Rosh Chodesh is the day from sundown to sundown on the night that the moon is fully shadowed from the sun b
y the earth. The new lunar month occurs at the moment when the earth is exactly between the moon and the sun. The moon makes an orbit of the earth in 29.53059 days. At the moment of the New Moon just an outline of the moon is visible pointing toward the earth.
The new moon may be sighted and verified by two witnesses. Some months the moon is not visible in Israel on the actual night of it's birth so the Rosh Chodesh sighting date does not agree with the astronomers date for the new moon.
The actual dates of Rosh Chodesh can be observed one of two ways.
One could use the dates as defined on current traditional Hebrew/Jewish Calendar. The dates are established by the Rabbis using a special method developed long ago. Or one could use the actual observance dates which depend on conditions.
During the 2nd Temple Period, the beginning of each month was watched for and, after being verified by two witnesses, the Levites in Jerusalem would announce it's arrival.
The word was sent afar by a series of signal fires so the entire land - and even beyond - would know.
Today Rosh Chodesh can be a time of gathering for the family and community. Shofars and silver trumpets are blown. The Hallel (Tehillim - Psalms 113-118) might be recited.
Tehillim (Psalms) 67, 104, 121, & 150 are often read for Rosh Chodesh
A traditional Torah reading for a weekday Rosh Chodesh - B'Midbar (Numbers) 10:2,10; 28:1-15
A traditional Haftarah reading for Shabbat Erev (Sabbath Eve) Rosh Chodesh - Sh'mu'el Alef (I Samuel) 20:18-42
A traditional Torah reading for Shabbat (Sabbath) Rosh Chodesh - B'Midbar (Numbers) 28:9-15 (plus regular Shabbat Torah reading)
A traditional Haftarah reading for Shabbat (Sabbath) Rosh Chodesh - Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) 66:1-24 (plus regular Shabbat Haftarah reading)
A suggested B'rit Hadashah reading for Rosh Chodesh - Colossians 2:16-17, Rev 21:1-22:5
Birkat haChodesh
A traditional "Blessing Over the New Moon"
(look at the moon if possible before reciting this blessing)
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe whose word created the heavens, whose breath created all that they contain. Statutes and seasons He set for them, that they should not deviate from their assigned task. The Creator's work is dependable. The moon He renews, as well as those who also are destined to be renewed and to extol their Creator for His glorious sovereignty. Blessed are You, Lord who renews the months and His people.
Shalom alekhem - Peace be with you !
Alekhem shalom - Peace be unto you !
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. Tehillim (Psalms) 81:1-4
And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Samuel) 20:5
Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Samuel) 20:18
Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? Divrei-HaYamim Bet (2 Chronicles 2:4-6)
Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. B'midbar (Numbers) 10:2
Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God. B'Midbar (Numbers) 10:10
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. Yesha'Yahu (Isaiah) 66:22-24
Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons. And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah. And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 46:1-8
