In our modern lives, it’s all too common to lose track of the moon’s phases and appearances in the night sky. But for our ancestors, the moon was one of their most vital and sacred resources for timekeeping.

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In fact, keeping time by the moon is one of the very first characteristics that defined our ancestors, the ancient Israelites, as a people! After generations living in Egypt, among people who worshiped the sun god Ra, the Israelites received a divine commandment to mark time by the moon.

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As it says in Exodus 12:2, “This month [chodesh] shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

Ever since, our community has set the rhythms of our lives according to the cycles of the moon, and each new month begins with a new moon. In fact, the Hebrew word for “month,” chodesh (חודש), shares the same root as the word for “new,” chadash (חדש)!

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Here’s how the moon’s phases flow throughout the month:

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🌒

🌓

🌔

🌕

🌖

🌗

🌘

🌑

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(Note: This is how the moon appears in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, the light and dark sides are actually reversed.)

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You’ll notice that a “new moon” in Jewish tradition is defined differently than you may be used to. For us, a “new moon” refers to the reemergence of a new crescent moon 🌒 and the start of a new lunar cycle. The new moon holiday of Rosh Chodesh celebrates the potential held in the first small sliver of light — when our thoughts and intentions can set the tone for the month ahead.

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In contemporary astronomy, on the other hand, “new moon” refers to a totally dark moon. That may be what comes to mind when you hear about the new-moon holiday of Rosh Chodesh — but technically, that fully-dark moon phase 🌑 happens at the very end of a month.

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And in the middle, of course, is the full moon 🌕. Many Jewish holidays occur on the full moon, in the heart of the lunar month, when the light and energy are at their peak. The holidays of Sukkot, Tu B’Shvat, and Passover each align with the full moon.

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As the moon waxes and wanes in its eternal cycle, it may remind you of the flux you feel in your own life. Some days you feel radiant, with light to share. Other days you can feel yourself dim. Let the tradition of Rosh Chodesh teach you to honor the days of your own darkness with the promise that you will shine again. Each day brings change and possibility.

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As it says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.” But under the moon, we are capable of perpetual rebirth.

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