This article was previously published in 2020.
The first time that the month of Aries, or Nissan, is spoken about in the Torah, the Creator comes to Moses and tells him to give this message to the Israelites: “I am giving to you this month, the month of Nissan, at the beginning of the months.” This message has much Light and many secrets in it, and the word here that we want to focus on is la’chem, which means, “to you.” We know that anything that was revealed at a certain time is always reawakened at that same time of the year, so when we understand this secret, we can understand the powerful Light that is available to us this month.
"I am giving to you this month, the month of Nissan, at the beginning of the months.” ~ Exodus 12:2
So, what does it mean that the Creator tells the Israelites, “I am giving this month to you?” The kabbalists explain that up until that moment in time, the Creator controlled the Light, blessings, and anything else that occurred in every month. However, on Rosh Chodesh, or the New Moon, of Aries, the Creator wants to give the control of this month over “to you,” la’chem.
Therefore, as we are at the beginning of the month, now is the time of year when the Creator comes to every single one of us and gives us the ability to control the Light and blessings that come into our life. This month, we do not have to passively wait for the Creator to send blessings to us; we can actually take control of the blessings that come. It is the time, in fact, when we can ask for, and receive the strength and connection to be able to control the Light that comes into our lives not only in this month, but in every month that comes after it.
In order to be able to take control over these blessings, however, we need to be aware that this gift from the Light is available to us, because while simply making a connection on the New Moon of Aries is nice and we will get some Light, that’s not what this New Moon is actually about. This New Moon is about our having the ability to actively take control of the blessings that come into our lives, but we have to ask for it and desire it first in order take it; it is maybe the most important consciousness we want to receive as we enter this new month. We want to focus not only during the 24 hours of the New Moon, but throughout the entire month, on asking to receive this gift that the Light makes available to us during this one time per year. And it is different than what is available on Rosh Hashanah, because while on Rosh Hashanah we are asking the Light to prepare the year for us, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, we can actually just take that Light.
"There are really two beginnings to the year."
This is why the kabbalists explain there are really two beginnings to the year: Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the year when we ask for blessings, and Nissan is the beginning of the year when we take control over the blessings we want to receive. If we really understand what that means, then we understand that the beginning of, and the entirety of this month, is an opportunity that does not exist any other time of the year. We are given the gift to take control, to say to the Creator, “I understand what You want to give me at the beginning of this month: the active control over my Light and blessings, rather than the passively asking and receiving of blessings.” It is the desire of the Light in this month that we take that control, but in order to do so, we have to be aware that it is available. It is an incredible gift the Creator gives us as we enter into the month of Aries.
