Shabbat Prayers: Shabbat Mevarchim Rosh Chodesh Av: Drops of Light: Two
“May it be Your Will, God, our Lord, and the Lord of our forefathers, that You inaugurate this month upon us for goodness and for blessing.” The first Drop of Light we feed the New Moon is the simple act of praying even as the Babylonians, and later, the Romans, are marauding through Jerusalem, which reflects our intense faith in the power of prayer!
“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat and also wept when we remembered Jerusalem (Psalms 137:1).” The Babylonians refused to allow their Jewish captives to rest for even a moment as they led them into exile; Nebuchadnezar was concerned that if they stopped to pray while still in Israel, God would hear and immediately respond. The first chance they had to rest was, “By the waters of Babylon (Eichah Rabbah)!” Even the Babylonians believed in our power of prayer; we can recall that belief and use it as we begin this Blessing of the New Month even as the darkness is closing in. There are Drops of Light for the New Moon even in the hearts of our enemies!
“May it be Your Will.” Even as we struggle with the idea that God willed the destruction of His Holy City and His Home, as He clearly willed our exile, we believe that we can still influence His Will, and we add another Drop of Light.
“God.” We add yet another Drop of Light when we use the Name Y-H-V-H, that reflects Israel’s intimate relationship with God, the Name He used to begin the Ten Statements.
“Our Lord,” as in, “Hear Israel, God is our Lord! God is a Unity!” Lord represents the Judge, Who by judging us, even to the point of destroying Jerusalem, His Beit Hamikdash, and sending us into exile, demonstrates that He cares about what we do! Another Drop of Light for the New Moon.
“Lord of our Forefathers,” we acknowledge and cry out to the Lord Who has a history with us, Who promised that we would never be completely wiped out, Who promised us the Holy Land, Who empowered us with the ability to build His Beit Hamikdash. We reconnect to Him by reconnecting to our long history, and add another Drop of Light to the New Moon.
“You inaugurate this month upon us,” is a statement that we believe in Chiddush, renewal, and that we will always be able to make a fresh start, and it is even possible that this desperate moment can be renewed and inaugurated for, “goodness and blessing.” It is that sense of Chiddush that we took from Egypt with the first step of the actual Redemption; the Mitzvah of the Sanctification of the New Moon. It is that sense of Chiddush that has illuminated our hearts to survive the long years of exile, to pray even at this moment. It is that sense of Chiddush that adds a huge Drop of Light to reflect on the New Moon.