Page 55 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳ב הרז הדובע תוכלה · 53

In the previous shiur, we dealt with the definition of Islam and Christianity, the prohibition of entering a
church or mosque, deriving benefit from idolatry and their music, and a number of other issues. This shiur
will discuss additional issues somewhat related to idolatry that are less well known.

Using the Secular Calendar

The Ramban writes that there is a biblical mitzva to use the Jewish calendar. He explains how the names
of the months in the Jewish calendar changed from being counted numerically, e.g., the first month, the
second month, etc. to receiving Babylonian names, such as Nisan, Iyyar, etc.

t Shemot 12:2 ב:בי | תומש 1 .
This month will be for you the beginning of the months; it is the אּוה ןֹו ׁשא ִ ר םי ִ ׁש ָ ד ֳ ח ׁשאֹר ם ֶ כ ָ ל הֶּז ַ ה ׁש ֶ דֹח ַ ה
first for you of the months of the year. :הָֽנ ָ ׁ ּ ש ַ ה י ֵ ׁש ְ ד ָ ח ְ ל ם ֶ כ ָ ל
r Commentary of the Ramban on the ב:בי תומש | ן"במר 2 .
Torah, Shemot 12:2 ונמיש ,םישדח שאר םכל הזה שדחה םעטו

The explanation of “this month shall be for you the beginning לכ ונמי ונממו ,ןושארה שדח לארשי ותוא
of the months” is that Israel should count it as the first month, הנשה םולשת דע ישילשו ינש םישדחה
and from it they shall count all the other months, the second and סנב ןורכז הז היהיש ידכ ,שדח רשע םינשב
third [and so forth], until the completion of the year of twelve היהי םישדחה ריכזנש תע לכב יכ ,לודגה
months. This [should be done] in order that it be a remembrance ,הרותב םש םישדחל ןיא ןכ לעו ,רכזנ סנה
of the great miracle [of the Exodus]; for every time we count the …)א:טי ןלהל( ישילשה שדחב רמאי אלא
months, the miracle will be recalled. Therefore, there are no וניתונמב תבשה םויב הריכזה היהתש ומכו
names for the months in the Torah. Rather it states “in the third
month” (Shemot 19:1). רשאכ ,תבשב ינשו תבשב דחא ונממ
…Just as there is a reminder of the day of Shabbat when we count תאיציב הריכזה ךכ ,)ח:כ ןלהל( שרפא
with it the first day of Shabbat [i.e., of the week], the second day שדחהו ןושארה שדחה וניתונמב םירצמ
of Shabbat [i.e., of the week] as I will explain, so do we recall the ןינמה ןיאש ,וניתלואגל ישילשהו ינשה
Exodus from Egypt by counting the first, second, and third month …ירשתמ וניתונש תלחת ירהש ,הנשל הזה
of our redemption. This count does not mark [the beginning of] ןושאר ונניאש ,םכל אוה ןושאר םעט הזו
the year since the beginning of the year starts from Tishrei… This ול ארקנש ,םכל ןושאר אוה לבא ,הנשב
is the meaning of “it is the first for you,” [meaning] that it is not the :וניתלואג ןורכזל
first [month] of the year, rather it is the first [month] for you, that תומש ורמאו ,ןינעה הז וניתובר וריכזה רבכו
we should call it [that] to remember the redemption.
,:א ה"ר ימלשורי( לבבמ ונמע ולע םישדח
The Sages have already mentioned this concept, and stated “that תומש םהל ויה אל הלחתמ יכ ,)ט:חמ ר"ב
the names of the months ascended with us from Babylonia.” For םניינמ היה הלחתמ יכ ,הזב הבסהו ,ונלצא
originally we had no names (of the months); the reason being,
that we continually recalled the miracle of the Exodus [by using לבבמ ונילע רשאכ לבא ,םירצמ תאיציל רכז
numbers]. However, when we returned from the Babylonian – די זט הימרי( בותכה רמאש המ םייקתנו
exile and the prophecy of the verse (Yirmiyahu 16:14-15) “it will תא הלעה רשא 'ה יח דוע רמאי אלו )וט
no longer be said: As Hashem lives, Who took the children of רשא 'ה יח םא יכ םירצמ ץראמ לארשי ינב

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