The Sin of the Moon and its Rectification

(16) Hashem made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the smaller light to dominate the night, and the stars.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi asked, it is written (Bereshis 1:16) "Hashem made the two great lights" and it is also written "the greater light and the smaller light." The moon said before Hashem, "Master of the universe, is it possible for two kings to use one crown (i.e. hold the same position)?" Hashem said to it, "Go and make yourself smaller"... Hashem said, "Bring an atonement for Me for reducing the size of the moon." And this is consistent with what Raish Lakish said, what is different about the goat offering on Rosh Chodesh that it says about it (Bamidbar 28:15) "for Hashem"? Hashem said that this goat will be an atonement for My reducing the size of the moon.

And it should be the will before You Hashem our G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, to complete the missing part of the moon, and it should not be incomplete at all. And the light of the moon should be like the light of the sun and like the light of the seven days of creation before it was reduced, as it says "the two great lights."

(9) The light of the moon comes from the light of the sun because the moon has no light of its own, but rather reflects the light of the sun... and that's why the vav is missing from the word "me'oros" (luminaries), to show that they are one light. And this is what is meant that the moon complained that two kings cannot use one crown, because "crown" refers to light, and the moon complained that it needed a light of its own.

(1) ויקרא שמו זרח, “he called his name Zerach.” The name Zerach (shines) symbolised the sun, whereas the name Peretz (interruption) symbolised the moon. We know that the moon’s orbit is completed every 29 days. This is why you will find that there were 29 righteous people (descended from him) listed in the Bible from the time of Peretz until the last King of the Davidic dynasty, Tzidkiyahu... These comprise a total of 29 men corresponding to the days in the lunar orbit; the lunar “sun” sets after such a period of time. The dynasty of David underwent a similar decline after Tzidkiyah and this is why the Temple was destroyed during the lifetime of Tzidkiyah who was the twenty-ninth scion counting from Peretz. (6) And now you will understand what occurred in the case of Yehudah, Tamar, and these two children born to Tamar and Yehudah respectively... Zerach corresponded to the element sun, the male element, the sun which shines without interruption, whereas Peretz corresponded to the element moon, the female element, a light which is uneven, sometimes stronger sometimes waning completely such as the light of the moon. It was therefore almost a historical must that the dynasty of King David be the product of Peretz rather than Zerach, seeing that he, Peretz — as indicated by his name already — represented the type of light we get from the moon, i.e. light which fluctuates constantly in intensity as does the light of the moon... Seeing that the kingdom of the house of David is derived from Peretz, and Peretz in turn has been likened to the moon, the sages formulated the words דוד מלך ישראל חי וקיים, “David King of Israel is alive and endures,” when we recite the monthly benedictions welcoming the arrival of the renewal of the light of the moon.

Ya'akov is called small and his calendar is based on the small luminary (the moon). Edom (Esav) is called red, his food is red, his land is red, his warriors are red, his clothing is red... because Esav receives his strength from the sun which is red.