And so the moon is the sign of what's going to happen to us. The moon disappears and then reappears to be a message that no matter what, the Am Yisroel will someday reappear and become the greatest in the world. We will be restored to our full greatness eventually. And that's why we mention Dovid Hamelech. Because ben Dovid is going to come. Moshiach ben Dovid will come at that great time, and ל≈ב≈ ̇ י≈בׁ¿ֹ̆יו לָּכּעו¿„≈י¿וּירוּƒכַי – everybody will recognize the truth then.
It's a pity, people come out and say kiddush levanah and don't even think once about what the moon is saying to them. The levanah is saying, “Take heart! Be of good courage! Whatever happens to you in your history don’t be disheartened. Because you are going to win out in the end. The future belongs to you. And someday you will illuminate the world!” That’s what the moon is there for, just for that.
Poetic and Primary
Don't think it's a little remez, that agav orcha, we decided to take this natural phenomenon of the moon’s phases and attach our own ideals to it, that we're using it as a parable like somebody might do in a poetic way. No. He's telling us a fact of creation: ּׁ̆≈„ַח¿ ּ̇ƒ ׁ̇∆̆ רַמָ‡ הָנָבּ¿לַל¿ו – He commanded the moon to renew itself, ̇∆ר∆‡¿פּƒ ̇ ̇∆ר∆טֲﬠ – and the purpose is just for that to be a crown of glory for us.
So the question is what about all the other purposes of the phases of the moon? They’re not even mentioned in the brachah. Wasn’t the moon told to renew itself because of other purposes?
And the answer is certainly it was. ה∆נָּבƒי „∆ס∆ח םַלֹעו – Hashem built this world for chessed. Certainly it's all kindness and all the kindly purposes are intended. And yet the greatest kindness of all is the penimiyus, the inner soul of the moon. Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “The moon is My messenger to the Am Yisroel and that is its most important function. More than the purpose of controlling the tides, the purpose of giving light at night, and even the many functions that haven’t been discovered yet, all these purposes are minor purposes; the major purpose is leosos.
A Month-Long Kiddush
And therefore it’s not just a good thing to think about. It's the main thing to think about. Unfortunately most people look at the moon like cows. But a cow, we can’t blame him. When he looks at the moon we don’t expect him to have any kind of feelings at all. But we, we’re the ones the moon is speaking to. We’re the ones the moon is speaking about. And therefore, as much as possible, even when you're not saying kiddush levanah, we try to listen to its message.
You see a full moon? The most beautiful object in the sky is a full moon. It’s too late for kiddush levanah but it’s still an os, a demonstration of the utmost importance. It’s reminding us that someday we will be recognized as the most beautiful firmament of the world. We will be the nation that shines in the whole world.
