Why was kiddush hachodesh (the sanctification of the new moon) the first mitzva given to the Jewish people?

The Seforno notes that Hashem gave us the power to determine Rosh Chodesh in contrast to Shabbat, which is built into creation. It was up to beit din to accept the witnesses who saw the new moon and then they would consecrate the month. Rosh Chodesh represents the energy of chiddush (renewal). It signifies rejuvenation, rebirth, and the ability to begin anew. This power was given into our hands.

Kohelet says, "There is nothing new under the sun." The Midrash explains that the verse refers to things under the sun, but not above. KlalYisrael are above nature. This means that a Jew who is connected to Hashem and His abundant goodness has the ability to bring chiddush into his life. By tapping into the wellsprings of Rosh Chodesh, especially in the month of Nissan, and making ourselves a vessel to accept renewal, we can bring freshness and vitality into the rest of the year.

Renewal is something beyond human intellect. We don't realize on a day to day basis that we're changing. But in truth we are given another chance every morning to begin again. Hashem has so much trust in us that he gives us new opportunities every day.

The Chiddushei Harim teaches that the exile in Egypt began because of a lack of chiddush. The Torah says "Vayakam melech chadash (A new king arose)." The power of hitchadshut , of renewing oneself in avodat Hashem was taken away by the Egyptians. Therefore, the first step to redemption was the mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh, which returned the strength of hitchadshut into the hands of klal Yisrael.

This is the basis for what we read in the Hagadah, "Yachol mei'rosh chodesh." Why would we think it possible to begin fulfilling the mitzvah of sipur yetziat mitzrayim (telling over the story of the exodus) fifteen days earlier? The power of hitchadshut that began on Rosh Chodesh Nissan set into motion the redemption.

King David pleads in Tehilim, "Hashem take me out of the cage of my soul so that I may thank your name." Hashem yearns for our connection. When our speech is encaged, when our soul is restricted, expressing kavod shamayim (the glory of His name) is difficult. This stems from a lack of hitchadshut. The way to get out of the cage is by infusing new vitality into our service of Hashem. This is why Rosh Chodesh was the first mitzvah. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so can we. There are times we feel full and times when we feel spiritually lacking, but we can gird ourselves with new strength and begin again.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that a Jew should approach his avodat Hashem with freshness, newness, and youthfulness. We must ask Hashem to open our hearts. The world's obsession with newness and staying young is really our soul calling for chiddush and freshness in avodat Hashem. We have to trust that we can make a new start, and that the people around us can too.

Hashem gives us the gift of Nissan at a time when the whole world is renewing itself. We say the blessing, "Shelo chiseir b'olamo," nothing is lacking in this world. If we examine the world of nature in all its intricacy we can learn bitachon. If Hashem created all this for a tree and a dandelion, certainly He cangive me everything I need to blossom and grow. This is the secret of the month Nissan.

Women were given the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh because they embody and empower the world with hitchadshut. We were redeemed in Nissan and in the merit of righteous women we will be redeemed.

 The next level up is doing things because you know you are accountable to Hashem. This is a very important motivation. You could take it at its most crass level, not wanting to burn in gehinom, or at its most noble level, not wanting to compromise your closeness to Hashem. But whatever it is, Hashem is in the picture. The problem is, though, it is not true yirat Hashem. This is really serving yourself. Yirat Hashem is seeing Hashem as the source of all things, the one who gives you everything you'll ever experience and the one who gave you your self. It means trembling before his awesome capacity and goodness. To get to that place of inner awe a man must struggle. A woman has to find it within herself.

Women receive Torah not in spite of their inner security and tranquility but because of it. The Torah was given to them in a way that would cause them to enter that state. The way a woman moves herself forward is by finding good and noble aspects of herself and of her environment and relating to them, not by doing battle against them. The key to her ascension are the verses, "It's very near to you," and "The glory of a kings' daughter is her innerness." This means that her edge, her key to perfection, is her internal self. The environment she creates will reflect this. A woman's home is her mirror. If her home is joyous it's because she is, if her home is conflicted it's because that what she feels.

Mishlei says, "Her husband's heart trusts in her." A woman can create a certain kind of consciousness by being herself and this will affect her husband. The husband's absorption of her tranquility and security attests to her valor.

The Torah is compared to a woman because the function of the Torah is to be a crown for the person who learns and keeps it. Its beauty and integrity is meant to touch the person and resonate within him. A woman who directs her energies outward and tries to find her essential self through competition in the outside world acts foolishly. Her path to perfection involves developing her inner self and her environment. This is the key way her Torah and mitzvot will be expressed and it will affect her husband and children. Who they become will depend on what she is.

