Rosh Chodesh Questions

Questions on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the month:

1. What does Rosh Chodesh mean?
2. What is more special about the first day of the month than the rest of the month?
3. Why is Rosh Chodesh not treated like a Yom Tuv?
4. Who is meant to celebrate on Rosh Chodesh?
5. Why do the Jews count the Jewish year based on the lunar cycle as opposed to the other nations who go according to the solar cycle?
6. In what way is Rosh Chodesh celebrated?
7. Is any preparation done for Rosh Chodesh and why?
8. How is that date of Rosh Chodesh determined?
9. What is the significance of Rosh Chodesh being the very first mitzva in the Torah?
10. Where do the names of the Jewish months comes from?
11. Why should one not fast on Rosh Chodesh?
12. Why do we say partial Hallel on Rosh Chodesh and not the full Hallel?
13. What is the significance of having twelve months in the Jewish Year, or thirteen in a leap year?
14. Why is Rosh Chodesh sometimes only one day and other times two days?
15. Why is there no real reference to Rosh Chodesh by the month of Tishrei?
16. Is there any way to celebrate Rosh Chodesh with food?
17. What is the reason for the extra rejoicing of the day of Rosh Chodesh?
18. Is the time of Rosh Chodesh good or bad for the Jews?
19. By the Korban Mussaf for Rosh Chodesh there is the addition of the goat being sacrificed “for Hashem”. Why is this only added by Rosh Chodesh?
20. Why does the new moon start becoming visible on the right side and then after being full starts disappearing and become visible only on the left side?
21. Why do we add the Tehillim of 104 – Borchi Nafshi, on Rosh Chodesh, after the Shir Shel Yom?

Ideas for answers on Rosh Chodesh:

1. Rosh Chodesh literally means the “head of the month”.
2. The first of something means that there is potential for a new start – turning over a new leaf. The first also has the idea that it is like the seed that contains in it in minute form all the rest of the month. Therefore a good day on the first day of the month can bode well for the rest of the month.
3. The Levush brings that just like we have three festivals that parallel the three Avos, so too there should have been the twelve Roshei Chodoshim to parallel the twelve tribes. However, after the sin of the egel, the elements of Yom Tuv were taken away from the men. Since the women did not participate in this sin, therefore they remain with certain elements of Yom Tuv on Rosh Chodesh. (see Pirkei DiRebbi Eliezer Chapter 45)
4. Like we said in answer 3, that everyone does to a limited extent while the woman do more.
5. The Jews are compared to the lunar cycle since it is always changing with ups and downs. …
7. The day before (unless it is nidche) has a special tefilla by mincha, known as Yom Kippur Koton. Since Rosh Chodesh is the time for a new start, this has to be proceeded by a time of remorse and atonement. Another preparation is in the form of Shabbos Mevorchim, where the Shabbos before the week of Rosh Chodesh we say a special tefilla to announce the exact time of the forthcoming new month and day(s) of Rosh Chodesh.
8. During the times of the Beis Din, at least two witnesses would testify seeing the new moon. Nowadays, we have calendars instituted by Hillel that have already been calculated when Rosh Chodesh should fall.
9. Perhaps it reflects the idea behind Rosh Chodesh of a new start that can make a person begin the whole Torah anew from the beginning.
10. The Ramban (Parshas Bo) explains…
12. The Tanya Rabbosi brings that an allusion to say Hallel every Rosh Chodesh is that in Tehillim 150 where Dovid HaMelech uses the word Hallel twelve times alluding to the twelve months and then we double over the last possuk that makes another Hallel alluding to the thirteenth month is in a leap year. The reason why we do not say a full Hallel on Rosh Chodesh is because there is an argument between the commentaries. We therefore do a “compromise” of not doing the full Hallel. (Avudraham)
18. Being a time of atonement it is a good time. However, like all good things it comes with a price. The downside is that since it a special time when atonement is accepted, if people fail to take this opportunity then it can be seen as a refusal to atone that is not good.
19. Rashi (Pinchos, 28:15) brings that here is the source of atonement for all other goats sacrificed on the other days of the years. It comes to atone for a person who is not aware either before of afterwards that he has sinned. This atonement is therefore only known “to Hashem”. Another explanation is based on the Midrash. Hashem so-to-speak asks forgiveness for having made the moon smaller. This is because originally the sun and moon were created the same shape. When the moon complained how could there be two the same, it was made smaller and to comfort it, it was given the accompaniment of the stars.
20. Perhaps this alludes to the difference between what is represented by the right and left sides. The right side alludes to the attribute of chesed, kindness. This is seen at the beginning of the month, the time of a new start and of expansion – when the moon is growing. After peaking and becoming fool in the middle of the month, the moon starts diminishing and this represents the left side of the attribute of din, when things are constricted and become smaller. …
21. What is special about Tehillim 104 is seen in the Gemora Brochos 9b. It brings that Dovid Hamelech never said the word Haleluke until he saw the downfall of the reshoyim… This Tehillim describes the creation of the world and thus alludes to the newness seen by Rosh Chodesh providing the opportunity for a new start.