Concerning the Beginning of the Month

“This month,” meaning Nissan, “is the head of the months.” Hodesh [month] means Hidush [renewal/innovation]. “Head” means beginning. The first beginning is in the Creator delivering from Egypt, since this is above nature and a person can only go within nature. Only the Creator can do things that are unnatural.

Since man was created with a nature of having a desire to receive only for himself, he cannot do things in a manner of bestowal. But since this is all that is required of a person in this world, that his intention will be only to bestow, when a person begins the work, he sees that it is not within his power. However, a person is required to ask the Creator to help him walk in the ways of bestowal.

However, one must believe that the Creator “hears the prayer of every mouth.” For this reason, a person must believe that the Creator brought us out from the land of Egypt, meaning from the will to receive for ourselves. To the extent that we have faith in this we can ask the Creator to also receive the gift of being delivered from the land of Egypt.

Only then, when we pray from the bottom of our hearts, the Creator brings us out from the land of Egypt. Hence, this is the beginning of the months, since before we come out of Egypt, it is impossible to be rewarded with any Hidush [renewal/innovation] in the Torah.