they
will meet their end together," declares HaShem. "And I,
because of their actions and their imaginations, am
about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and
they will come and see my glory. "I will set a sign
among them, and I will send some of those who survive to
the nations--to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians
(famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the
distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen
my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
And they will bring all your brothers, from all the
nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering
to HaShem--on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on
mules and camels," says HaShem. "They will bring them,
as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the
temple of HaShem in ceremonially clean vessels. And I
will select some of them also to be priests and
Levites," says HaShem. "As the new heavens and the new
earth that I make will endure before me," declares
HaShem, "so will your name and descendants endure. From
one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another,
all mankind will come and bow down before me," says
HaShem. "And they will go out and look upon the dead
bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will
not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will
be loathsome to all
mankind."
The Psalm for
Rosh Chodesh
Tehillim
(Psalms) 104:1-35 Praise HaShem, O my soul. HaShem my
God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor
and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a
garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent And
lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He
makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of
the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire
his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it
can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with
a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at
your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your
thunder they took to flight; They flowed over the
mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place
you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot
cross; never again will they cover the earth. He makes
springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between
the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the
field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds
of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the
branches. He waters the mountains from his upper
chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his
work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for
man to cultivate--bringing forth food from the earth:
Wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his
face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. The trees
of HaShem are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that
he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork
has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains
belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the
coneys. The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun
knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes
night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions
roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The
sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down
in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his
labor until evening. How many are your works, HaShem! In
wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your
creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming
with creatures beyond number--living things both large
and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the
leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. These all
look to you to give them their food at the proper time.
When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you
open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you
take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you
renew the face of the earth. May the glory of HaShem
endure forever; may HaShem rejoice in his works-- He who
looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the
mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to HaShem all my
life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in
HaShem. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the
wicked be no more. Praise HaShem, O my soul. Praise
HaShem.
Synagogue
service
Psalm 148:1-6
Halleluyah! Praise HaShem from the heavens; praise Him
in the heights. Praise Him, all bright stars, Praise
Him, the most exalted of the heavens and the waters that
are above the heavens. Let them praise the Name of
HaShem, for He commanded and they were created. And He
established them forever and ever, He issued a decree
that will not
change.
One should
look at the moon before reciting this
blessing:
Blessed are
You, HaShem our God, King of the universe whose word
created the heavens, whose breath created all that they
contain. Statutes and seasons He set for them, that they
should not deviate from their assigned task. Happily,
gladly they do the will of their Creator, whose work is
dependable. To the moon He spoke: renew yourself, crown
of glory for those who were borne in the womb, who also
are destined to be renewed and to extol their Creator
for His glorious sovereignty. Blessed are You, Lord who
renews the months.
Recite three
times:
Blessed is
your Molder; blessed is your Maker; blessed is your
Owner; blessed is your
Creator.
Recite three
times:
Upon reciting
the next verse, rise on the toes as if in
dance
Just as I
dance towards you but cannot touch you, so may none of
my enemies be able to touch me for
evil.
Recite three
times:
Let fall upon
them fear and terror; at the greatness of Your arm, let
them be still as
stone.
Recite three
times:
As stone let
them be still, at Your arm’s greatness; terror and fear,
upon them let fall.
Recite three
times:
David, King
of Israel, is alive and
enduring.
Extend
greetings to three different
people:
Shalom
Alechem (peace be with
you!)
Alechem
shalom (Upon you,
peace!)
Recite three
times:
May there be
a good sign and a good fortune for us and for all
Israel. Amen.
Shir HaShirim
(Song of Songs) 2:8-9 - The voice of my beloved -
Behold! It came suddenly, leaping over mountains,
skipping over hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a
young hart. Behold! He was standing behind our wall,
observing through the windows, peering through the
lattices.
Tehillim
(Psalm) 121 - A song to the ascents. I raise my eyes to
the mountains; whence will come my help? My help is from
HaShem, Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow
your foot to falter; your Guardian will not slumber.
Behold, He neither slumbers nor sleeps - the Guardian of
Israel. HaShem is your Guardian; HaShem is your Shade at
your right hand. By day the sun will not harm you, nor
the moon by night. HaShem will protect you from every
evil; He will guard your soul. HaShem will guard your
departure and your arrival, from this time and
forever.
