Kommentar zu Bamidbar 28:11

ובראשי חדשיכם, it was an ancient custom among the Israelites to treat the day of the new moon as a semi festival. We know this already from Samuel I 20,19 where Yonathan describes the day as one on which no work is performed in the field, a day not defined as יום המעשה, “a working day.” This is why this day has retained a special significance for the Jewish people, i.e. the Torah describes it as ראשי חדשיכם “the beginning of your months.” You will not find the regular festivals, מועדים described as “your festivals.” We do not find the Sabbath described as “your Sabbath” or the festival of Shavuot as “your day of the firstling fruits.” [the author will go to some length to explain that the ending כם in the word שבועותיכם in verse 26 does not refer to that festival. Ed.] Neither do we find the expression סכותיכם, etc.
The reason for this ancient custom of treating the day of the new moon almost like a festival is that historically, success of the Jewish people in matters terrestrial has always been linked to the lunar cycle. The moon is a phenomenon which has no light of its own, a phenomenon which depends on receiving and reflecting light from an external source.
Although prior to the sin of the golden calf the Jewish people’s fate was totally independent of any foreign domination, described as חרות על הלוחות, a kind of absolute independence, freedom engraved on the Tablets (the first set no doubt), (compare Exodus 32,16) as well as Eyruvin 54 and Tanchuma, Ki Tissa 16), once they had sinned they (divested themselves of this privilege, (and) no longer made use of this “Royal crown” at all times as did the other nations, so that they did no longer appear to enjoy this advantage over the other nations of the world.
Ever since that spiritual disaster, the Jewish people could enjoy their original privilege of independence from the restrictions imposed by the fact that one is part of the “laws of nature” only on rare occasions in their history, whereas most of the time they were dependent on “light”, i.e. good fortune, from external sources not under their control. To that extent, their history reflects the situation of the moon with its periods of ascent and decline month after month. When the moon is not directly exposed to the light of the sun it becomes invisible. The expression אין מזל לישראל, (Shabbat 126) means that the Jewish people do not generate light of their own, do not work at being masters of their own fate, but rely entirely on G’d to guide their fates. They receive this Divinely emanated light when their deeds are pleasing to G’d.
This is why in the parlance of our prophets G’d Himself is referred to as: “אור ישראל” Israel’s source of light. (compare Isaiah 10,16 as well as Psalms 27,1 where David refers to G’d. as אורי וישעי, “my light and my salvation.”)
Whenever the Jewish people are in a state of sin, their sins act as a barrier between them and their G’d so that they are deprived of their source of light. When Isaiah describes their state of being when sinful, he speaks of their G’d’s hiding His face from them, as Israel walking in darkness harassed by the gentile nations. (Isaiah 59,2).
Whenever the Jewish people’s fortunes are at low ebb this represents a desecration of G’d’s name, i.e. His reputation, as the gentiles refer to us sneeringly as עם ה' אלה “are these the ones who describe themselves as G’d’s special nation?” We can understand what our sages have said in Gittin 58 that whenever the Jewish people are in trouble, G’d is automatically forced to share their troubles. Having linked His honour to the honour and glory of the Jewish people, He suffers with us, (allegorically speaking). Whenever we suffer, whenever we are in a state of being oppressed, G’d is described as saying that “the pirate has attacked Me and you simultaneously.”
Seeing that the sin offering presented on New Moon’s day is an atonement for the Jewish people who are the cause of preventing the light of the moon to shine, or the reason it shines so weakly when it does shine, the sages in our prayers on that day referred to that sin offering as לכפר בעדם זכרון לכולם יהיו תשועת נפשם מיד שונא, “to obtain atonement for themselves. They were to be a memorial for them all, and a salvation for their soul from the hand of the enemy.” This is the reason that this is the only sin offering described as חטאת לה', “a sin offering on behalf of G’d.” Presentation of this offering is also in respect of the damage the sinful behaviour of the Jewish people has inflicted on G’d’s image among the gentile nations.
When we read about the dialogue described between the moon and G’d in Chulin 60, where G’d is eventually described as saying to the Jewish people “bring a sin offering on My behalf,” (in expiation for My diminishing the light of the moon) what the sage (Rabbi Shimon ben Pezzi) wanted to explain by putting such strange sounding words in G’d’s mouth is that ultimately the reason why the moon was diminished was because seeing it has a kinship with the Jewish people and these did not always live up to their lofty destiny, the moon [as a celestial representative of G’d Himself, Ed.] therefore has to suffer alongside with them for their shortcomings. Seeing this may not sound quite fair, G’d allegorically ordered a sin offering to be brought by the Jewish people on New Moon’s day in order appease the moon.

