We are now in Chodesh Nissan. This is the first month on Jewish calendar, as the Torah states Shemos 12:2 d²¤G©d W ¤c ̄g©d :d« ̈p ̈X ©d i−¥W §c ̈g §l m ½¤k ̈l Æ`Ed o e¬W` ¦x mi®¦W ̈c¢g W` ́x m−¤k ̈l This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year. On the first day of Nissan in the year 2448 from creation, two weeks before the Exodus from Egypt, Hashem showed Moshe the crescent new moon, instructing him regarding the setting of the Jewish calendar and the mitzvah of sanctifying the new month, Kiddush Hachodesh. This ushered in the first Jewish month and commenced the lunar calendar that Jews have been following ever since. It was the first mitzvah given to the newly born nation of Israel, even before the exodus from Egypt.
We do not find any mention to the names of the month as we are accustomed to: Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Teves, Shevat, and Adar. throughout the Torah. Instead we find that the months are mentioned by numbers. Nissan being the first month, is referred to as Chodesh Harishon, the first month. Iyar as Chodesh Hasheini, the second month. Chodesh Tishrei, is referred to as Chodesh Hashviyi, the seventh month, and so forth. Chodesh Nissan is mentioned in the Torah as Chodesh Haaviv, Shemos 13:4 , ai«¦a ̈`« ̈d W ¤c −g §A mi®¦` §v «i m ́¤Y ©` m e−I©d the month of spring, as it marks the beginning of the spring months.
The names of the Hebrew months as we call them originated later on. Only after the Jews went into exile in Bavel, we find in the Nevi’im as well as in Megilas Esther 3:7 o ½ ̈qi¦p W ¤c ́g `Ed ÆoFW` ¦x ̈d W ¤c ³g©A the first month is Nisan. W ¤c ²g¥nE :x « ̈c£` W ¤c ¬g `Ed x− ̈U ̈r mi¥p §W W ¤c ¬g §l and the twelve month is Adar. Sivan is also mentioned Esther 8:9 W ¤c ́g `Ed i ¹¦Wi ¦l §X ©d W ¤c ̧g©A .oÀ ̈ei ¦q During the Babylonian captivity, in which the month of Aviv's name was Arah Nissanu, the "month of beginning" the Jews used the term Nissan for the first month. The same applies to all the months: Iyar was called from the words Arah Aru, which can be interpreted as "month of blossoming”. Hence we still use the Persion words for our Hebrew months. These names were continued to be used even in Eretz Yisroel after they rebuilt the second Bais HaMikdash. This leaves us the question, Why do we still use these Persian names, and not as we find in the Torah: Rishon, Sheini, and Shlishi?
The Ramban writes in his commentary Parshas Bo (12:2) that the reason for this, is to remind us that we were in Bavel, and Hashem brought us back from there to Eretz Yisroel. If this is so, asks Hagaon Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky ztz’’al why after the exile didn’t we go back to the names that the Torah gave the months, especially given that some of the Persian name are names of Avodah Zara? Rav Yaakov answers with a powerful insight: The Yidden were supposed to remain in Galus Bavel for a very long time. However, Hashem saw that given the pace of the Jews being deteriorated physically and spiritually, that there would be no Jewish nation left to redeem when it would be time for the Geula. Therefore, Hashem had mercy on Klal Yisrael, and brought them back to Eretz Yisrael, and rebuilt the second Bais HaMikdash, not as part of the Geula, but rather as preparation and training for the long Galus that we were facing and still find ourselves in today.
It is for this reason, says Rav Yaakov, that during the time of the Second Bais HaMikdash there was lacking many things that were different from the first Bais Hamikdash. The Gemarra (Yoma 21b), the Second Temple lacked five things which had been in Solomon's Temple, d ̈X ¦n£g EN ¥` z ¤x eR©k§e o ex ̈` :o¥d EN ¥`§e ,i¦p¥W W ̈C §w ¦n §l o eW` ¦x W ̈C §w ¦n oi¥A Ei ̈d¤W mi ¦x ̈a §C .mi ¦OEz§e mi ¦xE`§e ,W ¤c eT©d ©gEx§e ,d ̈pi ¦k §WE ,W ¥` ,mi ¦aEx §kE namely, The Ark of the Covenant, and the Ark cover upon it, and the cherubs that were on the Ark cover; the sacred fire; and the Divine Presence; and the Divine Spirit; and the Urim VeTummim. There was not any King from the family of Dovid, and we continued to speak Aramaic even in Eretz Yisrael.
The second Beis Hamikdash was built for the sake of Klal Yisrael and for 420 years we were injected with sufficient doses of Emunah and Kedusha to survive the difficult and long future Galus that lie ahead. With this Rav Yaakov explains the Ramban. We continued to use the Persian names of the months to remind us that Hashem took us from Bavel since we still belong there, and we had still not really been redeemed.
This is the reason we still use the persian names for our Chodesh, as we need to be reminded this at every Rosh Chodesh, that we are too long in Galus. We have to be Mispallel, and do the proper Teshuva, and have unity in Klal Yisrael, then Hashem would help us that this Nissan we will be Zocheh to the real Geula, o ̈qi¦p §aE El£`§b¦p o ̈qi¦p §a" ."l ¥` ̈bi ¦l oi ¦ci ¦z£r )(c"g h vbav atr Amein.
