Zodiac!

This Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh Nissan, which the Torah calls the first month of the year. Thus our calendar year has two firsts. Rosh Hashanah, which marks the creation of Adam and when G-d judges us for the year, is celebrated in Tishrei – the seventh month of the year. Then there is Nissan, the month when the Jews were miraculously freed from Egypt. Since G-d displayed His awesome miracles when saving and redeeming His nation and when punishing the Egyptians for their horrible abuse, G-d gave prominence to Nissan, making it the first month of the year.

The Pharoh and the Egyptians were steeped in the occult, superstition and astrology. Nissan was the month in which they placed their trust because the Mazal – the symbol of the Zodiac for the month – is Aries – the sheep, which they worshipped.

Before the Jews left Egypt, G-d instructed Moshe about the laws of Rosh Chodesh and about the coming redemption. G-d told Moshe, ‘Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem – this Month is for you.’ G-d was telling Moshe that this month has nothing to do with the astrological signs that Pharoh believes in. The month is given to you – because through this month it will become evident that G-d controls all that happens and brings our salvation, thus disproving any power of the occult.

We can now understand that G-d commanded the Jews to slaughter, roast and eat the Pascal lamb in order to erase any vestige of respect they may have felt toward the lamb which the Egyptians had worshipped.

Because of the prominence of Nissan, our sages enacted that in addition to the weekly Torah portion, the Torah portion of G-d’s instruction to Moshe regarding the laws of Rosh Chodesh Nissan and Passover, be read on the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Being that this year Rosh Chodesh is on Shabbos an additional Torah Portion which describes the special sacrifices that are offered in the Temple on Rosh Chodesh is read as well. Thus three Torah scrolls are removed from the ark.

The Torah also relates that on the next Rosh Chodesh Nisan, a year after the Jews left Egypt, the Tabernacle was officially inaugurated. Although all the components of the Tabernacle were completed three months earlier, G-d wanted the inauguration to occur specifically in Nissan because of Nissan’s prominence.

Not only is Rosh Chodesh Nissan regarded as special because of the inauguration of the Temple, all of the first twelve days are special because on each of these days the head of a different tribe offered a personal series of dedication sacrifices for the Temple.

The twelve days of sacrifices of the heads of the Tribes impact upon us even today for they are considered as semi-holidays and certain penitential prayers and eulogies are not recited.

In fact, if we count the first 12 days of the month, erev Pesach, and the eight days of Pesach, we find that most of the days of the month are celebratory days! Because of this, the law is that the entire month is deemed special and penitential prayers and eulogies are not recited throughout the month.

The Torah calls Nissan, the month of Aviv – Spring time. Because of this our Sages were taught to amend the months of the year by adding an extra month to certain years – such as this year –  to align the lunar calendar, which is eleven days shorter than the solar calendar, so that Pesach comes in the spring.

If the word Aviv is split it becomes Av – father – and iv, which has the numerical value of 12. This hints that this month is the father of the 12 months of the year.

Our Sages explain that G-d freed us from Egypt specifically in the beautiful spring weather so that we would experience our exodus during the pleasant weather and that our emergence as a nation be celebrated at a beautiful time of the year.

Springtime is the symbol of rebirth – our Sages tell us that in the month of Nissan G-d will redeem us, bringing the ultimate redemption with the long awaited arrival of Moshiach!