Friday, April 28, 2006

Rosh Chodesh as a women's yom tov

I admit being noge’ah b’davar, but this (click link) is a nice take on Rosh Chodesh. I would just add that we know that klal yisrael exists above the boundry of time. Hashem gives us credit today for that which will occur in the future, and by the same token, we may suffer now to expiate a cheit that has not yet occurred. The Bnei Yisaschar writes that this is the meaning of Rashi that the creation of the world was “bishvil yisrael” who would accept the Torah – the event of mattan Torah had not yet happened in time, but its zechus already caused briyas ha’olam. Similarly, R’ Tzadok writes that when Avraham battled the kings to save Lot he chased them until Dan, where he foresaw his grandchildren would worship avodah zarah – that future event already impacted his ability to be zocheh to continue fighting even though in time it had not yet occurred. Women have the special zechus of being able to rise above the limitations of time and see this true picture. This is why when it came to keriyas yam suf, while Moshe sang “ashira l’Hashem” in the future tense, Miryam sang “shiru l’Hashem” in the present tense (see Ma’or v’Shemesh). The geulah would be completed only in the future, but to Miryam, the zechus of the future was already present – time was not boundry to its celebration. With this we can understand why Rosh Chodesh was taken as a holiday by women. We say by kiddush levana “David Melech Yisrael chai v’kayam” because Rosh Chodesh anticipates the day when the moon will equal the sun, the day of ultimate geulah through Mashiach ben David. For men, we await this day of celebration, but for women, David haMelech is here with us already (see R' Tzadok in Resisey Layla), as time poses no boundry for receiving and celebrating the bracha and zechus Hashem bestows.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:00 PM

    Nice to read a compliment to women's ability that is not directed at homemaking or peacekeeping skills.

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  2. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
    » » »

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