Personally Connecting to Birkat HaChodesh

Birkat HaChodesh "on one foot":
Birkat HaChodesh is a prayer said the Shabbat morning before Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the next Hebrew month (“Shabbat Mevarchim”). “Birkat HaChodesh” literally means "Blessing of the month". In Yiddish, this is called “Rosh Chodesh Bentchen”. For more about Rosh Chodesh, see: What is Rosh Chodesh?

Why is it said?
It used to be that the new month was announced when the new moon was sighted and verified in Jerusalem. Blessings would be said when the moon was sighted (Sopherim 19:9). In the 4th century CE the Christian Church prevailed on the Roman Empire to stop this so that Christians wouldn’t look to the Jews to know when Easter was. So, in 358 CE Hillel II fixed the calendar and it was therefore possible to say a blessing for the upcoming month the Shabbat beforehand. In the Geonic Period (600-1000 CE), before calendars were widely available, it was decided to announce the New Month the Shabbat beforehand so that people knew when to add the Rosh Chodesh prayers and women knew when they could take off work. This harkened as well to the original custom of blessings for the new month, but now said with the larger Shabbat congregation rather than those who came on Rosh Chodesh for services. The first paragraph was added in the 1800s, making it the latest addition to the Ashkenazi liturgy.

When is it said?
Birkat HaChodesh is said after the Haftarah before the prayer Ashrei and the Torah is returned. It is said before every month except Tishrei (Mishnah Berurah 417:1), because Rosh Chodesh of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah and not a regular Rosh Chodesh (Eruvin 40b:6). Also, it is assumed that everybody knows that Tishrei is coming (for instance, the shofar is blown at weekday morning services the month before Rosh Hashanah). Finally, there used to be a concern that we would alert Satan to the coming of Rosh Hashanah and then he would accuse the Jewish people before G-d that day.

How is it said?
The leader starts the prayer while somebody else holds the Torah next to them. At the point where the date of the month is actually announced the leader takes the Torah and holds it for the rest of the prayer. This makes it a more serious announcement. Everybody stands for it, partly because the Torah is up and partly because people stood when the New Moon was announced in Jerusalem (Magen Avraham 417:1, Arukh HaShulchan 417:8).
The announcement of the month says that the month of ____ will begin on _____ day of the week. However, if the month that is ended has 30 days, then it is considered a 2-day Rosh Chodesh and the announcement says that the month of ____ will begin on ____day and its morrow of _____day. The 30-day months are Tishrei, sometimes Cheshvan, sometimes Kislev, Shevat, Adar I, Nisan, Sivan, Av (the months mostly alternate 29 and 30 days).

This is from Siddur Lev Shalem and explains about the different months.

Who wrote the words?
According to the Babylonian Talmud, the words were a prayer by Rav (3rd century CE) that he would say at the end of the Amidah (Brachot 16b:22). These later became the words of the first part of the prayer in the 1700s.

The actual prayer

סידור אשכנז, שבת, שחרית, תפילות לציבור, ברכת החודש ב׳-ה׳

(ב) יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַחדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה. וְתִתֶּן לָנוּ חַיִּים אֲרוּכִּים. חַיִּים שֶׁל שָׁלום. חַיִּים שֶׁל טובָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל בְּרָכָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל פַּרְנָסָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל חִלּוּץ עֲצָמות. חַיִּים שֶׁיֵשׁ בָּהֶם יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וְיִרְאַת חֵטְא. חַיִּים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִמָּה. חַיִּים שֶׁל עשֶׁר וְכָבוד. חַיִּים שֶׁתְּהֵא בָנוּ אַהֲבַת תּורָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. חַיִּים שֶׁיִּמָלְאוּ מִשְׁאֲלות לִבֵּנוּ לְטובָה אָמֵן סֶלָה:

(ג) מִי שֶׁעָשה נִסִּים לַאֲבותֵינוּ וְגָאַל אותָם מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת. הוּא יִגְאַל אותָנוּ בְּקָרוב וִיקַבֵּץ נִדָּחֵינוּ מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפות הָאָרֶץ. חֲבֵרִים כָּל יִשרָאֵל וְנאמַר אָמֵן:

(ד) ראשׁ חדֶשׁ פלוני יִהְיֶה בְּיום פלוני הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל לְטובָה:

(ה) יְחַדְּשֵׁהוּ הַקָּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּו בֵּית יִשרָאֵל (בְּכָל מָקום שֶׁהֵם. לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה.) לְששון וּלְשמְחָה. לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה. (לְפַרְנָסָה טובָה וּלְכַלְכָּלָה.) לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלום. (לִשְׁמוּעות טובות. וְלִבְשורות טובות. בחורף - וְלִגְשָׁמִים בְּעִתָּם. וְלִרְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה. וְלִגְאוּלָה קְרובָה) וְנאמַר אָמֵן:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Shacharit, Communal Prayers, Birkat Hachodesh 2-5

May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, that You renew for us this coming month for goodness and blessing, and give us a long life, a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical vitality, a life that has fear of heaven and fear of sin, a life free of shame and reproach, a life of abundance and honor, a life that has in it love of Torah and fear of heaven, a life in which the requests of our heart are fulfilled for good, Amen.

