Blessing For The New Month

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Blessing for the New Month

On the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh (except the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah) the following blessing is said.

One should know the anticipated date and time of the reappearance (or "birth") of the new moon. It is customary for the gabbai to announce this information before the blessing is said.¹

The blessing is said while standing. The chazzan holds the Torah throughout the blessing.

Congregation then chazzan:

May God redeem us from exile

Hebrew

מִי שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ,² וְגָאַל אוֹתָם
מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת, הוּא יִגְאַל אוֹתָנוּ
בְּקָרוֹב, וִיקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵינוּ מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת
הָאָרֶץ, חֲבֵרִים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

Chabad

mi she-osoh nisim la-avoyseinu, v'go-al oysom
mei-avdus l'cheirus, hu yigal oysonu
b'koroyv, vikabeitz nidcheinu mei-arba kanfoys
ho-oretz, chaveirim kol Yisro-eil, v'noymar Omein:

Chazzan then congregation:

Hebrew

רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ (say the name of the new month)
בְּיוֹם (say the day/s of the week the new
month will occur on)
הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה:

Chabad

roysh choydesh (say the name of the new month)
b'yoym (say the day/s of the week the new
month will occur on)
habo oleinu l'toyvoh:

Congregation then chazzan:

When the chazzan repeats this paragraph, the congregation responds אָמֵן as shown.

May God bless the new month

Hebrew

יְחַדְּשֵׁהוּ³ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָלֵינוּ, וְעַל
כָּל עַמּוֹ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְחַיִּים
וּלְשָׁלוֹם (אָמֵן), לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה (אָמֵן),
לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן: (אָמֵן)

Chabad

y'chad'sheihu hakodoysh boruch hu oleinu, v'al
kol amoy beis Yisro-eil, l'chayim
ul'sholoym (Omein), l'sosoyn ul'simchoh (Omein),
lishu-oh ul'nechomoh, v'noymar Omein: (Omein)

The following paragraph is omitted on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, and whenever Tachanun would not be said were it a weekday (see page 108). However, it is said on the Shabbat before the month of Sivan⁴ and on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah.

Hebrew

אָב הָרַחֲמִים שׁוֹכֵן מְרוֹמִים,
בְּרַחֲמָיו הָעֲצוּמִים, הוּא
יִפְקוֹד בְּרַחֲמִים, הַחֲסִידִים
וְהַיְשָׁרִים וְהַתְּמִימִים, קְהִלּוֹת
הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁמָּסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם עַל
קְדֻשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, הַנֶּאֱהָבִים
וְהַנְּעִימִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם, וּבְמוֹתָם
לֹא נִפְרָדוּ. מִנְּשָׁרִים קַלּוּ,
וּמֵאֲרָיוֹת גָּבֵרוּ, לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן
קוֹנָם וְחֵפֶץ צוּרָם. יִזְכְּרֵם
אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה, עִם שְׁאָר
צַדִּיקֵי עוֹלָם, וְיִנְקוֹם נִקְמַת דַּם
עֲבָדָיו הַשָּׁפוּךְ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת
מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים: הַרְנִינוּ
גּוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, כִּי דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם,
וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו, וְכִפֶּר
אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ. וְעַל יְדֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ
הַנְּבִיאִים כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר: וְנִקֵּיתִי
דָּמָם לֹא נִקֵּיתִי, וַיהוָה שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן.
וּבְכִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר: לָמָּה
יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם,

Chabad

ov horachamim shoychein m'roymim,
b'rachamov ho-atzumim, hu
yifkoyd b'rachamim, hachasidim
v'hay'shorim v'hat'mimim, k'hiloys
hakoydesh shemos'ru nafshom al
k'dushas Hasheim, hane-ehovim
v'han'-imim b'chayeihem, uv'moysom
loy nifrodu. min'shorim kalu,
umei-aroyoys goveiru, la-asoys r'tzoyn
koynom v'cheifetz tzurom. yizk'reim
Eloyheinu l'toyvoh, im sh'or
tzadikei oylom, v'yinkoym nikmas dam
avodov hashofuch, kakosuv b'soyras
Moysheh ish ho-eloyhim: harninu
goyyim amoy, ki dam avodov yikoym,
v'nokom yoshiv l'tzorov, v'chiper
admosoy amoy. v'al y'dei avodecho
han'vi-im kosuv leimoyr: v'nikeisi
domom loy nikeisi, vadonoy shoychein b'Tziyoyn.
uv'chisvei hakoydesh ne-emar: lomoh
yoymru hagoyyim ayeih Eloyheihem,

Commentary

1 It is proper to know the time of the rebirth of the new moon before saying the blessing for the new month. The Rebbe Rashab explained: Chodesh comes from the word חֹדֶשׁ, meaning new. Before beginning a new form of service of God, we must first know the purpose of our "birth"—our creation.

2 We mention God's miracles when we commemorate the new month—a seemingly natural occurrence—to highlight the fact that even natural occurrences are the result of God's actions. In the merit of recognizing that all of nature is really a Divine miracle, God will perform supernatural miracles for us and will redeem us from our exile.

3 Six expressions of blessing are mentioned in this prayer. During the times when the Jewish court of law would establish Rosh Chodesh, there were six months of the year when it was necessary for the court to publicize the day of the sanctification of the new month. These six blessings correspond to those six months. (Only Rosh Chodesh that followed a 29-day month would need to be publicized. If people heard nothing on that day, they would conclude that the current month consisted of 30 days and that Rosh Chodesh was on the following day) …

4 Unlike the Shabbat before all other months—when this prayer is omitted—it is said on the Shabbat preceding Sivan. One of the reasons for this is because in Sivan, in the year 4856 (1096 C.E.), thousands of Jews were massacred by Crusaders. This prayer is a memorial for those killed for being Jewish.