This week is the last of the four parshios for this time of year, Parashas HaChodesh, which always comes in advance of the new month of Nissan. It was in advance of Rosh Chodesh Nissan that G-d, 3,312 years ago and in Egypt, handed over the responsibility of keeping track of the years into the hands of the Jewish people:
G-d spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month will be for you (la-chem) the head of the months — the first for you of the months of the year.” (Shemos 12:1)
The moon symbolizes the Jewish people and their mission on earth, and therefore, the reason for their redemption from Egyptian oppression. For, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun to the earth and reduces its darkness, so, too, were the Jewish people redeemed to reflect the light of G-d, that is the light of Torah, to mankind.
In addition, since the word “la-chem” (lamed-chof-mem) in the above posuk has the same letters as the word “melech” (i.e., king — mem, lamed, chof), Nissan is treated as a “king,” deserving of more honor than the rest of the months. Lest we forget, it IS the month within which Pesach itself falls, and therefore, the month of redemption — past, present, and future, b’ezras Hashem Yisborach.
As well, it was in the month of Nissan that the Mishkan – the EIGHTH DAY of the Inauguration Ceremony — was finally erected and put into full service, in honor of Yitzchak Avinu who was born in this month. Furthermore, the Talmud adds, Nissan is the month during which the world was created, at least according to Rabi Yehoshua, and, according to Kabbalah, this refers to the original emanation of light with which all of creation resulted.
This month has three names: First Month, Month of Spring, and Nissan – the first originating in the Torah, and the latter, from Babylonia. However, Nissan is related to the word “nitzan” which means “bud,” for this is the season of re-birth, when trees begin to bud. Hence, it is the time of year that we make a special blessing on newly-budding fruit trees. Every twenty-eight years, the sun is said to be at full-strength in this month, precipitating a special blessing said at this time.
Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word “Nissan” (nun-yud-samech-nun) has within it the word “neis,” which means “miracle”; Nissan is certainly a month of miracles. The gematria of “neis” is 110 (nun-samech), the age to which both Yehoshua bin Nun and Yosef HaTzaddik — his ancestor — lived, both for which, the Arizal points out, miracles happened and through whom redemption occurred.
The remaining two letters of the word (yud-nun) total 60, represented by the letter “samech” in the Aleph-Bais, which, according to Kabbalah, symbolizes man’s need to rely upon (“somech”) G-d for redemption, be it personal or national redemption. This is the source of true trust and faith in G-d.
As well, the word “Nissan” has in it the letters yud-samech, “sandwiched” between two nuns: yud-samech total the number seventy, the number of redemption as we learn from Purim, and the “nuns” allude to the “Nun Sha’arei Binah” – the “Fifty Gates of Understanding.” “Mitzrayim” is “meitzer yumm” – the constriction (meitzer) of “yumm” (yud-mem) which equals fifty, and therefore, Nissan is the month during which we overcame all opposition to the Fifty Gates, thereby achieving spiritual freedom and then physical freedom.
So, no matter how you look at it, there is plenty of reason to pay attention to the month of Nissan, and to prepare for it on the Shabbos just before its Rosh Chodesh.