ובראשי חדשיכם, and on your new moons, etc. The suffix "your" is used to remind us that it is up to a collegium of terrestrial judges to determine the date the new moon should be celebrated.

ובראשי חדשיכם, “and on your New Moons, etc.” Some commentators understand this verse as applying to the New Moon of the month of Nissan, seeing that the New Moon of that month has been described asראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה, “it is the first New Moon for you of the moons of the year.” (Exodus 12,2) This would explain why the Torah concludes (verse 14) our paragraph with זאת עולת חדש בחדשו לחדשי השנה, ”this is the burnt offering of each New Moon on the successive moons of the year.”

ובראשי חדשיכם, “and on your New Moons, etc.” The reason the word ובראשי is in the plural instead of ובראש, is to avoid misunderstanding. Had the Torah written the singular ובראש I could have understood this legislation to apply only to the first day of Nissan, a day previously singled out as beginning of the month. This day had been referred to as ראש חדשים in Exodus 12,2. By writing ובראשי חדשים, the Torah made plain that the following mussaf offerings were to be offered on the first of every month. Not only this; every month has two beginnings. In the evening it is recognizable through the appearance of the moon, in the morning through the offering of the requisite sacrifice. The special offering for the New Moon could not be offered at night as no offerings may be offered at night with the exception of the Passover which is offered after the daily evening burnt-offering.

V. 11. ראש חדש .ובראשי חדשיכם וגו׳ bildet die Grundlage des. ganzen jüdischen Gott-, Welt-, und Menschenbewusstfeins. Mit ihm begann Gott die Grundlegung seiner Nation und richtete damit das Faktum des חדוש, das Faktum der freien Weltschöpfung und Menschenerlösung aus der freien Gottestat, aufs neue, im Gegensatz zu dem die Welt und Menschheit in das Grab der Schuld und des Elends rettungslos bettenden heidnischen Wahn des קדמות, als die Säule der Erlösungszukunft Israels und der Menschheit auf, wie wir dies Schmot 12, 1-2 entwickelt. Die "Erneuung" unserer selbst, das Neuerstehen zu reinem Streben und heiterem Leben, die Erlösung aus allem sittlichen, sozialen und physischen Übel, das erneute Emporrichten an Gottes Hand zur Erstrebung des uns unverlierbar winkenden Ideals der Sittlichkeit und des Heils, unsere Neuerhebung zu der heiligenden und heilenden Lichtnähe unseres Gottes aus dem Jammer aller Dunkelferne, in die wir versunken sein mögen, das ist der Ruf, den wir aus dem Anblick eines jeden neuen Mondes vernehmen sollen, den eben Gottes החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים also zu unserem "Erlösung" sichernden Vorbildzeichen gesetzt, wie Er den Regenbogen zum Erhaltungsbundeszeichen für die Menschenwelt geweiht (siehe zu Schmot 12, 2). So oft daher der Neumond uns zur Bildung unserer חדשים, unserer Erneuungsphasen ladet, nahen wir uns Gott in seinem Gesetzesheiligtum mit dem vollen Opferausdruck des Ideals seiner uns nach Geschick und Tatenleben erteilten Bestimmung, um im עולה das Gelöbnis ewig weiteren Hinanstrebens zu der ganzen Höhe ggg dieser Bestimmung, und im חטאת das Gelöbnis künftig reinerer, vor jedem Sinken sich wahrender Festigkeit vor dem Angesichte unseres Gottes zu erneuen. Diesen vollen Opferausdruck für Israels ideale Bestimmung, die das Ziel der Erlösung aus Mizrajim und der Gesetzoffenbarung am Sinai war und das Ziel aller weiteren Gottesführungen durch die Gänge aller Zeiten bildet: פרים בני בקר שנים ואיל אחד כבשים בני שנה שבעה תמימים, haben wir bereits zu Wajikra 23, 18 betrachtet. Was Gott in dem Momente seiner Erlösungsankündigung als Ziel dieser Erlösung mit dem Ausspruch: ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלקים. (Schmot 6, 7; siehe daselbst) verhieß, das findet in dieser Mo'edopfergruppe seinen vollen Ausdruck.

