Sivan 1, 5785; from sunset May 27, 2025, to sunset May 28, 2025
(The first day of the third month)
This is the name “Mosheh” (מֺשֶׁה – Moses) as seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls, written over two thousand years ago.
Today in the Bible, the children of Israel arrive at Mount Sinai after being freed from the bondage of Egypt and their miraculous escape through the sea.
On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And when they set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. – Exodus 19:1-2 (RSV)
“Bachodesh hashlishi” — on the third new moon — this is how the Revised Standard Version translated the first part of Exodus 19:1. Other versions translate it as “in the third month.” Which one is correct? Well, the word “chodesh” carries the meanings of “month, monthly, and new moon,” so, either one of these could be correct.
If you dig down a little deeper into the word “chodesh” we find that it comes from the verb root “chadash” which means to “renew or repair.” As a noun, “chadash” means “a new thing, fresh, new.” The moon waxes and wanes from a first tiny visible sliver (the first day of the month) to complete fullness and then back to a tiny sliver and then to not visible at all (the last day of the month). Every month it is renewed.
So, back to our verse and our question, was it on the first day of the month? Or was it at some point in the third month? Jewish tradition understands this event as occurring on the first day of the third month (Sivan) – the third new moon.
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