Tehillim
(Psalm) 150 - Halleluyah! Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for
His mighty acts; praise His as befits His abundant
greatness. Praise Him with the blast of the shofar;
praise Him with lyre and harp. Praise Him with drum and
dance; praise Him with organ and flute. Praise Him with
clanging cymbals; praise Him with resonant trumpets. Let
all souls praise God,
Halleluyah!
The academy of
Rabbi Yishmael taught: Had Israel not been privileged to
greet the countenance of their Father in Heaven except
for once a month - it would have sufficed them. Abaye
said: Therefore one must recite it while
standing.
Who is this
who rises from the desert clinging to her
Beloved!
May it be
Your will, HaShem, my God and the God of my forefathers,
to fill the flaw of the moon that there be no diminution
in it. May the light of the moon be like the light of
the sun and like the light of the seven days of
creation, as it was before it was diminished, as it is
said: ‘The two great luminaries.’ And may there be
fulfilled upon us the verse that is written: They shall
seek HaShem, their God, and David, their king.
Amen
Tehillim
(Psalm) 67 - For the Conductor, upon Neginos, a psalm, a
song. May God favor us and bless us, may He illuminate
His countenance with us, Selah. To make known Your way
on earth, among all the nations Your salvation. The
peoples will acknowledge You, O God, the peoples will
acknowledge You, all of them. Nations will be glad and
sing for joy, because You will judge the peoples fairly
and guide the nations on earth, Selah. Then peoples will
acknowledge You, all of them. The earth has yielded its
produce, may God, our own God, bless us. May God bless
us and may all the ends of the earth fear
Him.
(Please
stand)
] Wnyl'[
ALEINU
It is
Incumbent
rx'wyl]
hl;dG] ttel lKh' @/da'le jeBev'l]
Wnyl}[;
A-lei-nu
Le-sha-bei-ach la-a-don ha-kol, la-teit ge-du-lah
le-yo-tseir
It is
incumbent upon us to praise the Master of all, to exalt
the
]Wnm;c; alw]
t/xr:a'h; yy'/gK] Wnc;[; aLv;
tyv]areB]
be-rei-shit,
she-lo a-sa-nu ke-go-yei ha-a-ra-tsot, ve-lo sa-ma-nu
creator of
the world, for He has made us distinct from the
nations
!h;K;
Wnql]]j, !c; aLve]' hm'd;a'h'
t/jp]v]miK
ke-mish-pe-chot ha-a-da-mah; she-lo sam
chel-kei-nu ka-hem,
and unique
among the families of the earth. Our destiny is
not
!n;/mh; lk;K]
Wnler;;gw
ve-go-ra-lei-nu ke-chol
ha-mo-nam.
like theirs,
our calling is our
task.
yneep]li
!yd/mW !ywj'T'v]miW !y[ir]wK
Wnj]n'a''w'
V'a-nach-nu
kor-im u-mish-ta-cha-vim u-mo-dim,
li-fe-nei
We therefore
bow in awe and thanksgiving before the One
who
aWh +WrB;
v/dQ;h' !ykil;m]h' yk'l]m'
+l;me]
Me-lech
mal-chei ham-la-chim, ha ka-dosh, ba-ruch
hu.
is sovereign
over all, the Holy One, blessed be
He.
dj;a, hwhy
hy,h]yi]i aWhh'
!/yB'
Ba-yom ha-hu,
ba-yom ha-hu, yi-yeh Yah-veh e-chad;
On that day,
on that day, HaShem shall be
one.
dj;a, wmv]W
wmv]W wmv]W
u-sh'mo,
u-sh'mo, u-sh'mo
e-chad.
and His name,
and His name, and His name
one.
(Aleinu and
V’Anachnu)
It is
incumbent upon us to praise the Master of all, to exalt
the creator of the world, for He has made us distinct
from the nations and unique among the families of the
earth. Our destiny is not like theirs, our calling is
our task.
