Ready or Not... Rosh Chodesh Nissan is coming!

Ready or not… Rosh Chodesh Nissan is coming!

Believe it or not, it’s something to be excited about.

החודש הזה יהיה לכם ראש חדשים – “This month shall mark for you the beginning of the moths; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.” (Shemos 12:24)

This month is the beginning of all wonderful things happening. It is the head, it is the leader, is the one that will bring you to every blessing you wish for in your life.

In the hagadda we say:

"יכול מראש חודש? תלמוד לומר ביום ההיא... כשמצה ומרור מונחים לפניך."

You might think that you’re supposed to start reciting the story of our redemption from Rosh Chodesh, but we conclude that the actual mitzva is only when the matza and maror is in front of you, on the seder night.

Why would we think that it all starts on Rosh Chodesh? No one asks if it’s a mitzva to sit in a sukkah all of Tishrei? No one thinks that we have to fast all of Av. There is a month and there is a holiday in the month.

Rav Dov Ber Pinson (The Month of Nissan) that the month of Nissan differs from all other months. When the Torah talks about Yitziyas Mitzrayim it says, “Today you are leaving, in the month of Aviv.” (Shemos 13:4) The Torah seems to be stressing two separate things. You are leaving Mitzrayim, and specifically during the month of Aviv (which is Nissan).

According to the Rambam, this teaches us that there are two separate mitzvos, a mitzva to remember the day we left and a separate mitzva to remember the month we left in – Nissan.

Because a Nissan is an integral part of the redemption. Spring is a season of renewal, of hope, of salvations blossoming. Nissan is a message that after long and dark winters come flowers and blossoms. Nissan is a new beginning, a month of liberation, a month of salvation on every level, a month of release of distress on every level.

The Medrash (Medrash Rabba Shemos 15:11) calls this month ‘Chodesh HaGeulah’ – the Month of Redemption. It says.. “When Hashem created and chose the world, Hashem established months and years. And when Hashem chose Yaakov and his children, the tribes of Israel, קבע בו ראש חדשים של גאולה, שבו נגאלו ישראל ממצרים ובו עתידין להגאל – He established the first of the months for redemption, for in it Klal Yisrael was redeemed from Egypt and in it Klal Yisrael will be redeemed in the future.”

Friends, this is the month! This is the month that we can be redeemed from our meitzar, on constrictions of every level. This is the month where the dark of winter fades and in its place is sunshine and flowers. This is the month that hope springs, this is the month that miracles flow down.

Rosh Chodesh Nissan is coming. I hope you know what good news it is!

Wishing you a month full of renewal, redemption and revalations!

Sincerely,

Yocheved

P.S. Nissan is מלשון ניסים – It is a month of miracles flowing from heaven. Let’s discover how we can do our part in creating our own personal Nissim this year! See below…