Welcome To My Kosher Home

    Many of our tefillot and customs were established to correspond to the korbanot that were brought in the Beit Hamikdash. Indeed, our rabbis teach us that in the absence of the Beit Hamikdash, any tefila that makes mention of or corresponds to a specific korban is considered as if the petitioner had actually brought that korban in the Beit Hamikdash. All of our mussaf tefillot were established to commemorate the additional korbanot that were brought on that particular day. In fact, there are Halachic authorities who write that one should view his tefila as if it were actually taking the place of the korbanot which were to be brought in the Beit Hamikdash at that particular time. So the question really becomes: why were we commanded to bring a korban mussaf on Rosh Chodesh in the first place?

    In his classic work on the explanation of the mitzvoth, the Sefer Hachinuch writes that it is well known that the moon affects many things that people do. He gives examples of how lumberjacks would not cut down trees, sailors would not sail and people would not give blood until waiting a period of days after the new moon. Because many of our activities start anew with each new month, it’s fitting for us to recognize and concretize in our hearts that all of the things that we perceive as new in this world do not come from us, but rather from our Creator, who is constantly creating and sustaining His world. This, the Sefer Hachinuch writes, is the purpose of the korban mussaf: to stir within our souls and set into our hearts the realization that all that happens in our lives and in the world, in general, are from God and from God alone.

    There is an additional aspect to the mussaf tefila of Rosh Chodesh that requires mentioning. Our rabbis tell us that while the Mo’adim, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, were given to Bnei Yisrael to be a time of simcha and joy, Rosh Chodesh was given to be a time of kappara, atonement. The Gemara tells a famous story about the moon at the time of the Creation. (This Gemara has some inherent difficulties and it is being explained according to Rabbeinu Alfasi, The Rif.) God had originally created the sun and the moon to be the same size. The sun was to shine during the day and the moon was to shine during the night. The moon complained saying that there can’t be two rulers who share the same crown. God replied to the moon and said, “you are correct, therefore, I will make you smaller.” Hearing this, the moon felt terribly dejected. In order to lift its spirits, God offered the moon that it would rule both during the day and the night. This did not help and the moon remained dejected. God then told the moon that Bnei Yisrael would count the days and the years using it. This helped the moon feel better but it was not enough. God offered some additional honors but the moon was still not appeased. Finally, God offered that every new moon or Rosh Chodesh, Bnei Yisrael would bring a special mussaf sacrifice to atone for their sins. With this, the moon was finally appeased.

    This concept is best expressed in the mussaf tefila of Shabbat-Rosh Chodesh when we say the words “You gave us…Shabbat for contentment and Rosh Chodesh for atonement.” The Sefer Luchot Habrit, known as the Shela, writes that every person should think thoughts of teshuva and rectify his actions before praying the mussaf tefila, as this is a time of atonement.

    In summary, there seem to be three lofty thoughts a person should have when praying the mussaf tefila. First, that this tefila is taking the place of the special mussaf korban that was offered in the Beit Hamikdash. Second, that God continuously creates the universe and is the source of everything that happens to us in our lives at every moment. Lastly, we should be thinking that this is a special time of teshuva and atonement that Hashem has graciously provided for us.

    May these insights into the Rosh Chodesh mussaf allow us to reach new spiritual heights, not only on this Rosh Chodesh, but on all the ones to follow as well.