Parshah Power - Bo: Parshah Power—Bo
In chapter twelve of Exodus, G‑d gives the Jewish people their first mitzvah: “sanctifying the month”—to establish the calendar based on the lunar cycle (the rebirth of the moon). Why is this the first mitzvah?
Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.
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new moon Given that the Creator gave Moshe and Aaron the mitzvah of the new year based on the sighting of the new month on the month of the aviv (Exodus 12), why are we not still doing that? Why do we still follow Hillel's calendar that is often out of sync with the actual appearance of the new moon over Jerusalem when we have been in the Land since 1948? What are we waiting for?