Why do we call it “קידוש החודש” and not קביעת החודש – for we are setting the month? Shlomo Hamelech says in Koheles 1:9 “ואין כל חדש תחת השמש” – “There is nothing new under the sun.” Although we see that there are new trees, and new living beings, they are not called, “new” for it was already set from before that it would come into existence in the future. Chiddush, new, is that which there was no koach, power, for it to be created from something which was already in this world.
However, the very essence of Klal Yisroel is chiddush. Avrohom and Sarah did not have the Koach to bring children into this world. It was only through a miracle that they bore a child. Thus, the entire existence of Klal Yisroel in this world is a chiddush.
When Klal Yisroel were entrenched in the tumah of Mitzrayim, it was as if they were not a nation – they were like an unborn fetus in an animal. In a very short time, they came out of the darkness into the light, and were immediately a complete nation. Klal Yisroel miraculously went through the yam, and ate food of the angels, mon. All of this attests to the chiddush of Klal Yisroel, which was not part of the creation prior to it.
The question is that if indeed, אין כל חדש תחת השמש – that there is nothing new, then how can we explain above regarding Klal Yisroel, which seems to be complete chiddush? We must say that what Shlomo Hamelech was speaking about is “תחת השמש” – that which is under the sun, down here on this world. However, Klal Yisroel are on an elevated level; they “play above the sun.” Klal Yisroel are really a nation of olam Habah, it is just that they are temporarily here in this world, in olam hazeh, as a preparation for the Next World, olam habah.
The reason that we call it קידוש החודש – is because kedusha is separation, for Klal Yisroel are able to separate the chodesh from below the Heavens, meaning that it shows that Klal Yisroel are separated from this world, and they deal, “above the sun.” This is also relevant to Shabbos Kodesh. All that was needed to be created on the seventh day of creation was created on the sixth day, thus when Shabbos Kodesh came, all of the creation was to be complete. Shabbos was to be like the eighth day, that which above nature, after the completion of the seven days of Creation. Thus, Shabbos is considered above nature and time. In truth, the Ohr Hachaim tells us that every Shabbos Kodesh, there is chiddush. The life source of this world comes from Shabbos. Each Shabbos gives life to the six days following it.
This also applies to the inauguration of the Mishkan, ויהי ביום השמיני. The first seven days, the שבעת ימי המילואים, were days of preparation – to fix that which was ruined by the chet of the eitz hada’as during the seven days of creation. Then came the eighth day, the day which represents above Teva, a day which cannot be ruined. We lain Parshas Hachodesh specifically on Shabbos Kodesh, as just as Shabbos represents above teva, above this world, so too does Kiddush Hachodesh, represent Klal Yisroel being “above the sun.”
