קידוש לבנה

And Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina says that Rabbi Asi says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: With regard to anyone who blesses the new month in its proper time, it is as if he greets the Face of the Divine Presence. Alluding to this, it is written here concerning the sanctification of the new month: “This month shall be for you the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:2), and it is written there, where the Jewish people encountered the Divine Presence at the splitting of the sea: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). The term “this” is employed in both verses. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: If the Jewish people merited to greet the Face of their Father in Heaven only one time each and every month, it would suffice for them, since in the blessing of the moon there is an aspect of greeting the Divine Presence. Abaye said: Therefore, we will say the blessing while standing, in honor of the Divine Presence. The Gemara relates: Mareimar and Mar Zutra would lean on one another’s shoulders and recite the blessing. Rav Aḥa said to Rav Ashi: In the West, Eretz Yisrael, they recite the following blessing on the moon: Blessed is He Who renews the months. Rav Ashi said to him: Our women also recite that blessing, meaning that this is an abridged version for the unlettered. Rather, the full version of the blessing is the version of Rav Yehuda. As Rav Yehuda says: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who by His word created the heavens, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts. He set for them a law and a time, that they should not deviate from their task. And they are joyous and glad to perform the will of their Owner; they are workers of truth whose work is truth. And to the moon He said that it should renew itself as a crown of beauty for those He carried from the womb, as they are destined to be renewed like it, and to praise their Creator for the name of His glorious kingdom. Blessed are You the Lord, Who renews the months.

...

(1) ...Behold it's clear that sanctification of the moon is a great and terrible matter like greeting the Shechina. And certainly there are great and terrible secrets regarding it, as the wise receivers of tradition have elaborated: the matter of the moon's diminishing and the matter of the First Man's sin, they touch one another. In the future, when the First Man's sin is rectified - then the diminishing of the moon will also be rectified. And regarding that moment it is said "And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun" (Isaiah 30:26).

(2) And according to the plain meaning, the reason that we bless the moon more than the stars/planets, although it's smaller than almost all the other planets (excepting Mercury), is because it's closer to the Earth than all the other stars/planets; it's only about 43,000 parasangs away. The moon inspires in us a feeling of the greatness of the Holy Blessed One, since every night its path is perceived, and it orbits the earth every month. For this reason it's called "yareach" [ירח], as it is written "[God] made a moon [ירח] to mark the seasons" (Psalms 104:19) -- since it orbits the earth in every moon of days, and its waxing and waning are perceptible. And Israel, who count [days] by the moon, are compared to the moon; just as the moon has no light of its own, and is illuminated by the sun's light, so too Israel have no light other than the Light of the Holy Blessed One, which shines for us from the midst of the Holy Torah, as it is written "A sun and a shield is Lord God" (Psalms 84:12). And just as the moon darkens and lightens, so too is Israel; just as we say in the blessing "and to the moon They said, 'renew yourself!' - a crown of glory to the womb-borne, for they are destined to renew themselves like it." And just as the moon exists even in the days of its diminishment [waning], when it seems dark on Earth -- it however is light on its other face from above, as is known; so too Israel. And for all of these reasons, Israel accepted this commandment with joy.

(4) And after this we are accustomed to say "Blessed is the One Who formed you" -- as a sign for Ya'akov. And some begin "Blessed is the One Who made you", due to the order of the words. And dance three times opposite it with toes [i.e. jump], and say "Just as I... Fall...", and [the latter formula] backwards three times [each]. And we are accustomed to say "David, King of Israel, lives and endures", and the intent is the descendants of David. For the kingship of the house of David is compared to the moon, as it is written in Psalms (89:37-8) "His line continues forever... as the moon established forever." As if to say -- even though it gets dark, it will get light again. And after that we say each to the other "Peace be upon you..." "The voice of my beloved..." "My beloved is similar..." "A song of ascents..." "Praise God from Their Sanctuary..." "It is taught in the house of Rabbi Yishmael, if..." and "May it be Your will", as it is written in prayerbooks...

...