Our Mishna on Amud Aleph references the idea of having a meal when calculating whether the lunar month is 29 or 30 days. The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 419:2) explains that this meal was intended to incentivize any witnesses who had seen evidence of the new moon to make the trip to the court. He quotes the Kol Bo, which states that the custom of eating a festive meal on Rosh Chodesh in general serves as a zecher le-Mikdash, a way to remember various rites and customs from the Beis HaMikdash, in this case the meal for the witnesses. The concept of zecher le-Mikdash appears from time to time in halacha and custom, most famously in the Haggadah, where we eat matzoh and marror together in a sandwich to commemorate the way in which Hillel fulfilled the verse: “You shall eat it (the Pesach sacrifice) upon matzoh and maror” (Bamidbar 9:11).

We do find small hints at a festive meal for Rosh Chodesh in Tanach—see, for example, Melachim II 4:23 and Shmuel I 20:5. Perhaps another festive element stems from the fact that Rosh Chodesh provides a form of atonement—something akin to a mini-Rosh Hashanah. This is reflected in the Rosh Chodesh Musaf liturgy, which describes the day as “a time for forgiveness for all their descendants.”

Notably, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 419:1) codifies that it is a mitzvah to eat in greater quantity on Rosh Chodesh. This section of Shulchan Aruch is somewhat unusual, as it consists of a single-line, single-article chapter—and the entire chapter is just one sentence. Interestingly, another festive meal is also given its own unique, one-sentence chapter: Melave Malka (OC 300:1), the meal eaten on Motza’ei Shabbos to escort the Shabbos Kallah as she departs. Sefer Rimzei Shabbos (723) records in the name of the Chozeh Mi-Lublin that Rav Karo deliberately designated the Halacha of each of these meals as separate chapters—despite their brevity—so that they would not be overlooked and would be taken seriously.

Eliyahu HaNavi, in his dramatic showdown against the prophets of Baal, declared to the Jewish people:

“How long will you keep jumping over the two branches (se’ipim) of beliefs? If Hashem is God, then follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word (Melachim I 18:21).

The word for “branches” in Lashon Kodesh is se’ip, the same term used by the Shulchan Aruch to denote an article or section within his code of law. This linguistic connection is noted by the Ruzhiner Rebbe, who is said to have remarked regarding the tendency to neglect Rosh Chodesh and Melave Malka: “How long will you keep jumping over the two branches (se’ipim)?”—meaning, how long will people continue to skip over and ignore these two important se’ipim in Shulchan Aruch: Rosh Chodesh and Melave Malka? (Sefer Ayalah Shelucha).

Why is there a tendency to neglect these two festive meals? It seems that the greatest challenge is that they occur during the week, outside the framework of a formal holiday or structured ritual. Once we are caught up in the daily grind, it becomes harder to pause and be contemplative. In a sense, Melave Malka is specifically designed to extend the experience of Shabbos into the weekday, and so the difficulty in pausing from our secular activities is precisely the tension we are meant to navigate. Rosh Chodesh, too, asks us to enter into a mini-Rosh Hashanah, reviewing our actions of the past month and seeking atonement. Yet, without the overt rituals of a full Yom Tov, it is difficult to remain mindful of this opportunity in the middle of an ordinary workday.

However, this is precisely the beauty of the Jewish calendar—it reminds us that time is passing and provides built-in opportunities for reflection. Rather than marching blindly forward, we are encouraged to pause, take stock, and reconnect with our spiritual selves.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families as well male sexual health. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com