For most of my adult Jewish life, I’ve been involved in Rosh Chodesh (new moon) groups of some sort. Sometimes it’s with a focus on sisterhood, sometimes with a focus on learning, but I always have Rosh Chodesh dates in my calendar. I often look up at the night sky and seek out the moon to wonder at the beauty of moonlight and the marvel of seeing into the heavens. The moon appeals to me in all its phases, especially when I too find myself in moments of transition, with all the hope and uncertainty they bring.

‍

When I heard about a Jewish ritual for these in-between phases, the only people familiar with it near my home seemed to be Orthodox men, so it remained an idea tucked in the back of my mind — until it came to choose the topic for my dissertation as a final year rabbinical student. I wanted to remain connected to the moon, and after a year of immersion in this ritual, I submitted a thesis titled “Renewing the New Moon: Kiddush Levana and Progressive Judaism.”

‍

At its simplest, Kiddush Levana is a ritual of gazing up at and blessing the waxing moon. Kiddush Levana, as it’s known in the Ashkenazi tradition — or Birkat Ha-Levana in the Sephardic tradition — is practiced after Rosh Chodesh, when the sliver of the new moon is beginning to grow in brightness. In English, we often call this ritual “Blessing the Moon” — though the emphasis of the prayer is really on blessing the Creator rather than the created world.

‍

Kiddush Levana is never mentioned in the Torah, but it seems to have been an accepted practice by the mid-fourth century C.E., when the school of Rabbi Yishmael described greeting the moon as equivalent to greeting the Shekhinah (the feminine divine presence). The ritual’s central blessing appears in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 42a:5), almost exactly as it is still used today. It begins by emphasizing the moon’s role as part of God’s Creation, then concludes with the words: 

‍

ברוך אתה ה' מחדש חדשים

Barukh atah Adonai, mechadesh chodashim

Blessed are You, Eternal, who renews the months.

‍

(A simpler version with just the chatimah, the concluding phrase of the blessing, also appears in the Jerusalem Talmud.)

‍

This chatimah alone — mechadesh chodashim — would be enough to interest me in Kiddush Levana. The words “renew” and “months” come from the same root, so although the usual translation is “who renews the months,” it’s also possible to say “who renews new things.” If new things come from the Divine Renewer, then when we make renewal, perhaps we too are doing holy work — a notion especially meaningful to me as a Reform rabbi working to renew meaning in our modern Jewish lives.

‍

One of the things I love most about Kiddush Levana is that it requires us to look at the moon itself, not just at a calendar. This makes it unique among Jewish time-rituals — even though our lunar calendar originally relied on witnesses testifying to the phase of the moon, and then spreading the word to neighboring communities, we long ago moved to a mathematically-calculated calendar. (Less vulnerable to sabotage!) 

‍

Looking at the moon ourselves each month reconnects us more personally to the passage of time and fosters our appreciation of nature. It also requires a bareness or vulnerability: going outside after dark, leaving the comfort and safety of home or synagogue, to look up at the sky with nothing between us and creation. (Though in cases of danger or illness it is possible instead to look out through a window.)

‍

Of course, seeing the moon requires a clear night, which makes Kiddush Levana vulnerable to cloudy weather. But the tradition allows for the unpredictability of Creation — it can be done any time from the third (some say seventh) night to the fifteenth night of the month, when the moon is full.

‍

There’s a traditional preference for practicing Kiddush Levana on Saturday night, at the end of Shabbat, though it’s not required. The preference comes from the custom of dressing in nice clothes and being mevusam (literally “perfumed” but probably meaning “in a good mood”) for Kiddush Levana — both of which one might already be on Shabbat. The connection of Kiddush Levana with greeting the Shekhinah suggests that whenever we choose to practice it, we honor the Creator and ourselves by dressing up for this ritual moment.

‍

While all of these traditions make for a ritual rich with symbolism, for me three aspects of Kiddush Levana feel most powerful:

‍

First, we exchange greetings with others — traditionally at least three others — by wishing them, “Shalom aleichem.” This means that Kiddush Levana can be a reason to gather people together, whether you use it as another opportunity to delve into the energy of the month or simply to be in community.

‍

Second, we embody the phrase, “As I dance before you and cannot reach you…” (Tractate Soferim 20:2). For some, this means rising up onto your toes three times, like some people rise during the Kedushah blessing of the Amidah. For others, this becomes an invitation to sing and dance more expansively, especially at the conclusion of the ritual. Either way, it is a Jewish opportunity to involve your physical body in your spiritual life.

‍

Third, unlike the blank slate of Rosh Chodesh or the completion of the full moon, Kiddush Levana celebrates growth while it is in the process of happening. As we dance toward something just beyond reach, Kiddush Levana helps us acknowledge how it feels to be neither shiny and new nor fully-realized, but rather a work in progress, waxing in our personal cycles just like the moon.

‍

This monthly opportunity to bless the waxing moon can be a powerful reminder that renewal is an ongoing process, not something that happens at a single set time. In the gentle glow of moonlight, Kiddush Levana encourages us to keep reaching toward the people we might yet grow to become.

‍

At The Well uplifts many approaches to Jewish practice. Our community draws on ancient Jewish wisdom, sometimes adapting longstanding practices to more deeply support the well-being of women and nonbinary people. See this article’s sources below. We believe Torah (sacred teachings) are always unfolding to help answer the needs of the present moment.

‍

Sources

Kiddush HaLevana: Sanctifying the New Moon, Geela-Rayzel Raphael

Blessing the New Moon, My Jewish Learning

Jewish Cycles of the Moon, Tel Shemesh

The Way of Blessing the Moon, At The Well

‍