May the One who made miracles for our ancestors, redeeming them from slavery to freedom, redeem us soon and gather us from the four corners of the earth. May all of Israel be friends, and let us say Amen.

The new month of _______ will be[gin] on _____day; may it come for us and for all Israel for good.

May the Holy Blessed One renew for us and for all God's people, the house of Israel, for life and peace (Amen), for joy and gladness (Amen), for deliverance and consolation, and let us say Amen.

Context: This is the text of the prayer. Note that it says “life” 11 times, a nod to the 11 months that this is said (12 in a leap year). The connection between in-gathering of the Jews to Israel and the new month is that just as the moon goes from total eclipse to full brightness, so too we hope this happens for the Jewish people this coming month. Note that while “Amen” means “I agree” and thus is not usually said by the person saying a blessing (despite how the Motzi is usually sung), but here it is said because the leader is giving the instruction to say that word.

Our G-d and G-d of our ancestors: The way you relate to G-d and/or Judaism may not be the same as how your parents and/or teachers relate to G-d and/or Judaism. How would you make the comparison?
Renew for us: This plays on the root ch.d.sh, meaning both “month” and “new”. Originally a “month” was the period from new moon to new moon. What does renewal look / feel like? Have you ever felt this?
For goodness and blessing: Why both words? How are they different?
Life of peace: The word for “peace” comes from the root sh.l.m, meaning “whole or complete”. Thus, the verb “to pay” is related because you complete a transaction. When you have peace, everything is whole. Have you felt that before?
Physical vitality: It’s easy to not realize that this is a blessing until you don’t have it. Have you had a situation that made you more grateful for how a certain body part worked?
Fear of Heaven and fear of sin: One way to distinguish these is the fear that you’ll be seen doing something wrong, vs fear of the wrongdoing at all. Which of these is more powerful?
Requests of our heart are fulfilled for good: Why would “for good” be added here?
May all of Israel be friends: Note that in the 11th century, there was a version with an addition so that it read “May all Israel be united in fellowship with Jerusalem the holy city” (Machzor Vitry 190:5). How could you help to bring about the friendship of all Israel?
Joy and gladness: What’s the difference?

How is this chanted?

Chanted by Cantor Neil Schwartz

The special thing about Birkat HaChodesh is that each month is announced using a “signature melodies”.

MarCheshvan: Plain Major nusach (see the above video for an example)
Kislev: Maoz Tzur (German tune)
Tevet: Maoz Tzur (German tune)
Shevat: Atze Zetim
Adar I / II: Chag Purim
Nisan: Adir Hu (German tune)
Iyar: Hatikvah
Sivan: Akdamut / Festival Kiddush
Tammuz: Eli Tziyon
Av: Eli Tziyon
Elul: Mi Chamocha of HHD Arvit, or L’Eila L’Eila if more notes are needed.

Here are these signature melodies demonstrated by Cantor Neil Schwartz.

Rav’s original text:

ברכות ט״ז ב:כ״ב

רַב בָּתַר צְלוֹתֵיהּ אָמַר הָכִי: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁתִּתֵּן לָנוּ חַיִּים אֲרוּכִּים, חַיִּים שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם, חַיִּים שֶׁל טוֹבָה, חַיִּים שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, חַיִּים שֶׁל פַּרְנָסָה, חַיִּים שֶׁל חִלּוּץ עֲצָמוֹת, חַיִּים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם יִרְאַת חֵטְא, חַיִּים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִימָּה, חַיִּים שֶׁל עוֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד, חַיִּים שֶׁתְּהֵא בָּנוּ אַהֲבַת תּוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, חַיִּים שֶׁתְּמַלֵּא לָנוּ אֶת כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֵּנוּ לְטוֹבָה״.

