Parshas Pekudei (HaChodesh) 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
וביום החדש פר בן בקר תמימם וששת כבשם ואיל תמימם יהיו ... (יחזקאל מו-ו)
The Haftorah of Parshas HaChodesh is taken from Sefer Yechezkel in which the Navi discusses the inauguration of the third and final Bais Hamikdash. Various korbanos were brought on the days of the miluim - including the korban of Rosh Chodesh. As the Navi Yechezkel describes, “And on the day of the new moon, it shall consist of a bull of the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram - they shall be without blemish.” But why was it appropriate to bring this korbanon the days of the miluim?
R’ Daniel Glatstein shlita quotes R’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l (Ta’ama D’kra) who explains that this approach is flawed from the very outset. He explains that Rashi tells us that the miluim of the Mishkan and the first and second Bais Hamikdash all took place starting from Rosh Chodesh Nisan. As such, it is no wonder that the two are intrinsically tied. In fact, it is even more appropriate to say that the korban Rosh Chodesh should be brought during the miluim of the third Bais Hamikdash because this will show that even during the inauguration process, the mizbeach will have already been consecrated to have korbanos brought on it.
Says Rav Chaim, as such, this is the meaning of the Rosh Chodesh tefillah, "מזבח חדש בציון תכין" - we will establish a new mizbeach in Tzion (Yerushalayim), "ועולת ראש חודש נעלה עליו" - and we will immediately bring the Rosh Chodesh korban on it - even before the miluim are complete! May we all be zoche to this milestone very shortly.