I have always admired grandfather clocks. The stateliness of their appearance and elegance of their chiming add a touch of serene ambiance to the home. Recently, I had opportunity to purchase a grandfather clock from a friend whose late parent’s estate was being liquidated. The clock was delivered on January 15, a Friday. Being wound and set to the correct time, the last detail necessary was to adjust the moon dial to the appropriate lunar phase. Ironically, sunset of the 15th not only ushered in the Shabbat, but also was the beginning of the Hebrew month of Shevat being Rosh Chodesh (literally “head of the month”) of the 11th month on that very night.
The hand painted moon dial has two pictures of a smiling orange-faced moon separated by two scenes of a sailing ship upon the open sea. The new moon is followed by a scene of a ship sailing in daylight under blue skies indicating its increased brightness or waxing. The full moon is followed by a scene of a ship sailing by night under starry skies indicating its increasing darkness or waning. With the moon dial set exactly on the day of the new moon, I have watched its subtle movement over the past week as the friendly moon-face descends clockwise and the scene of the daytime ship upon the sea grows ever fuller.
The centrality of the moon for fixing calendar dates and times is considered by the sages to be the first commandment given by Moses to the budding nation of Israel just prior to the Exodus from Egypt as presented in parshah Bo.
HaShem said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year.” (Exodus 12:1-2 Stone Chumash)
Commentators marvel that in the midst of the highly dramatic scenario in which Moses announced the death of the firstborn to Pharaoh followed by detailed instructions to the Israelites regarding the Pesach offering, is found two sentences explaining the reckoning of the months to begin in Nisan according to the appearance of the new moon. Why would such a scenario be interrupted with instructions regarding the new month, and why would this be the first commandment given to the people via Moses, their redeemer?
Rashi explains that by numbering the months beginning with Nisan, the month of the Exodus, the people would always be reminded of their redemption, the very act upon which their national existence was initiated. Ramban explains further that although the beginning of the year occurs in Tishrei in the fall, Nisan marks the beginning of the months “for you”, the Israelite nation, and not for “the year”. In this way Israel reckons both a civil/agricultural year beginning in Tishrei and a “spiritual year” beginning in Nisan. Rosh HaShanah (Rosh Chodesh Tishrei) marks the birth or creation of mankind while Rosh Chodesh Nisan marks the birth of the Jewish nation.
In Torah, the months are referred to only by number. The names of the months are of Persian origin being retained by the Israelites after the Babylonian exile. According to Ramban, the Persian names were retained as fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:14-15 which speaks of a time when G-d’s bringing of the people out of the northland (instead of out of Egypt) would be emphasized. The northland is understood to commemorate the exodus from Babylon. The Persian names of the months remind Israel of this second redemption, while the numbering of the months recalls the Exodus from Egypt.
Although commemoration of the awesome event of the Exodus is a worthy reason for Rosh Chodesh as the first of the commandments given to the nation, Sforno takes a more practical view. On the verge of freedom from slavery the people of Israel would now have control over their time. As slaves their days were defined and determined by their masters, but as a nation rescued from slavery by HaShem they would have the ability to decide how each month would be determined and how each day would be filled.