ובראשי חדשיכם, “and on your New moon days, etc.;” this paragraph refers specifically to the day ushering in the month of Nissan, the month in which we were redeemed from Egypt our national birthdayas specifically stated in Exodus 12,2.

Israel soll sein eine Nation, deren jegliches Glied in ewiger Jugendfrische wirksam im Dienste Gottes arbeitet (פרים בני בקד שנים), die darum in ihrer Gesamterscheinung in Gottes Menschheitsherde allen anderen Menschennationen mustergültig in gottgesegneter Kraft voranschreitet (איל אחד), und deren ganze Geschichte nichts ist als ein Gott offenbarender Fingerzeig Gottes inmitten der Zeiten, durch welche sie als Herde seiner Führung in unsterblicher Jugendfrische dahinziehen ((שבעת כבשים בני שנה; — (siehe zu Wajikra 23, 18).

פרים בני בקר שנים ואיל אחד, “two young bullocks and one ram;” The same animals are to be offered as mussaph offerings on Passover and on the festival of weeks, 50 days later; New Moon and these festivals are occasions when a great number of Jewish people are assembled around the Temple in Jerusalem. On Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement and Sh’mini Atzeret, only one young bullock is offered as part of the mussaph offering. On Rosh Hashanah the reason is that there is anyways another bullock that is the burnt offering of the new Moon which occurs on the same date. On the day of Atonement, the bullock offered by the High Priest on his own behalf consists of a young bullock. Also, one of the male goats serves as a sin offering for the whole people, a source for their atonement on that day. On Shimini Atzeret, after for seven days a total of 70 bullocks had been offered on behalf of the seventy nations of the world, one, such young bullock is offered on behalf of the Jewish people.

Diese mit jedem ראש חדש Israels aufs neue als sein unverlierbares und ewig neu anzustrebendes Ziel zu vergegenwärtigende Bestimmung, sie und sie allein bildet den Strebepunkt aller es zu seinem Gotte ladenden Moadim, für sie ward es aus Ägypten frei, für sie empfing es das Gesetz, für sie deckte es der Gottesschutz auf seinem Erziehungsgang durch die Wüste, zu ihr weckt es der Teruaruf am ר׳׳ה, sie erschließt ihm die Sühnepforte am יום הכפורים. Darum ist es die eine und dieselbe Opfergruppe, mit welcher Israel an allen diesen Moadim vor seinem Gotte erscheint, mit alleiniger, wie bereits zu Wajikra daselbst bemerkt, aus dem Tagescharakter fließenden Umwandlung der zwei פרים in einen פר am י׳׳כ ,ר׳׳ה und שמיני עצרת. Denn auch der Opfergruppe des Suckotfestes liegt, wie wir nun bald zu zeigen haben, die Gruppe des ר׳׳ח-Opfer zu Grunde, und so bildet das ראש חדש-Opfer den Grundtypus aller Moadimopfer, sowie ja das קביעות, die heiligende Feststellung, das קרא מקרא קדש aller Moadim, in Wahrheit nur durch קידוש החדש, durch die heiligende Feststellung des ראש חדש bedingt und als in derselben mit enthalten, zur Verwirklichung kommt.

That is that He commanded to offer a sacrifice on every Rosh Chodesh (first day of the month) in addition to the regular offering of every day. And that is His, may He be exalted and may His name be blessed, saying, "And on the beginnings of your months, etc." (Numbers 28:11). (See Parashat Pinchas; Mishneh Torah, Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings 7.)