Hashem says (in Tehillim), "I have established the woman as being the most significant part of the house in that she is the joyous mother of children." A mother will turn her children into a source of joy.

The Yalkut writes, "A man who has a good wife is considered as if he observed the whole Torah." The environment a wife creates opens her husband to everything. The woman contains it all in her inner repository. That is why the word eishet begins with aleph and ends with tav.

The book of Eicha states, "It is good for man to carry a yoke in his youth." For a woman, carrying a yoke does not bring out her higher self. If she is lacking something she shouldn't just accept it and say, "Ok that's my struggle." She should cry out to Hashem.

The Gemara says that a woman who is a perusha is wasting her life. A parush is someone who distances himself from the world. He slaughters his evil inclination often enough until he attains a level of self-esteem and self-mastery. For a woman, doing battle is the wrong way. She should be uplifting and being, not denying. She should want completion and ask for it. The Torah speaks to her with soft speech and demands of her to have a life of l'chatchila, of wanting things as they should be. It is good for a woman to desire a home that's full with everything she needs. Anything that will give her a sense of tranquility and wholesomeness serves a positive purpose.

Women are not meant to be holy martyrs. They are meant to take pleasure in their lives and to let the joy of uplifting what they have permeate their home.

The story of Datan and Aviram is important, but it isn't necessary to elaborate too much because it can confuse your children. Point out that they spoke lashon hara and Moshe said, "achen noda hadavar," now I know why the Jews are suffering so much. It is because of the sin of evil speech. Give them examples of lashon hara.

Discuss how Moshe had to run away to Midyan. He found Yitro and married his daughter. Yitro was a hero. He didn't know the avot but Moshe helped him discover Hashem. Tell them the story of Moshe finding the sheep, the point being that Hashem makes good things happen to good people.

Describe how happy Aharon was to greet Moshe upon his return. Ask your children, "Would you like it if you were in charge and then someone new came and took over?" They'll probably quiet down and think it over. Then say, "Aharon was happy because this is what Hashem wanted." If there's sibling rivalry or jealousy issues this is a great time to discuss it.

You don't have to talk too much about the plagues because they probably already learned it well in school, but mention that Hashem sent the makkot because he loved the Jews and the Egyptians finally suffered for their evil deeds.

The concept of korban Pesach is often not given enough attention. The whole idea of korbanot is very difficult for kids to understand. Explain that Hashem wanted to give the Jews mitzvot so they would merit to leave Egypt. The Mitzriyim worshipped sheep. Therefore, Hashem ordered the Jews to sacrifice it to show that they didn't believe in these idols. Finish the story describing how the Jews packed up quickly and left Egypt with faith and joy.

In mid-childhood, children still enjoy a good story, so embellish the exodus account with Midrashim to make it tangible and real. Start at the beginning, how the Mitzriyim forgot Yosef and how the Jews forgot themselves. Talk about the idea of how easy it is to forget who you are. Tell them how hard it was to retain their identity and how heroic the Jews were for not changing their clothing, language, and names.

Then discuss the enslavement. This is the age for the Gadi Pollak Haggadah. His vivid pictures make it feel real and horrific. You could begin by asking, "Why is the Mitzri happy that he's beating a Jew?" You'll have to explain about taavat hanitzachon on a child's level. Some people only feel big when they can make somebody else feel small. Talk about where cruelty comes from. Ask them," What do you think it was like in Mitzrayim?"

Trace Hashem's hand in the story. They are not quite old enough to get the idea that the first step towards geulah is galut, but you could say, "Hashem was with them all along and they had to go through this." Tell them about brit bein habetarim and how Avraham asked Hashem, "How will I know if my children will follow my ways?" Hashem answered, "They will be strangers in a foreign land and they will suffer. They will say about the Mitzri, 'This isn't who I want to be.' They'll turn to Me and they'll transform themselves." You can tell them, "The worst thing a person could do is become like a Mitzri."

The next segment, which is usually underplayed in school, is Moshe's humility. Talk about how Hashem propels people to greatness. Some stories are well known from the Chumash such as the akeidah, where Avraham and Yitzchak reached unbelievable levels, and the story of Yehoshua, who was chosen to lead the Bnai Yisrael after Moshe. Give them real life examples of humble people who scaled unimaginable heights because the situation required it.