The New Moon – Rosh Chodesh

The new moon – what does that mean? Have you ever read that in Scripture and wondered what it was all about? To most of us reading about the new moon in Scripture sounds rather foreign and confusing. It brings to mind things like horoscopes and astrology. But the new moon festival is far from what tends to come to our minds at first.

New Moon Over Modern Jerusalem

HaShem created the greater light (the sun) and the lesser light (the moon) on the fourth day (and He created light on the first…). He said in Genesis 1:14 that they were created to govern the day and night and for counting days, months, seasons, and years. He intended for us to pay attention to them as we pay attention to our clocks and calendars today. A look at a concordance under “new moon” will reveal how people in Bible times understood Rosh Chodesh and how they celebrated it. It was like a Shabbat, it was considered a holy day (set apart) and a day of family festivities and feasting. Have you ever read some of these scriptures and wondered why the people were celebrating the moon and why He was okay with it? Wasn’t HaShem clear about not getting involved in witch craft and astrology and worshiping anything other than Himself?

Rosh Chodesh is not a celebration of the moon or a form of moon worship. It is a recognition of the beginning of a new month. Rosh Chodesh literally means “head of the month”. When HaShem gave His Biblical calendar to His people there wasn’t a fixed calendar in place. The people did in fact use the heavens to determine their calendar – their days, weeks and months, seasons and years. One could look up at the moon in the evening and know just where they were in the month. They could look up at the stars and see what season it was or navigate based on the constellations. The sighting of the new moon signaled the new month to begin and it was a time for a festive family celebration. It wasn’t until the fourth century CE (aka AD) that Hillel II established a fixed calendar for the Jews in the diaspora. Because the Jews had been dispersed from their land and were living among the nations, they needed to have a fixed calendar in order to keep HaShem’s holy days. Hillel II established this calendar based on mathematical calculations and it was accepted by the Sanhedrian. This is what today is referred to as the Jewish calendar.

The Cycle of the Year

The time spent waiting and looking for the new moon is a vivid and practical reminder that we need to be always watching and waiting for the Messiah to return. Messiah Yeshua will return when the time is right and He was clear that His followers need to understand the signs of the times, as he said in Matthew 16:3, even though the hour and day of His return are unknown to everyone except G-d, as explained in Mattew 24. So while we wait and watch, straining to see the first glimmer of the new moon we remember Matthew 24, that we are to be ever watchful and waiting for Messiah Yeshua to return. When He returns it will usher in a new time of rejoicing and we’ll all feast together as a family at a glorious wedding feast, together at one table. In Isaiah 66:23 we read of a time when “all flesh” will come to bow in worship of Him from Rosh Chodesh to Rosh Chodesh and from Shabbat to Shabbat. In the new kingdom we will certainly be recognizing Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat, as well as Sukkot. We know this because it says so in the Isaiah 66 passage and in Zechariah 14:16-19.

This is a subject that we are just starting to try to wrap our brains around so I thought I’d share what information I have for anyone interested. I’d appreciate anyone else with information that you wish to pass along (or correct me) to feel free to post a comment or e-mail me. Ask Moses has a good introductory article about Rosh Chodesh. This is another page with information, it is like an encyclopedia entry. In my sidebar are links to First Fruits of Zion (aka FFOZ) and to Torah Resource where one could find more information on Rosh Chodesh as well.

The new month of Elul is upon us and the traditional calendar says it will start on Friday (in August of 2006), meaning that the new moon is expected to be spotted on Thursday night (tonight). We will be out with our telescope and looking for any sign of the new moon (even though it’s cloudy and one does not need a telescope to spot the new moon).  The month of Elul is a time of preparation for the fall feasts. Just like every Shabbat has a preparation period and there are preparation periods for Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost), there is a solemn preparation period before Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah). Elul might just begin tonight! This is an exciting time and a joyous time of anticipation and preparation. Not to mention the solemnity of it all.

Just a note about the controversy concerning the calendar, because of course there is one. The calendar that is traditionally accepted is known to be “off” when it doesn’t seem to line up correctly with the sighting of the moon.  If I remember right, it is known to be missing between 200 and 250 years as well.   This will give a little insight into the issue as well as this giving an alternative view on the calendar and its rendering.  And I wrote an entry to explain our family’s position on The Calendar Controversy.