HaChodesh hazeh
lakhem rosh chodashim rishon hu lachem l’chodshei hashanah.
This
month will be for you the first of the heads of months (the first Rosh
Chodesh); it is for you the first month of the year. (Shemot 12:2)
Today is Shabbat Hachodesh, the
Shabbat preceding the month of Nisan. Tuesday will be rosh chodashim rishon,
the first day of the year. Nisan is also
known as chodesh aviv, the spring
month. The name Nisan may come
from the Hebrew nes, miracle, or
the Akkadian nissanu, to start.
Either way, it is a month that recognizes the appearance of new life, the
changes that occur every spring. The cycle of new growth is a constant miracle.
Seeds and bulbs wintering under the ice and snow reappear. Buds burst from
branches. Green reappears.
As I write this, the weather
report for the week predicts at least two more days of snow, with more likely
to come. Nevertheless, Rosh Chodesh Nisan is a sign. With it the weather will
continue to warm. The days will continue to lengthen. We will soon change our
prayers from rain to dew as the seasons shift in Israel. Although planting
season in Israel has passed, it will soon be planting time here. Each day we
see more grass and soil appearing from under the snow. Garden displays are
emerging at stores. The new green shoots from our horse radish have poked
through the soil. In the next two weeks we will begin garden cleanup by
clearing the old, brown, winter-overed leaves, where they have been protecting
the plant below, and dig up the roots for our seder. Nearby the mint and
parsley are also making an appearance, albeit slower. By the start of May, we
hope to see the sprouts of asparagus, thyme, dill and other herbs. Strawberries
and raspberries will appear a month later. There are bulbs, roses, forsythia,
and more to look forward to throughout the spring and summer.
It all begins this Shabbat, a
new cycle for a new year, one that will appear in a sudden burst of colour and
warmth when spring soon rolls in.
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