Shabbat Ha-Chodesh
Shabbat 4/2/11
This Shabbat is the week before the new month of Nisan (aka "Shabbat Ha-Chodesh"). Nisan is considered a particularly sanctified time, given that it is the month or our redemption; as such, certain "sad" prayers are omitted during this month, and it is even traditional not to give a full eulogy. On Shabbat, we read a special maftir portion (after the regular parasha of Tazria) in which the Israelites are commanded to observe Rosh Chodesh, the festival of the new month, beginning with Nisan as the first month of the year. The Torah then goes on to discuss the observances of Passover in Nisan, including eating matzot for seven days and refraining from chametz. The commentator Or Hachayim asks, If the matzah is supposed to be a reminder of the Israelites' rush out of Egypt before their dough could rise, why is it commanded here? The people won't leave Egypt until later in the chapter! How can the Torah legislate a memorial for something that hasn't happened yet?
He answers that we should understand that the Israelites, as a result of eating the matzah and performing the commanded rituals, thus brought about a quick redemption from God. His comment points to a conception of mitzvot as having a certain theurgic or mystical quality; what we do "down here" has an effect "up there."
What role do mitzvot play for you? Do you have a mystical conception of them, like Or Hachayim? Or are mitzvot a way of practicing discipline, and improving yourself? Are mitzvot a means to an end, such as remembering the events or miracles of the past, or is the performance of mitzvot an end in itself?
Whatever our personal understanding of mitzvot, may we all find meaning in their observance as we enter the heightened sanctity of the month of Nisan. Happy Rosh Chodesh!
