Lead Tidbit
End-of-Year, Beginning-of-Year Perspective
For each Jew, as Elul winds down and Rosh HaShana approaches, there is a lot of introspection, looking back over the year just ending and looking forward to the new year that is about to enter. Hopefully, that pivotal moment is spent constructively, in T'shuva and resolve for an improved future.

What the Elul-Tishrei transition is to the individual Jew, the Adar-Nissan transition is to the People of Israel... and each of its members. We stand at this juncture, we glance two weeks back to Purim and what it means to the Jewish People. A great way to end the cycle of months. The month that looks so bleak in light of Haman's threat of annihilation, and was turned from sorrow to joy and from mourning to festivities. And then we look forward. To the month of Nissan, the month of Aviv, the month that represents rebirth and fresh growth after the dreariness of winter. Two weeks down the line is our celebration of freedom. To the birth of the Jewish nation. To the obvious, open miracles of Yetzi'at Mitzrayim in front of us, and the hidden miracles of G-d working behind the scenes back at Purim. Between the two holidays, which are purposely a month apart and therefore make a beautiful matched set from the vantage point of Shabbat HaChodesh and Shabbat M'vorchim (and Machar Chodesh) with our pondering the immediate past and future of our Calendar and the pondering of the whole past and future of our People that grows from the narrower musings.

In Nissan we were redeemed from Egypt, and in Nissan we are destined to be redeemed. Whether this is accurate calendar wise is less important than that the Geula Sh'leima (Complete Redemption) be in the style of the Pesach redemption, with all who "have eyes in their heads" being able to see G-d manifest in the Destiny of the Jewish People and of the whole world. When you hear Rosh Chodesh Nissan will be tomorrow... think Geula. Nissan is not just the first of our months, it is the Prime Month.