Rosh Chodesh Teves

With Hashem's help, I try to send out an email every Rosh Chodesh. But when I sat down to write it, I felt confused. It's Rosh Chodesh Teves, again a new start of something, but we're deep into Chanukah! I don't want to shift gears to something new now.

The good news is that we don't have to. 

Every Rosh Chodesh we say an incomplete Hallel. There are two exceptions. On Rosh Chodesh Tishrei we don't say Hallel at all, (the books of life and death are open, how can we say Hallel?) and on Rosh Chodesh Teves, we say a complete Hallel.

The two are connected. Many sefarim say that the begining of our Judgement is on Rosh Hashana, the end is on Zos Chanukah.

It says that the eight days of Sukkos parellel the eight days of Chanukah. Shmini Atzeres is the culmination of Sukkos, and Zos Chanukah is the culmination of Chanukah, which is the culmination of Tishrei, which is the culmination of Elul. The entire process ends here.

As we head toward the final stretch of our judgement we want to fill in for anything we could have been missing. This is our final statement in our court case. Now is our chance. So we say an extra long Hallel this Rosh Chodesh to compensate for the Hallel we didn't say on Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, to show that the cycle that began then is about to end, and to plead with every drop of our selves for a good judgment. 

We say in Hallel: "Pischu li sharei tzedek, avo vam odeh kah."  Please open the gates of righteousness for me! I want to be written in the book of Tzaddikim! How can I get there? Avo bam odeh Kah - I will get there, by thanking Hashem!

Your judgement is not final! Now is the chance to have last pleading chances before Zos Chanukah. Chap arein! This is the Hallel that can make the difference! Thank Hashem with all your heart, and halevai we should all be judged for a sweet year!

Wishing you a wonderful Rosh Chodesh, a wonderful Chanukah and a wonderful rest of the year!

Sincerely,

Yocheved