Word: הזה, hazeh, this
Context: החדש הזה, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months” (Exodus 12:2). This line, which comes as a prelude to the instructions for the pre-exodus paschal lamb sacrifice, is understood to be the first commandment given to the people as a nation – to keep the lunar calendar, marking each new moon and designating Nissan as the first of the months.
The Numbers: The word hazeh appears 195 times in the Torah as a whole. 14 of those times are in our passage concerning the calendar and exodus preparations (12:1-13:10). From a statistical point of view, if the word was sprinkled evenly across the Torah, it should only have appeared once or twice in our passage; its double-seven (a sacred number connected to creation) appearance here implies the important thematic relevance of “this”-ness to the story of redemption.
Famous Rabbinic Commentary: 1) Rashi on the first verse of the Torah in Genesis cites a question about why the Torah started with the story of creation instead of with this commandment. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe points out, the question itself indicates there is truth to the alternative – that there is something about this hahodesh hazeh commandment that is equally worthy of being a beginning, that this commandment holds a parallel complementary essence to creation.
2) Concerning the word hazeh in our pasuk, Rashi cites the midrash that Moshe had a hard time understanding exactly how to recognize the new moon, leading God to point “with a finger” to show Moshe what it should look like, and to say: kazeh ra’eh vakadesh, “like this, you should see and sanctify.”
Interpretation: There are two ways to move the world forward. One is the Genesis way, the way of creation, productivity and transformation. The other is the hahodesh hazeh way – no new product has been produced (the moon was created in Genesis); all that is happening is that we are learning to sanctify “this,” the one right here, this moon, this month, this moment. This second way is essentially presence, the act of being with this moment exactly as it is, without the Genesis element of doing or changing or becoming.
[Note that, though rabbinic tradition fills in the gap and names Nissan, the Torah itself does not identify which month we are talking about here as hahodesh hazeh, “this month,” leaving it open to universal application: Which month is “this month”? This month is always the one right here, the one that you are currently occupying.]
This second way – of presence – is the heart of the Torah, the “inner” truth of creation, but this second way can be difficult for us. We are in many ways more suited to the first – we want to create and change and see results. Like Moshe, who had difficulty with this commandment, we get anxious when asked to stop and be present, to bring a quality of hazeh, of “this”-ness to our lives. We do not trust ourselves. We want someone else to provide concrete specifics about how to “do” this presence thing “right.” What exactly should the moon look like? What is the right way to feel? How do I “do” this?
God’s answer is telling – kazeh re’eh vekadesh – “like this,” God says, pointing, “just like this, you should see and sanctify.” There is no searching here, no suggestion of another day, another time, a different feeling, a different person; exactly as you are, just “like this,” this feeling, this problem, this difficulty you are having; Moshe, do you see that anxiety? “This” itself is what you can sanctify, what you can bring presence and honor to, just exactly “this” moment, just exactly as you are. Kazeh re’eh vakadesh. See “this” clearly; be with “this” pain, this hardship, this heartache, be with this just as it is and sanctify it, mark it as holy. This, too, no, this, especially, since it is here right now, “this” is divine.
Message: When we enter the sphere of hazeh, of presence with what is, we enter the realm of shekhinah, of divine Presence. We are transported from a place of human frustration – how can I possibly do this, handle this, fix this? – to a place of divine support– just like this, as we are; nothing to do but bring the sanctity of presence to the situation. Through presence with hazeh, with whatever is, we turn a moment of difficulty into a moment of clarity and opportunity; we can see that whatever is bothering us is only God’s way of pointing at something for us to see – see here? God is saying through our pain, see “this”? Kazeh re’eh vekadesh. Don’t run away from “this”; it keeps coming up for you because I am pointing at it; I want you to see “this,” to see this, too, and sanctify it, to see the “this” of each moment as it comes and know that it is sacred.
Redemption does not come through the story of creation. Redemption comes through this commandment of hahodesh hazeh. We think we need to produce something, to change something, to act and create, in order to bring redemption, and certainly those have their place. But redemption comes from the Torah’s inner truth here, the ability to see zeh, whatever it is for you right now, to see zeh and sanctify it. Redemption comes not from our striving, but from our leaning in to divine presence and allowing the finger of God to point the way, again and again, back to hazeh, to this moment, to us, as we are, here right now. Sanctify this moment.
