Rabbi Hershel SchachterRosh Chodesh and Geulah

Many have the practice daven on each erev Rosh Chodesh at Meoras Hamachpehla. The practice is based on the following story (Bava Metziah 85b): Eliyahu Hanavi used to visit the beis hamedrash of Yehuda haNasi, and one Rosh Chodesh he came to the beis medrash very late. When asked what detained him, he responded that on every Rosh Chodesh he goes to the Meoras Hamachpehla, wakes Avraham Avinu up, washes his hands, davens with him, and then lays him back to sleep again. He then wakes Yitzchak Avinu and does the same, followed by doing the same with Yaakov Avinu. When he was asked why he doesn't wake up all three avos at the same time and daven with all three of them together, Eliyahu Hanavi responded that if all of the three avos would daven together, they will succeed to pressure the Ribbono Shel Olam to bring the Moshiach, and the Ribbono Shel Olam is not yet ready for that yet.

This Shabbos we will read the concluding chapter in Yeshaya, which is the special haftorah for Shabbos Rosh Chodesh, instead of reading the regular haftorah for this week's parsha. The Mishna Berura records that when Rosh Chodesh falls out on Shabbos, the combined kedushos of Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh result in the day being considered, in a certain sense, to be a yom tov, and for this reason, even those who observe the minhag of aveilus not to get a haircut in the first days of the Omer would be permitted to get a haircut this erev Shabbos, lekavod yom tov.

The last passuk in this special haftorah tells us that when the third Beis Hamidkash will be built, all of mankind will be able to come and be oleh regel to visit the Shechina on the occasion of each of the Shalosh Regalim (midei Shabbos b'Shabbato) and on every Rosh Chodesh. The Gemara usually assumes that the word "kohl" is a ribbui, i.e. it implies that something is being included which was not mentioned explicitly in the passuk. The Maharsha comments (Bava Metziah ibid.) that the phrase, "kohl bassar" which appears here in the haftorah implies that even dead people visit the Shechina on Rosh Chodesh, and that is why reason that Eliyahu Hanavi visited the Meoras Hamachpehla to help the avos daven.

I remember many years ago, in one of the early years after milchemes shaishet ha'yomim, the Torah U'mesorah organization had its annual convention on Yom Yerushalayim. Right after the chazan completed chazoras ha'shatz for Shacharis, all eyes turned to Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt"l to seek guidance regarding whether they should recite Hallel. Rabbi Gifter explained at that time that everyone agrees that we have to give thanks and praise to Hashem for the wonderful yeshua that took place on that special day. Some feel we should recite Hallel, but even those who don't feel that Hallel is in place should certainly agree that some other perakim in Tehillim containing the theme of thanks and praise should certainly be recited. He encouraged the entire group to pause for a few minutes giving each individual enough time to recite whichever perakim in Tehillim they felt were proper and only afterwards the minyan would continue.

We all agree that we owe great thanks to Hashem for hakomas hamedina and for all of the miraculous victories in all of the milchamos, and we all agree that there is still a lot to daven for. Since hakomas hamedina there has been more Torah learning all over the world. Young men and women from all over the world travel to Eretz Yisroel to learn there for a year or two and, upon returning to their communities in chutz la'aretz, have a very positive influence on their families and on their communities. We should all daven along with the avos and pressure Hakadosh Baruch Hu to hasten the geulah.

(In many chumashim there is a misprint in one of the pessukim of the haftorah. The correct reading should be "M'Ziz K'voda" as opposed to "M'Ziv K'voda" - a zayin instead of a vov.)

More divrei Torah from Rabbi Schachter

More divrei Torah on Rosh Chodesh