Berakhot 16b:22

After his prayer, Rav said the following:May it be Your will, Lord our God,that You grant us long life, a life of peace,a life of goodness, a life of blessing,a life of sustenance, a life of freedom of movement from place to place, where we are not tied to one place,
a life of dread of sin, a life without shame and disgrace,a life of wealth and honor,a life in which we have love of Torah and reverence for Heaven,a life in which You fulfill all the desires of our heart for good.

With appreciation to: Siddur Lev Shalem, Cantor Neil Schwartz, To Pray as a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice by Rabbi Isaac Klein,

Appendix A: D'var Tefillah from Rabbi David Russo (used with permission)

Shabbat shalom!

Nearly two thousand years ago lived one of the greatest rabbis in our people’s history. He was a towering figure physically: some people called him Abba Aricha, meaning Abba the Tall, because apparently, he could’ve played for the Chicago Bulls. But he is commonly referred to in the Talmud as Rav.

Rav was born in the second century CE in Kafri, Babylonia, or modern day Iraq. As a young, budding scholar, he immigrated to Israel to learn with his uncle Chiya, and later under Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the great sage who edited the Mishna. Rav was so respected that even though he is technically an Amora, or in the second generational strata of scholars, his opinions are generally considered like that of a Tanna – an earlier and more authoritative opinion. He is the only Amora accorded that honor.

Rav matched his scholarship with communal leadership. Around 220 CE, Rav returned to Babylonia. He settled in Sura, establishing a bet din and an academy that would become a thriving Jewish community for nearly a millenia. Rav was also successful in business, apparently making some of his income with his brewery (Pes 107a) – maybe we call it the Brew-Rav-ry.

But I’d say that one of the rare qualities that he had was matching his intellect and his communal leadership with his Neshama – his deep, introspective spirituality. He was known for his skills in Aggadah – sharing moving speeches and stories – in addition to his expertise in Halacha, Jewish law.

Today, we read what may be one of Rav’s most famous teachings. It is a prayer from a section of the Talmud that shares all of the private prayers that rabbis would recite when they concluded their personal Amidah. And over the last 500 to 1,000 years, every month, on the shabbat morning before Rosh Chodesh, the new month, we read ALMOST his precise prayer.

Turn with me in your siddur to page 180.

(Read it aloud).

End of second line through end of fourth line are added, from velohey avoteinu until velivracha (end of line four) is an insertion of the siddur.

Insertion of yirat shamayim in siddur. (inserted it even though it gets mentioned at the end of the second last line.)

And at the end, in Talmud, it adds:

חַיִּים שֶׁתְּמַלֵּא לָנוּ אֶת כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֵּנוּ לְטוֹבָה

There are a number of themes worth highlighting here for a longer shiur. But the main piece that I want to pick up on is the broader theme that traditionally, on shabbat, we are not meant to ask God in our prayers for any of our personal needs. That, according to our rabbis, is a weekday thing. But on shabbat, we

are meant to put our personal requests aside.

For example, there is a practice to not recite a mi sheberacha, or a prayer for healing for those who are ill on shabbat. But communities felt such a strong need to pray for the sick that we say the prayer, and yet we insert a short caveat. We say, shabbat hi milzok – God, we know that we’re not supposed to ask for your help today… and yet, urefuah kerova lavo – we hope that You will bring healing to this person. It is too important, we must pray for healing.

But in this monthly prayer anticipating Rosh Chodesh, the requests are unambiguous. There is no gloss, no edit.

We say, God, we have a new month that is coming. And we are praying, please, give us long life, give us peace, give us goodness, give us blessing, make us successful in business.

(It is maybe for this reason that the end of the original prayer of Rav is softened somewhat… when Rav says, kol mishalot, God, answer ALL of the requests of our hearts for good, here, it erases kol, and just asks God to fulfill our wishes).

Some rabbis suggest that the purpose of this entire page is to ensure that everyone attending shul on Shabbat would know when it is Rosh Chodesh this month – an update or announcement, don’t forget, Rosh Chodesh is on Monday and Tuesday (Shibbolei Haleket 170)!

But if that’s the case, this whole page could have been much shorter. We could have recited the one, singular line, making the announcement. Rosh chodesh Iyar, yihiyeh…

I think instead, our siddur includes Rav’s prayer because our ancestors did not want to let this moment pass us by. Every month, we are meant to take stock. And we do so on shabbat, when we have the time. To think back on what has been. And to hope, and to pray, that this upcoming month could be better.

I don’t know if Rav could have ever imagined, two thousand years ago, that his great great great great grandchildren would be in a world where not only his teachings and prayers are remembered, but that people study them on a thing called a smartphone, and on an app called Sefaria.