We therefore
bow in awe and thanksgiving before the One who is
sovereign over all, the Holy One, blessed be He. For He
stretched forth the heavens like a tent and established
the earth. Truly there is none like our Lord and King.
As the Torah says, "You shall know this day and reflect
in your heart that it is the Lord who is God in the
heavens above and on the earth beneath, there is none
else."
We hope,
HaShem our God, to soon behold Your majestic glory when
all abominations shall be removed and all false gods
shall be at an end.
Then shall
the world be perfected under the rule of the Lord
Almighty and all mankind shall call upon Your name. For
to You every knee must bow and every tongue declare that
You are God.
Reign over us
soon and forever. May the kingdom of David's greater son
be established
forever.
For then
shall the words be fulfilled, "HaShem shall be king
forever", and, "HaShem shall be king over all the earth;
on that day HaShem shall be one, and his name one." –
Tehillim (Psalm) 104:1-2, Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:39,
Tehillim (Psalm) 10:16, Zechariah
14:9
End of
synagogue service.
What blessing
can't you say when you're on the
moon?
Answer:
Kiddush Lavanah -- the blessing on seeing the New Moon.
(In Sephardic communities it is called “Birkat
Ha-Lavanah”, The blessing of the
moon.)
The blessing
said when sighting the New Moon can be recited only at
night when you can benefit from the moon's light. Even
at night, if it's cloudy and you see only a vague image
of the moon you don't say the blessing, since you don't
benefit from its rays. So too, if you were actually
standing on the moon you wouldn't be able to say the
blessing of Kiddush Lavanah, because you wouldn't be
deriving benefit from the moon's
rays!
Source:
o Shulchan
Aruch Orach Chaim 426:1 Rema
o Ibid. Magen
Avraham 1
Historically,
the Torah records that Rosh Chodesh was celebrated in
the past. We can see this
in:
I Shmuel
(Samuel) 20:18 Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is
the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your
seat will be empty.
We can also
see that Rosh Chodesh will be celebrated in the future
because the Tanakh records this for us as
well:
Yeshayah
(Isaiah) 66:22-24 "As the new heavens and the new earth
that I make will endure before me," declares HaShem, "so
will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon
to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind
will come and bow down before me," says HaShem. "And
they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those
who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor
will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome
to all mankind."
The New Moon
will be celebrated during the
millennium:
Yehezekel
(Ezekiel) 46:1-7 "'This is what the Sovereign HaShem
says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be
shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and
on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. The
prince is to enter from the outside through the portico
of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests
are to sacrifice his burnt offering and his fellowship
offerings. He is to worship at the threshold of the
gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut
until evening. On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people
of the land are to worship in the presence of HaShem at
the entrance to that gateway. The burnt offering the
prince brings to HaShem on the Sabbath day is to be six
male lambs and a ram, all without defect. The grain
offering given with the ram is to be an ephah, and the
grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he
pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah. On the
day of the New Moon he is to offer a young bull, six
lambs and a ram, all without defect. He is to provide as
a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with
the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give,
along with a hin of oil with each
ephah.
Since Rosh
Chodesh was celebrated in the past, and will be
celebrated in the future, why in heaven don’t we
celebrate it today? Obviously the offerings can’t be
brought because we have no Temple, but, we can obviously
celebrate the parts that are
permissible.
The Song of
Solomon also alludes to the relationship between Rosh
Chodesh and Messiah:
Kohelet (Song
of Solomon) 2:8-9 Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There
he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,
peering through the
lattice.
Judah and
Tamar had twins: Zerach and Peretz. Zerach (shining) was
so called on account of the sun which always shines, and
Peretz (breach) on account of the moon which is
sometimes breached [i.e. its light is sometimes hidden
(at the end of the month) and sometimes completely
intact.] But Peretz [symbolizing the moon] was the first
born, although the sun is greater than the moon? [i.e.
why should the firstborn be symbolized by the smaller
orb?] - In a sense Zerach, who stuck out his hand first,
was to be the firstborn; but Peretz, the ancestor of the
House of David, was given the Divine privilege of
actually being the first born. The Davidic dynasty is
likened to the moon because it underwent various stages
of ascendancy and descendancy.
Continue [Feast of
Trumpets
Fourteen]
