Chasidut על ביצה 33:1
Kedushat Levi
The same type of exegesis is applicable in our verse above when we consider the wording ראשון הוא לכם. The Talmud Beytzah 17 says that in the benediction dealing with the sanctity of the respective day, i.e. when the new Moon occurs on the Sabbath, both the Sabbath, Israel, and the New Moon must be mentioned. Mention of the Sabbath in this connection sounds strange, as the Sabbath is a fixed part of the calendar and the sages of the High Court have no authority to postpone or advance it.
On the other hand, all matters pertaining to the day on which the New Moon is declared are left to be decided by the Jewish High Court. The Talmud Rosh Hashanah 8 states that all the celestial beings, especially those who have part in the judgments dealt with on that day, anxiously await the decision of the Jewish High Court as to which day will be the first day of the new year. The decision of the High Court concerning this is even decisive in the case of the hymen of a three year old girl that had been broken being declared as intact, If through the decision of the High Court a day or a month had been added to the year just about to conclude, so that the piercing of her hymen had occurred before her third birthday. (Compare Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim chapter 6 halachah 8). It is clear from there that the calendar dates are subject to rulings by Israel, i.e. its highest judicial forum. All this is traced back to the verse we have cited, where the Torah describes the time of the first day of the month to be לכם, “to be determined by you.”
The Torah hints that just as G’d is ראשון, first in the universe, so His people, the Israelites have been granted the distinction to be first in another important sphere, the decision of when the new moon is to be declared and sanctified. In this respect, even G’d defers to the decision of the Jewish High Court, waiting with pronouncing judgment on the whole of mankind until the date of that day has been officially confirmed by the Court. By saying: החודש הזה לכם, “this month belongs to you,” G’d gave a present to the Jewish people that bound Him to them forever. Determining when a month commences made the Jewish people sovereign not only for that day but for all the days and months of the year, i.e. לחדשי השנה, “the months of the whole year.”
On the other hand, all matters pertaining to the day on which the New Moon is declared are left to be decided by the Jewish High Court. The Talmud Rosh Hashanah 8 states that all the celestial beings, especially those who have part in the judgments dealt with on that day, anxiously await the decision of the Jewish High Court as to which day will be the first day of the new year. The decision of the High Court concerning this is even decisive in the case of the hymen of a three year old girl that had been broken being declared as intact, If through the decision of the High Court a day or a month had been added to the year just about to conclude, so that the piercing of her hymen had occurred before her third birthday. (Compare Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim chapter 6 halachah 8). It is clear from there that the calendar dates are subject to rulings by Israel, i.e. its highest judicial forum. All this is traced back to the verse we have cited, where the Torah describes the time of the first day of the month to be לכם, “to be determined by you.”
The Torah hints that just as G’d is ראשון, first in the universe, so His people, the Israelites have been granted the distinction to be first in another important sphere, the decision of when the new moon is to be declared and sanctified. In this respect, even G’d defers to the decision of the Jewish High Court, waiting with pronouncing judgment on the whole of mankind until the date of that day has been officially confirmed by the Court. By saying: החודש הזה לכם, “this month belongs to you,” G’d gave a present to the Jewish people that bound Him to them forever. Determining when a month commences made the Jewish people sovereign not only for that day but for all the days and months of the year, i.e. לחדשי השנה, “the months of the whole year.”
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