And yet, whatever crises that Rav was living through in his time, he would end EVERY one of his DAILY prayers – not just once a month, but daily, with this prayer. I won’t ask you to do this daily. But once a month, today, and around a month from now, and the next month – look back. Think about where you, and our community, and our world has been. Think ahead – where do you want us to be. And at some point, I encourage you to write out your own prayer. You never know who may read it two thousand years from now. May this upcoming month of Iyar bring all of us long life, goodness, peace, and blessing.

Shabbat shalom.

Appendix B: Why the Calendar Really Got Fixed

From A History of the Jews, by Solomon Grayzel

In the days of the Temple, the calendar used to be announced by the Sanhedrin. Later it was announced by the Patriarch and the Bet Din. The people did not have access to chronometric tables by which they could calculate seasons and dates; they were guided by these official announcements which the Patriarch would transmit through official emissaries to every part of the Diaspora. There were, however, a considerable number of Christians who also waited for the Patriarch’s calendrical information. For a great many Christians still observed the holidays common to Judaism and Christianity, especially Passover (Easter) at the same time as the Jews, just as many of them observed the Jewish Sabbath rather than the Christian Sunday. This dependence on Judaism irked the Christian clergy, and about the middle of the fourth century [CE] [358 - Ed. Note] they prevailed upon the Roman government to forbid the Patriarch to send emissaries with such information. To avoid having Jewish life sink into chaos, the Patriarch of that day [Hillel II] made public the rules governing the Jewish calendar. From then on, any mathematically-minded man in every diaspora community could, and did arrange the years, months, and holidays according to a fixed formula.

- P. 203-204

Appendix C: Texts about Birkat HaChodesh

משנה ברורה תי״ז:א׳

(א) (א) ר"ח וכו' - מנהג קדמונינו לברך את החודש בשבת שלפני ר"ח חוץ מלפני ר"ח תשרי ורמז לזה בכסה ליום חגנו. ויש מקומות שאין נוהגין לברך ר"ח אב משום שהוא חודש של פורעניות. ואין ברכת ר"ח כקידוש החודש שהיה מלפנים אלא שמודיעים להעולם מתי יחול ר"ח ויזהרו בכל הלכות החודש. ומ"מ נהגו לעמוד בשעת אמירת ר"ח פלוני ביום פלוני דוגמת קידוש החודש שהיה מעומד [מ"א]:

Mishnah Berurah 417:1

Appendix D: Other versions of the prayer

סידור נוסח עדות המזרח, שחרית של שבת, הכרזת ראש חדש ג׳-ז׳

(ג)יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְכוֹנֵן אֶת בֵּית חַיֵּינוּ וּלְהָשִׁיב שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְתוֹכוֹ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

(ד)יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְרַחֵם עַל פְּלֵיטָתֵנוּ, וְלַעֲצוֹר הַמַּגֵּפָה, וְהַמַּשְׁחִית, וְהַחֶרֶב, וְהָרָעָב, וְהַשְּׁבִי, וְהַבִּזָּה, מֵעָלֵינוּ וּמֵעַל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

(ה)יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְקַיֵּם לָנוּ אֶת כָּל־חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֵם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְתַלְמִידֵיהֶם, בְּכָל־מְקוֹמוֹת מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

(ו)יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁנִּשְׁמַע וְנִתְבַּשֵּׂר בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת, בְּשׂוֹרוֹת יְשׁוּעוֹת וְנֶחָמוֹת, מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

(ז)מִי שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּמִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאָלָם, הוּא יִגְאַל אוֹתָנוּ וְיָשִׁיב בָּנִים לִגְבוּלָם, בְּסִימָן טוֹב יְהֵא לָנוּ רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ פלוני בְּיוֹם פלוני ופלוני(חִדּוּשֵׁיהּ בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וּקְבוּעֵיהּ וּמִנְיָנֵיהּ בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי). יְחַדְּשֵׁהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָלֵינוּ וְעַל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־מָקוֹם שֶׁהֵם, לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה, לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה, לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה, לְפַרְנָסָה וּלְכַלְכָּלָה טוֹבָה, לִשְׁמוּעוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וְלִבְשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת, בחורף וְלִגְשָׁמִים בְּעִתָּם, בקיץ וּלְטַלְלֵי בְרָכָה, וְלִרְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה, וְלִגְאֻלָּה קְרוֹבָה, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Shabbat Shacharit, Birkat HaChodesh 3-7

In the Lubavitch tradition, the first part (“Yehi Ratzon”) is not said. Sephardim say other Yehi Ratzons. Both have longer versions of the part at the end.