Rabbi Hirsch understands haChodesh hazeh in Exodus 12:2 to be speaking of “this renewal of the month” rather than “this month” specifically. His translation is based on the word chodesh which in the most basic sense means “the beginning of the month” rather than “the month” as chodesh comes from the same root as chadash meaning “to be new”. With this in mind the commandment of reckoning the months by the lunar cycle presents a central lesson in how a Jew should live. Just as the moon renews itself each month by waxing and waning, the nation of Israel should always be renewing itself by closely obeying the commandments of HaShem. [1] Therefore the fundamental message of the moon pertains to the performance of every command. On the verge of redemption and freedom from Egypt HaShem highlights, through the commandment of Rosh Chodesh, a difference between the Israelites service to Pharaoh and their service to Him. His people are to serve Him with zeal and renewed inspiration on a daily basis, not just out of rote obedience or obligatory habit as would a slave to a master. [2]
The Sfat Emet understands that the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is also important in distinguishing the Jew from the non-Jew. The non-Jew who orders his life by the sun, endures only as long as the “sun of fortune” shines brightly on him. Once the sun sets and darkness comes, once good fortune turns into persecution and pain, the non-Jew gives up, turns from G-d, and “fades from the pages of history”. The Jew, on the other hand, continues to shine brightly in the darkness, even amidst times of persecution and pain, even despite his waxing and waning spiritually. [3]
But perhaps the most basic and profound difference between a solar reckoning and a lunar reckoning of time has to do with monotony. In the solar reckoning of days, every day “looks” the same. The sun’s appearance is the same as it rises and makes its way through the sky back to the horizon day by day. It is predictable and never changing. The lunar calendar is not this way, every night the moon appears slightly different, it is never the same on any two nights in a row. There is no security in monotony with the moon. There is nothing about its days that might be called “routine”, “habit” or “normal expectations”. The moon is always doing one of two things on any given night; it is renewing or regressing, getting brighter or getting darker. When reckoning time by the moon one is forced to realize that every day is different. Every day one is renewing or regressing, improving or declining, and there is no middle ground regarding this, no status quo in which to find security. [4]
Although the Biblical/Jewish calendar is often referred to as a lunar system in reality it is a lunisolar calendar. The months are reckoned via the moon but the festivals must occur in their designated seasons as governed by the sun. For this reason an additional month is added to the calendar seven times every nineteen years. Otherwise, Pesach would occur earlier and earlier each year until inevitably it would be celebrated in the winter instead of the spring. Also, the set times of prayer each day are based on the sun, as is the weekly Shabbat. So, for the nation of Israel the sun and the moon have an influence upon the rhythmn of life for HaShem’s people.
This reality is seen in one’s daily life as well. No one is at liberty to decide how every minute of their day will be spent. Everyone has obligations and activities that have been decided for them. People have to go to work or school; they have to carry out mundane chores and expected responsibilities. This is the “solar” reckoning of each day involving the things that do not change and are the activities of daily life. But within this inflexibility is found a choice. One is free to decide the way in which they will accomplish the routine tasks of the day, either by “renewing” or “regressing”. By becoming better, moving forward in righteousness and holiness, in love of men and G-d or by remaining static or allowing oneself to be pulled away from righteousness by any number of factors. [5]
Although the solar reckoning of time is an inevitable fact, the lunar reckoning is to be the focus of time for G-d’s people. To contemplate the sun causes blindness. To contemplate the moon causes introspection and contemplation. G-d commanded His nation to contemplate the moon. Yeshua also taught this concept;
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34 ESV)
. . . . . . . .
After purchasing the grandfather clock, and before it was delivered, I did a bit of reading about grandfather clocks in general. Although this style of clock originated in the 
late 1600’s, the moon dial feature was not added to the design until the 19th century. The dial was meant to aid in determining the light of the moon for various activities. A sportsman might hunt at night when the moon was full and the forest well illuminated. A farmer might harvest additional crops at night by the light of the moon. Travel could be accomplished safely at night when the moon was full. In this way the dial was used as a means to determine when the moon was full and bright, to take notice of it only when it could be of most benefit to people in gaining more things. The moon was noticed only when it behaved like the sun, allowing activities of the day to continue through the night.
No wonder the moon dial on my grandfather clock contains two large illustrations of sailing ships on the sea with a simple-faced moon appearing briefly in between. For the subtleties of nightly change, the process of waxing and waning is not considered important in the reckoning of time to mankind in general. As the moon progresses through its nightly witness, the clock company provides a nice seascape to please the eye of the beholder and add to the aesthetics of the clock in general. The moon is only taken notice of by appearing when it is of no benefit (new) and might cause one trouble or harm, or when it is of complete benefit (full) aiding one to accumulate and accomplish more. The quality and uniqueness of each day’s experience, and the various and ever changing opportunities presented amid usual daily activities, is left behind, painted over, so to speak, in favor of a quantity of things that might be lost or gained instead.
____________________________________________________________________________________
[1] Michael Gros, Wordly Wise, available at: http://www.tfdixie.com/parshat/bo/028.htm
[2] Mitchell Scher, Moonstruck, available at: http://www.tfdixie.com/parshat/bo/025.htm
[3] Sfat Emet, as cited in Michael Gros, ibid.
[4] Adapted from Rabbi David Lapin, Bo: Kedushat Rosh Chodesh: Transfer Not Declaration (1986), available at: http://www.iawaken.org/shiurim/view.asp?id=5642
[5] Ibid.
