NISAN:

Month 1 | Nisan: Redemption with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, holds great significance in the Jewish calendar. It is traditionally celebrated at the beginning of the month of Tishrei, which interestingly is considered the seventh month according to ancient reckoning. However, the Jewish calendar also designates Nisan as the first month. The month of Nisan is particularly significant as it is during this time that Passover (Pesach) is celebrated, commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt.

The month of Nisan, occurring near the spring season, holds its important significance in the Jewish calendar as the 7th month on the biblical calendar but the official new year biblically because  of Passover (Pesach). Passover marks the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, a momentous event portraying God’s redemptive power.

Nisan is a time for Jewish people to reflect on their ancestors’ journey to freedom and to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The holiday involves symbolic rituals such as the Seder, a ceremonial meal where specific foods and prayers help recount the story of the Israelites’ exodus and their newfound freedom. Passover reinforces Jewish identity, solidarity, and the belief in God’s continuous involvement in human history.

In summary, the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah and the month of Nisan hold immense significance in the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the year, providing an opportunity for introspection, repentance, and renewal. Nisan, on the other hand, brings the joyous celebration of Passover, commemorating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery and affirming Jewish identity and faith. Both occasions highlight God’s redemptive acts and serve as reminders of the enduring values and lessons for the Jewish people.

Seven weeks—49 days—elapsed between the Jewish people’s departure from Egypt and the giving of the Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai (celebrated on Shavuot/ Pentecost). The rabbis explained that the 49 days that connect Passover with Shavuot correspond to the 49 drives and traits of the human heart. Each day saw the refinement of one of these character traits, bringing the people of Israel one step closer to spiritual transformation. We retrace this inner journey each year with our “counting of the Omer.” Beginning on the second night of Passover, we count the days and weeks to the holiday of Shavuot, the “Festival of Weeks.”

We count 49 days, then the Torah is given on the 50th day because 50 is the number of freedom. Israel had fallen to the 49th level of spiritual impurity according to Jewish tradition, and needed to be redeemed.

Over those 49 days, God was purifying, preparing, and freeing the people from past negative influences of Egypt to be ready to receive the Torah. In the same way, Jesus was doing the same thing with the Disciples over the 49 days from Passover to Shavuot/Pentecost to prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit on the same day in biblical history.

One year after the Exodus, on each of the first 12 days of this month, the 12 princes of Israel brought offerings to inaugurate the Mishkan/Tabernacle.