TexasTorah.com

Calculated or Sighted

Yes, we keep the New Moon festival. Why? Why not.

Do you keep the new moon based on the calculated time table or when you see it? Such a can of worms. Let me simply put it this way. Everyone has good and viable reasons for doing it "their" way. Frankly, scripture is not perfectly clear.

To me, it makes more sense when you see it. I use this example with my children. Let's say we buy a new car online. It has been ordered and paid for and it is being delivered to your home. It must come down the driveway to get to the house.

Now, we can say all day long for the prior several days AFTER it was offically purchased that "we have a new car." But, frankly, that new car is not fully realized until you see a part of it through the trees coming down your driveway. Now the children, exclaim in joyful adoration: Look, our new car!!!

So, let's celebrate new moon when we have the best chance of seeing it. It seems to add a bit more oooomph to a New Moon Festival when one can actually see the New Moon.

The calendar can be a complex thing. Many things can be added or removed based on an incredible amount of rules. Life is complicated enough, let us delight and see the beauty of the Almighty's creation. There is no need to keep it a "secret". :-)