ROSH CHODESH:

The Blessing of the Moon

by Rabbi Lawrence Troster
16 Oct 2004 / 1 Heshvan 5765

The daily prayers, the Shabbat prayers, and the holiday prayers represent the daily, weekly, and yearly Creation cycles. Less well known, however, is the monthly Creation cycle, which is centered on the phases of the moon. On this Shabbat, we mark the beginning of Cheshvan. We mark the new moon by reciting Hallel and adding a special Torah reading (a Maftir) and a special reading from the Prophets (Haftarah). But there is also something else we can do to mark this Creation cycle: the blessing of the Moon (Birkat Ha-Levanah also known as Kiddush Levanah, Sanctification of the Moon).

This blessing is recited from 72 hours after Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon) until 14 days after Rosh Chodesh. We are supposed to recite it at night under the open sky when we can see the moon. It is customary to recite it in a minyan at the end of Shabbat but it may be recited at other times and by ourselves if we cannot do it this way. The blessing found in many prayer books is translated as:

“Blessed are you Lord Our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who with speech created the heavens and with the divine breath all its hosts. A decree and a schedule did God give the hosts of heaven so that they not alter their assigned task. They are joyous and happy to perform the will of their Creator, the Worker of Truth whose work is truth. To the moon, God said that it should renew itself as a crown of splendor for those borne from the womb as they are destined to renew themselves like it and to glorify their Creator for the name of God’s glorious sovereignty. Blessed are You, Lord who renews the months.”

It is customary to recite Psalm 8 or 148 before reciting this blessing and to recite several other Biblical verses after the blessing as well as Psalms 121, 150, 67 and several other passages from the Talmud and liturgy. The blessing is based on several passages from the Talmud (RH 20a and Sanh 42a) and has a number of interpretations. One interpretation states that we go out into the open to recite the blessing because we must see the powers of God and how God brings illumination to the entire world. We are not worshipping the moon but seeing in its renewal, a symbol of the renewal of Creation that continues to happen. It is also meant to inspire us to renew our lives in the coming month.

The contemplation of the universe is a powerful way to help instill in people a sense of humility and love for Creation, two essential emotions for the development of an environmental consciousness.

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