At first glance, the haftarah for Erev Rosh Chodesh, which we read this week, seems to have little to tell us about the day itself. Its choice as the reading for the day before the start of the new month appears to derive from the phrase machar chodesh, “Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh," which Yehonatan says to David in the opening verse (I Samuel 20:18). But beneath this detail lies a story of family, friendship and national dynamics.
Rosh Chodesh, marking the start of the Jewish month, is a time of renewal, reflection, and spiritual alignment. Perhaps its appearance in this story can shed some light on how we are meant to think about the start of a new month.
In the story, King Shaul awaits the arrival of those closest to him to his palace. David, attempting to avoid Shaul, does not arrive at the palace, and a concerned Yehonatan warns him that Shaul will notice his absence. Nonetheless, David stays away, leading Shaul to be enraged not only with David, but with his own son, Yehonatan, whom he (rightly) fears has chosen loyalty to David over loyalty to his father. This dramatic episode, in which Shaul begins to lose his grip on his own household and Yehonatan aligns himself with David, unfolds against the backdrop of Rosh Chodesh - the day that marks renewal and the possibility of change.
Although as a festival, Rosh Chodesh is not dressed in much external pomp and circumstance, it determines the timing of all the other festivals in our calendar and thus enables our annual spiritual and ritual rhythm. It also reflects the authority vested in us by God to oversee the calendar, to shape our experience of time and, in turn, our communities. For the sanctification of the month takes place through conversation and engagement between strangers: Two observers come before a court of three judges to report that they have seen the new crescent moon. Holiness in Judaism is never created in a vacuum, but through the capacity for dialogue and connection.
Shaul’s refusal to engage with David and his inability to communicate with him contributes directly to his downfall; while Yehonatan’s friendship with and commitment to David, even in the face of political risk, is what allows the new king to eventually rise to power; bringing for a time unity amongst the Jewish people and the family through which the Messiah will be ushered into the world. This story of brotherly engagement is framed in the context of Rosh Chodesh. For that is precisely what the day demands: that we use time to forge meaningful relationships that can transform the world around us. One might say that Yehonatan, despite his limited character development in Tanakh, emerges as the force who makes this transition possible, the paradigmatic ‘Rosh Chodesh Jew’.
We today are facing unprecedented, existential challenges as a people, and we too must strive to become Rosh Chodesh Jews. As we enter the month of Sivan, the month in which we celebrate receiving the Torah, we must seize this moment to reconnect with each other. The Midrash (Mekhilta, quoted in Rashi on Exodus 19:2) tells us that when the Jewish People stood at Sinai, they were “as one man, with one heart." To reclaim that moment, we can emulate Yehonatan’s respect for others and willingness to put aside his own ego in the name of brotherly love. The Torah was given when the Jewish people were willing to stand together - even with their differences.
Rosh Chodesh is about enabling connection and conversation. One of the ways this happens is when we reach out to Jews who are different from ourselves, across the lines that divide us. Even strangers must find common ground in shared experiences, just like the witnesses to the new moon, who were privileged to report the light they had observed to another group of Jews, the beit din.
As we approach this and every new month, may we be reminded of Rosh Chodesh’s lesson: to prioritize meaningful dialogue and relationships, even - especially - when challenges arise. Only through understanding and connection can we fulfill our shared purpose as a people and continue to merit the bountiful gifts God has bestowed upon us.