Parashat Tazria

Parashat Hachodesh

by Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

The month of Nissan is approaching and this Shabbat, we read Parashat Hachodesh, which speaks about the mitzvah of sanctifying the new month. From here we can learn about the uniqueness and significance of the Hebrew calendar to us as a nation.

Rashi, the well known commentator, sheds light on the distinctiveness of the Jewish calendar. In the beginning of the Torah he asks, “Why doesn’t the Torah open with the first mitzvah mentioned, sanctifying the new month? Why does it open with the story of creation?”

I would like to add another question.

Why is the first mitzvah in the Torah sanctifying the new month? Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for the Torah to open with a commandment about the oneness of G-d or something similar?

To answer this question, we must first look at the reality of the Jewish people when they were slaves in Egypt. The Jewish nation was enslaved both physically and mentally.  In order to redeem the Jewish people, G-d had to free them in both spheres.

A slave’s time is not his own. He must constantly do his master’s will.  Pharaoh, who was an evil master, worked the Jewish people with extreme oppressiveness.  They could never think about time and what to do with it.

When G-d freed the Jewish people from physical slavery, he also laid the groundwork to redeem them from their spiritual slavery. G-d created a new system of time that was centered on G-d and His religion. Time was no longer governed by Pharaoh’s commandments, it was now sanctified for the service of G-d.

This new system of time, this new calendar is very important for us as a people. It is a major part of our solidarity and nationality. In business, there is often a need for the secular calendar.  However, it is important to make sure that the Jewish calendar is central in our lives.  It should definitely be used for birthdays and important occasions. We should not celebrate our birthdays according to the non-Jewish calendar. The Hebrew calendar is the first mitzvah in the Torah. It is the first thing that made us unique as a nation.  The calendar defines our freedom.

Shabbat Shalom!