Mevarchim Hachodesh - Blessing the New Month (Part 1)
"The greatest darkness comes just before dawn –
but most people give up one minute before the light."
Ba’al Shem Tov
Introduction
Tapping Into the Immeasurable Potential
of Every Single Month
On the last Shabbat of every month (with the exception of the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah) we recite a series of beautiful tefillot. Known as Mevarchim HaChodesh – Blessing the New Month, these poignant prayers encapsulate our innermost desires and aspirations for the month that will shortly begin.
In Judaism, each month is not just a random series of days that follow the previous month. Rather, each month signifies a new cycle of spiritual growth, replete with incalculable possibilities that are defined by the essence of that month’s particular meaning. So before the month begins we turn to our Father in Heaven and beg that the approaching month bring us an abundance of spiritual and physical blessings.
The standard translation for the word mazal is “luck.” However, Rabbi Chaim Elazar Spira (1868-1937), the revered Chassidic Rebbe of Munkatch - known as the Minchas Elazar after the seminal work that he authored - writes that luck is an incorrect translation. According to Rabbi Spira, the word mazal is rooted in the word “nozel” which means to pour. Accordingly, mazal is not luck; mazal is the blessings that Hashem pours upon us!
And because, as our Sages teach, each month has its own unique mazal, we have the unparalleled opportunity to tap into the distinctive and singular blessings that each new month contains. Before we can do so, however, we must first ask Hashem to grant us access to those magnificent, abundant blessings. We need to “remind” ourselves that Hashem is with us at all times – even when we imagine that we feel Him with us!
In the customary sharp and pithy words attributed to the Rebbe from Kotzk, “Even after you have found Hashem you must continue to search for him.” Hashem is Infinite and you should not be so complacent to think that you have already found Him; keep searching because there is so much more.
And that is where Mevarchim HaChodesh comes in: Just before entering the new month, we turn to Hashem and recognize that all the blessings and goodness contained in the upcoming month emanate from Him - and that we access the unique spiritual energy of each month only by acknowledging Hashem as the one who lovingly imbues each month with everything we need; and we pray to use each day to maximize our potential and draw closer to our Father in Heaven.
To be continued…
