{"id":58476,"date":"2019-06-28T08:26:56","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T05:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=58476"},"modified":"2023-01-22T16:07:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-22T14:07:04","slug":"the-new-moon-feast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-new-moon-feast\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Moon Feast"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Were we to read the Torah only, we would have no idea that Rosh \u1e24odesh, the New Moon festival, was celebrated in any fashion beyond the central Sanctuary, whether it be the Tabernacle (as ordained in the Torah) or the Temple (built by King Solomon). There are only two mentions of Rosh \u1e24odesh in the entire Torah, and in both instances the day is marked by sacrifices at the Tabernacle (see Num 10:10, 28:11-15 \u2013 the latter verses are relatively well known since they are included in the Torah reading on Rosh \u1e24odesh).<\/span><\/p>\n

It comes as a bit of a surprise, then, to read about non-Sanctuary based observances of the New Moon in 1 Samuel 20. First, in v. 5 we learn that King Saul has arranged for a special festive meal. David has been invited to participate, though in light of Saul\u2019s prior attempts to kill him (see chs. 18-19), David wisely stays away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, when the festive meal occurs, and Saul notices David\u2019s absence (vv. 24-25), he says to himself, \u201cHe (must have had an) incident, he is not pure, for he is not pure\u201d (v. 26), with the word <\/span>miqreh<\/span><\/em> \u2018incident\u2019 suggesting that David had had a nocturnal emission (see Deut. 23:11).\u00a0 From this comment we learn that one needed to be in a state of ritual purity in order to participate in such Rosh \u1e24odesh celebrations. From the Torah we know that such was the case for ritual observances in the Tabernacle, but there is no indication that purity concerns extended beyond that domain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next verse uses the Hebrew expression, \u201cand on the morrow of the New-Moon, (on) the second (day)\u201d (v. 27), during which the festivities apparently continue, or at least once again Saul expects David to be present for the celebratory meal. This may imply something like the later Jewish custom of a two-day Rosh \u1e24odesh, depending on when the crescent new moon was sighted.<\/span><\/p>\n

This time Saul says something, as he asks his son Jonathan, \u201cWhy did the son of Jesse not come, neither yesterday nor today, to the meal?\u201d (v. 27).\u00a0 At which point Jonathan explains that David requested to be absent, so that he could attend the <\/span>zeva\u1e25 mishpa\u1e25a<\/span><\/em> \u2018family sacrifice\u2019 in Bethlehem (vv. 28-29) (see earlier v. 6). I have translated the word <\/span>zeva\u1e25<\/em> <\/span>here as \u2018sacrifice\u2019, per its usual meaning, which suggests some sort of local ritual offering, conducted not at the Tabernacle, nor at any other cultic site apparently.<\/span><\/p>\n

The point of all this is: as <\/span>we saw on a previous occasion<\/span><\/a>, the Torah provides only one window, or at times only a partial view, into the world of ancient Israel.\u00a0 By reading the rest of the Bible, we gain so much more information about the life, culture, and religion of the ancient past.\u00a0 But that, after all, is the goal of 929: to read <\/span>every<\/span><\/em> chapter of the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":58477,"id":58477,"title":"isam20-new-moon","filename":"isam20-new-moon.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/isam20-new-moon.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-new-moon-feast\/isam20-new-moon\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam20-new-moon","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":58476,"date":"2019-06-28 05:26:22","modified":"2019-06-28 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