We mentioned that we count the days until Shabbos and count the months, starting from Nissan, to constantly remember Hashem’s creation of the world and His wondrous miracles, when He redeemed us from bondage. That being the case, why, today do we use names for the months, and where do the names of the months: Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, etc. come from?
The Ramban quotes the Yerushalmi in Rosh Hashanah (1:2) that explains that, although previously the Jewish nation did not use names for the months, and counted the months from Nisan – in order to remember the redemption from Mitzra’im, after galus Bavel, they instituted the usage of these names to commemorate our redemption from Bavel. That is why we only find the usage of these names in the days after galus Bavel, such as in Megilas Esther, and the in the other Nevi’im who lived at that time.
However, this must be explained: if the Torah writes that we must count from Nisan, how could this change after galus Bavel? Although it is a commendable practice to commemorate out redemption from Bavel, but how does that justify disobeying a clear pasuk in the Torah, a Scriptural obligation to count the months starting from Nisan?
The Ramban, himself, addresses this question, and quotes a pasuk in Yirmiyahu (16:14-15), that once the Jewish nation was sent into exile and later redeemed from there, they should no longer recall their redemption from Mitzrayim, but rather focus on their later redemption from Bavel. That is why we use the names of the months that were used in Bavel, to remember the later redemption. This still needs further elucidation: if the Torah gave a mitzvah that we count from the month of Nissan, what allowed the Chachamim at a later time to discontinue the mitzvah, albeit with a noble motivation?
There are two basic ways to explain this: The Sefer Ha’Ikrim (Perek 16, Maamar 3) explains that according to the Ramban, this mitzvah was not meant to be a permanent mitzvah. Rather, it was meant to be a temporary requirement, as long as the Jews did not go into a future exile. Once the Jewish nation was exiled to Bavel and subsequently redeemed, the mitzvah in its original form is no longer applicable and should rather be performed by commemorating the later redemption.
However, the Maharlbach takes strong issue with this notion and asserts that a mitzvah cannot be replaced; the Ramban never meant to terminate its observance. The intention of the Ramban is that it will no longer suffice to just count the months from Nisan. Rather, one must add something to remember our redemption from Bavel. The Abarbanel concurs with this understanding as well. According to their understanding, the pasuk in Yirmiyahu means that we shall no longer remember yetzias Mitzrayim alone, but we must remember both: the redemption from Bavel, in addition to our redemption from Mitzrayim.
Interestingly, the minhag seems to be to follow the Sefer Ha’ikrim. When it comes to Rosh Chodesh bentching, we only mention the name of the month, and do not mention the number of the month. That would seem to follow the opinion of the Sefer Ha’ikrim, that we are no longer required to count the months from Nisan.
In conclusion, we use the Babylonian names of the months in order to commemorate our redemption from Bavel – either instead of, or in addition to, remembering yetzias Mitzrayim.
Rabbi Scheiner
