Bo 5786: The Moon Is Out in the Day

What's the big deal about kesh? Welcome to the sh all para for paras. We're all very familiar with the first rash in that describes this week's para when in this week's para as we're getting ready for the great moment of when he introduces the laws of pes begins with that first command rashi tells us at the beginning of the that the Torah could have begun in this week's para with the mitzvah of that this is the calendar this is the new moon and the reb has many questions some of them are well-known questions about why is this the first mitzvah. But not only that, when it is reported and it said that spoke to Mosh, it says that he spoke to them init. Why is this specifically when most mitzvah do not tell us where where Hashem was, where the recipient was here? It says that it was in it was init. Why is that so? And furthermore, it says tell us in the medish that it is for you means that from the time of until now all time was counted by way of the of the sun and only now was the one for you the not the non-Jews. You are the only ones who count for you according to this schedule. So why is it that Keshakur that the new moon the Jewish calendar is so central that it should be the introduction to life it should be the first mitzvah it should be connected to the exodus itself and here it should highlight that it was for the Jewish people and not for others the answers to this in a piece called where he says multiple answers to this question but let's just explore two of them first the Reb says that the idea that we are like the moon and not like the is simply that Claius's history will be one where we have ups and downs. Many of us are familiar with the many many heroic stories especially about the Klesenberger Rebba who would who who was able to overcome every ch difficulty the most horrible conditions in the time of the mama in the time of the holocaust and still hold on to his faith not only hold on to his faith but also hold on and rebuild for all of Class. How did he do this? The stories are told that he was once asked how did you do it and he said I held on from kdeshana to kesana regarding kazal say that as anyone whose bench is the new moon it's as if he received himself. Why is that so? Because the ye knows that we have ups and we have downs and if we will be going through something difficult we will rise again. Elsewhere the Reb says that this is expressed in the idea of viok. Not only are we like the moon but indeed we understand that that the the great things in life or all things in life begin with a night and then express themselves in the day. These are concepts that are of course true in terms of basic chronology and calendar making. But it's true about how we see the world. If there will be a night there will be mitzion. We will still have time. If there will be a night, there will be all of the golios of Kalisrael. There will still be the redemption. If there will be the night, there will be olam haza. There will still be haba. If there will be the different difficulties of the go, there will ultimately the be the there will always be vivoker. [snorts] And so the first idea that we count according to the is that we relate to the kama, excuse me, to the lavana. We relate to the lavana. We are like the moon in that we have ups and we have downs and we totally understand that and we accept it. But here the Reb says something even deeper that will say the difference between the sun and the moon is that the sun only has it only has dominion during the day whereas the moon as we know has some dominion during the day and of course most of his dominion is at night. It is show. So what does that have to do with Israel? This has to do with our sense of devotion to Hashem. We know of course there are many spiritual people out there. However, the Reb says their spirituality often the non the other nations is dependent on the idea that things are going well. Things are going well then we can have a robust relationship with our sense of our creator. But Israel is specific in that their connection to is showed by it. It is applicable and evident during the day when things are going well and is it is evident even at night. And therefore the Reb says that's why it says this is this is specific to you. You are the ones who act this way. You are the ones who can be who who he relies upon to still recognize him even in the difficult times to know that has a plan to accept it. The Reb said that that we know that identify for us there are 10 of that he has 10 tests and the reonum grapple what are those 10 tests but in many ways although there are there's there's there's there are differences essentially they're very similar in the sense that the Reb is addressing only one such list that the first of them we could perhaps count as the Nisan in Uranim will he be willing to be thrown into the fire and so that's a question of Will you or won't you? And the last one is will you or won't you offer yet as a carbon but many of the other ones are not like that. Many of the other ones the Reb says, all of the other ones he says indeed [snorts] are really tests of faith. They're not tests will you or won't you. They are now that you got to and there is a there is a famine. Now that you got to and your wife is taken away. These are the various kinds of tests that your situation is difficult. So what's the avod there? Is it that I should pass the test by doing what you are commanding me? That's not what's going on here. What's going on here is not like that at all. What's going on here is will you pass the test that your amuna is show there are times of in fact tell us that as we perceive the world there are times of difficulty when they tell us in the Mishna the that if something difficult happens we have to make a that means we can see something as difficult and if we can see something as difficult so what's the is indeed to know that it is the will of hashem that this is there is no ra that comes from hashem is an identity reality of Israel that we relate to even when he's hidden even when we can't understand it and we're devoted to him that are with many of we're like that and that's a message of Israel is do and we count according to we count according to the moon the moon on the one hand tells us there will be ups and downs the moon also tells us that even in those downs even in the darkness of night the moon is still show the amuna of kal is still going to be there and we have to serve hashem with as much love and robust commitment as when when things are like this or like or they're like that if it comes from hem it's tove it's good it's going to be a difficult that's why it's called but we have the strength to do it and it has commanded us in rabbis says several things here but has commanded us in because even in the the the the depth of the difficulty. There the Yid knows Hashem. There the Yid knows that I will serve Hashem with love and affection. And so may it be Hashem's will that we indeed dedicate ourselves that when we read that could have been the first mitzvah. When we read that could have been the beginning of the Torah when we read that is for you and not for others. When we read that this is what leads to and which you understand to be the highest pinnacles of the service of Hashem. We dedicate ourselves to serve Hashem even if things are difficult. And if we're really having difficult, whoever's listening to this, always remember the words of Perkos. Reach out to others. Don't be alone. Go to a mentor and go to a friend and work through the difficulties in order to serve Hashem with all your heart. Have a great chabas.